With a frown, she retrieved her phone from her pocket, her heart pounding in her chest as she saw the caller ID display a name she hadn't seen in five years.
Daniel Dax.
Aurora stared at the screen in surprise as her mind raced with memories of their shared past. Beside her, Celestine sensed her hesitation and gave a questioning look before asking, "Uhmm... Aren't you going to pick it?" She asked in a curious voice.
Aurora turned the phone towards Celestine, silently showing her the caller ID. Celestine's eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the caller. She nodded encouragingly, urging Aurora to take the call.
Her finger hovered over the screen for a brief second. With a deep breath, Aurora slid her finger across the screen and brought the phone to her ear.
"Hi, Dariel," she managed to say, her voice slightly shaky with nerves.
"Finally, she picked up. For a moment, I was beginning to think Celestine gave me the wrong number," Dariel said on the other end of the line, his voice filled with amusement and playful sarcasm.
Aurora shot Celestine a sharp glance at Dariel's comment, feeling a pang of guilt for avoiding him for so long.
"And how did you know I was the one calling?" Dariel continued.
"You still have the same contact as before," Aurora responded, her voice carrying a hint of remorse.
"Well, I was keeping it in hopes that someone will someday reach out after running away for 5 years," Dariel said, his tone carrying a subtle hint of bitterness.
"I'm sorry," Aurora apologized, her heart heavy with guilt.
"And that someone came into town and still didn't reach out until I did. Not fair enough," Dariel continued, his tone tinged with sarcasm.
Aurora felt a pang of guilt at his words, realizing the hurt she had caused by her absence. "I'm so sorry, Dariel. I have no excuse, but I didn't mean to hurt you," she apologized sincerely.
"Nahh... It's okay. As a matter of fact, I'm so happy you're back in town. How have you been?" Dariel asked, his tone gentler now.
"Well, I'm okay. Just settling back in," Aurora replied, her voice filled with relief at his forgiving response.
"Do you still love Italian? There's this new restaurant in town, and I've been meaning to check it out. How about we hit there and catch up?" Dariel suggested, his voice filled with excitement.
Aurora's heart skipped a beat at his invitation, her mind racing at the thought of seeing Dariel again after all this time. Sensing her hesitation, Celestine waved her hands in the air to catch Aurora's attention, then mouthed silently, "What's he saying?"
Aurora peeled the phone from her ear and used her other hand to cover the mouthpiece. "He wants to meet up at a restaurant," she whispered urgently to Celestine.
"When?" Celestine whispered, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Aurora returned the phone to her ear and asked Dariel, "Uhmm... when?"
"Well, I'm free right now if you are. What do you say?" Dariel replied eagerly.
Aurora removed the phone from her ear again and covered the mouthpiece. "Now. He wants to meet up now," she whispered frantically to Celestine.
Celestine smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "Go, say yes, say yes," she urged in a hushed tone.
"But the kids? What about them?" Aurora asked, torn between the desire to catch up with Dariel and her responsibilities as a mother. Her eyes darted to where Aura and Aqua were playing in the living room and she couldn't help but smile at their game.
"Well, I'm here, right? Just go," Celestine reassured her, her voice filled with encouragement.
Aurora hesitated, her mind swirling with doubts. The idea of meeting up with Dariel was unexpected. She had planned on seeking him out eventually, but for business advice, not a personal catch-upn and definitely not in her plans for the day.
The suddenness of his invitation, this impromptu call, caught her off guard.
"Aurora, you there?" Dariel's voice pierced through her thoughts, pulling her back to the conversation at hand.
"Yeah, yeah, sorry about that," she replied hurriedly, her voice betraying her inner turmoil.
"I guess Celestine is there with you, correct?" Dariel inquired in a casual yet curious tone.
Caught off guard, Aurora glanced at Celestine, silently communicating her surprise. "He knows you're here," she mouthed to Celestine before acknowledging Dariel's correct guess. "Well..."
Taking the initiative, Celestine leaned closer to the phone and greeted Dariel with a warmth that could melt ice. "Hi Dariel," she said, loud enough for him to hear.
"Hey, Celestine," Dariel responded, his voice carrying a smile. "It's good to hear your voice."
The pleasantries quickly gave way to the pressing matter at hand. "So, what do you say, Aurora? Want to catch up over lunch?" Dariel's invitation hung in the air.
Taking a deep breath, Aurora returned the phone to her ear and finally agreed. "Yeah, sure," she said, her voice tinged with nervousness. "Where's the place?
"Great, I'll send you the location," Dariel replied, his voice filled with anticipation.
"Alright, catch you later," Aurora said with a faint smile as she prepared to end the call. But before she could, Dariel spoke again, his voice soft and sincere.
"Aurora?"
She paused, her heart skipping a beat as she waited for his next words.
"It's so good to have you back," Dariel said softly.
"Thanks," Aurora replied, her voice choked with emotion, before ending the call.
In just a few minutes, Aurora hurriedly changed into a loose-fitting denim jacket over a plain white t-shirt and a pair of comfortable jeans, opting for a casual yet put-together look. She slipped on her favorite sneakers, to match up her look.
She glanced at herself in the mirror, adjusting a loose strand of hair. Just then, she heard the horn of a car. She had ordered for a cab before she went in to freshen up and change her clothes.
Grabbing her purse, she headed out of her room and to the entrance.
Aurora turned back to her children, who were now standing at the doorway, their faces filled with curiosity.
"Mommy's just going out for a little while, okay? Celestine will take care of you," she reassured them, planting a quick kiss on each of their foreheads.
With a pang of guilt, she waved goodbye to her children, promising herself she'd be back soon. "Be good for Aunt Celestine," she called out as she climbed into the cab, her voice tinged with longing.
A few blocks away, a car sat parked, its engine idling as it waited for the right moment. Inside, a shadowy figure watched intently as the cab carrying Aurora pulled away and drove off.
'Finally… I was getting bored already.'
With a silent nod, the figure started the engine and pulled out into the street, following the cab from a safe distance.