They pushed Summer and Maddox through the crowd that had formed outside a small café. "Wait a minute!" Atiya called to them. Summer and Maddox stopped to watch them catch up. "Look, Summer," Aquila said, showing her the paper she had picked up. Summer wrinkled her nose. "It's red."
Aquila had a shocked look on his face. "What is it?" He turned it over in front of his face and frowned. "I didn't see it." Then he lowered it and squinted his eyes. "Is red bad?"
Summer chuckled and shook her head. "No, I want to make the Yellow Leaf Man." She dropped her gaze to the ground and began to circle it. A few seconds later she reached out and picked up a yellow leaf with dark green veins. She gave it to him. "You see? That's what I want."
Aquila nodded. "Well then, Madam."
Summer and Maddox reunite and continue walking towards the park at the end of the street. "She really likes you. Sweet. I think you have to be involved where you give something. Giving money is not enough," Atiya said, turning to him. . "You never know whose life you might touch when they interact with you on a personal level."
The fresh air blushed the tip of her nose and her cheeks. She looked beautiful against the background of pale skin and freckles. For a moment his heart thumped in her ear. Did you think he could do better? Is he worth more than he can afford? To Raquel , he was just someone who wanted to make money. At least she treated him that way. He cleared his throat and put his feet on the ground. He really had to pick himself up. But there was something about him being here, surrounded by laughter and excitement, that made him realize how empty his life was. "Do you think?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You are natural."
"Well, I'm a pretty cool person. Who wouldn't want to hang out with me?" He intertwined his fingers and held out his hand, shrugging his shoulders. He smiled at her. She squeezed his arm tightly. "Don't let your head get too big."
They walked in step with each other as they entered the park entrance. It was small, just a slide and a swing. There were several trees growing around it. The children happily picked up as many fallen leaves as possible. "Honestly, coming here, I realized that maybe there was something missing in my life."
She studied him. "Maybe trying to get into the business world is not what I want anymore. It was harder than it used to be. But every thought of being alone brought back memories of Rose . The day she died, everything in his life fell apart. His mother retired. Desperate to connect with someone, his father found solace in another woman. As such, Aquila had to deal with his grief and pain alone. And his success didn't fill the gap left. His chest tightened, so he straightened his back. She stared at him as he looked down at Atiya . She furrowed her brow and threw her eyes into his face. "Are you okay?" she asked. Fuck. She watched his reaction. Man, he couldn't get his feelings together about this woman. He just nodded as he put his hand in his jacket pocket. "Yes. It's just a memory."
Atiya nodded and pursed her lips. "Is there something wrong?" she asked. If she knew But he wasn't sure if he was ready to share this part of his life with her. It wasn't something he liked to talk about. It just opened an old wound, and he was still unsure if he could handle it. "Very similar."
Before either of them could continue their conversation, Summer ran toward Aquila with a few yellow leaves. "Aquila ! Aquila , look what I found." She waved them in front of him. He knelt down and took the bundle from her little hand. She also sat down on her floor. Soon they unfolded their respective works in front of them. "Very beautiful, isn't it?" she asked, looking up at him. A desperate desire for her confirmation was evident in her eyes. He smiled at her. "you are perfect."
With a chuckle, she began stacking them neatly. Iris clapped her hands and Aquila stared at her. "Children and volunteers, we are on our way home now. I don't want anyone to get lost." She turned her attention back to the two children wrestling at her feet. "Are you ready?" he asked Summer. She nodded. Atiya had Maddox gathered and walked towards Aquila and Summer. "I'm ready," Atiya said. Aquila took the two children first and followed Atiya 's pace back to the nursery school. He couldn't contain the sense of accomplishment she felt as he walked next to her. That was what he wanted. Mentally, he ticked a box in his head. He wanted his family.