In the quiet town nestled between rolling hills, a young woman named Ava rushed through the rain, trying to reach home before getting completely soaked. She arrived at the house, quickly removed her jacket, and hung it on the rope stretched horizontally across the door. Slowly, she opened the door and stepped into their small, well-decorated parlor. A cold, quiet breeze brushed past her ears, and she immediately sensed that no one was home.
"Mama! Mama!" she called out, just in case, as she checked the rooms and the bathroom. Suddenly, she heard a familiar coughing sound coming from the door.
"Oh no!" she exclaimed, rushing toward it.
There stood her mother, leaning against a pillar, panting like a dog that had been chasing a cat.
"Mama!" Ava cried out, helping her mother into the house. She quickly rummaged through her bag, searching for her mother's medicine.
"Mama, you shouldn't be out in the rain; it's dangerous for your health," Ava said, gently pulling her mother down by making her sit on the couch. Her mom was asthmatic, and even a little cold could confine her to bed for days.
"Oh dear, I just needed to get my medicine from Mr. Gripper. You know, the last one ran out yesterday," her mother replied softly, a tinge of regret in her voice.
"You should have waited for me or Anna to come home. You're all we have," Ava said, her voice filled with worry.
"Okay, dear," her mother whispered, pulling Ava close in a comforting embrace.
"Oh, before I forget!" Ava suddenly exclaimed. "Ethan is back from the elite school."
"Who's Ethan?" her mother asked, puzzled.
"Mama, how could you forget so quickly? Ethan Harrington, of course—my friend from back in the day."
"Oh, I remember now," her mother chuckled softly. "I guess I'm getting old too quickly. He must be all grown up now—or should I say a successful man?
Yesss! I can't wait to see him!" Ava exclaimed, her excitement evident as her smile stretched from ear to ear. "He's coming back as the CEO of Luxe Lineage, a multi-purpose company. Some people are just born lucky, like demi-gods. Look at me… I've just had my 20th failed job interview. I'm so tired, Mama."
"Oh, my beautiful daughter, don't be so hard on yourself. The right job will come at the right time," her mother comforted her.
"But Mama, I have the best grades, great qualifications, yet I still can't find a decent job. It's either they ask me to do something inappropriate, or they tell me I'm overqualified. It feels like my certificate means nothing. And to make things worse, I'm in love with someone who hasn't spoken to me in over two years! How can I be sure he'll even notice me now?" Ava's voice cracked, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Patience, my child," her mother said softly. "The universe has its own way of bringing good things to us when the time is right."
"Hope you're not planning to show up at their house, Miss Lover," Anna teased as she entered the room with a smirk. She had been lingering by the door for a while, her expression a mix of amusement and concern.
"His mom is very, very mean, and I doubt she'd be thrilled to see a low-class girl like you—should I say, poor girl—by her son's side," Anna added.
"Anna!" Ava's mother scolded.
"What, Mama? I'm just telling the truth."
"That was rude!" her mother responded.
"And how do you know all this? Or are you just good at judging people by their status?" Ava challenged.
"Well, if you must know, her nanny's daughter is my friend, and she tells me a lot about her. And let's be real, rich people always see poor people as a threat to their status. They want to keep their distance. So, please, let's just stay in our lane."
"But Ethan cared about you back then," Ava said. "He was a good guy. We all saw it. He's different.
"That was 12 years ago," Anna sighed. "He's an adult now—a CEO. I'm just worried this might bring us more trouble than it's worth."
"How was school, dear?" their mother asked, shifting the conversation.
"It was awful, Mama," Anna said with a heavy sigh. "I've been wearing this same pair of shoes for the past six months, and everyone mocks me when they see me. I'm so tired of these shoes," she lamented, staring down at her worn-out footwear. Her heels pressed into the ground while her toes hung in the air, the shoes clearly failing her.
"Anna, I know things are tough right now, but I promise I'll get you a new pair as soon as I find a job," Ava reassured her. She had been job hunting for over three months. "We just have to hold on until things get better."
"Oh God, I hope things improve soon, or I'm not going back to that school," Anna muttered, furrowing her brow in frustration.
"Girls, go freshen up. Dinner will be ready soon," their mother called out.
"Mmm, that smells amazing!" Anna exclaimed. It was her favorite meal, and since yesterday was her birthday, their mother, Patricia Whitemore, had decided to make it special. With her recent paycheck, she could finally afford to.
As Anna walked closer to the room, she paused, realizing the significance behind the meal. Tears welled in her eyes as she turned back to look at her mother setting the table. A wave of gratitude washed over her. Without thinking, she rushed back to her mother and embraced her tightly, thanking her for all her sacrifices since their father had passed away. Mrs. Whitemore, overwhelmed, returned the hug, her heart melting at her daughter's gesture. A tear slid down her cheek, but a smile lit up her face.
Mrs. Whitemore worked as a cook for the blackwood family, one of the most powerful families in the town of Nestled. She had been with them for over 20 years, ever since her husband died. He had been attacked and killed by robbers on his way home from work, leaving her to raise their two beautiful daughters on her own.
It had been two weeks since she last worked, having been given a break to recover from her recent health issue.
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Ava spent the night tossing and turning in bed. As the night stretched on, her thoughts wandered, imagining how handsome Ethan must have become. Her heart fluttered, and her emotions deepened, flooded by childhood memories. She opened every letter Ethan had ever sent her, reading them over and over, including their shared bucket list. A wave of fear and determination washed over her as she realized she had only accomplished one thing from that list: finishing her education with good grades. She wondered if Ethan would still accept her if he was the same as she remembered, especially since he had stopped responding to her letters two years ago.
"Maybe he was just busy with school," she reassured herself.
On the early morning of November 15, her alarm blared at 6 a.m. "Noon?" Ava mumbled sleepily as she hit the snooze button, falling back asleep to recover from her restless night. Another alarm went off at 8 a.m., then again at 10 a.m. Finally, she woke up as sunlight poured into the room, forming a bright line across her bed. She squinted, shielding her eyes with one hand while searching for her slippers with the other. Unable to find them, she walked barefoot to the bathroom.
Once inside, she freshened up, taking her time to look perfect. She shaved, groomed her eyebrows, and trimmed her hair carefully.
Stepping out of the bathroom, she shouted, "Anna! How many times do I have to tell you to stop wearing my slippers?"
"Yours are just so soft, and I love wearing them," Anna replied.
"But I don't have another pair! I promise I'll get you your own once I start working, but for now, use what you have," Ava said.
"Okay," Anna replied in a drawn-out tone.
"By the way, why aren't you at school today?" Ava asked.
"Today is Saturday," Anna answered reluctantly.
"Oh, right, I forgot. So, what are you doing in my room?"
"Mama asked me to wake you up. I guess you didn't sleep last night, thinking about Ethan, huh?"
"What? Why would I think of him all night? We're just friends. I'm happy to see him again, not like I'm dying for him," Ava said, her expression betraying her words.
"You know you can't lie to me," Anna smirked. "Mama's waiting for you downstairs, so hurry up" Anna said, making her scared as she wanders why her mom is still at home at time.