Emily put her cell phone aside, still smiling after her conversation with Matthew. She felt light, as if the call had renewed her energy. She finished her tea calmly, watching the rays of sunlight coming through the window and illuminating the apartment.
"Now, what am I going to do?" she asked herself, lightly tapping her fingers on the rim of the mug.
She stood up and began to organize her thoughts. She decided it would be a good day to take care of some pending things and, of course, enjoy her free time. She walked to her bedroom, changed into casual clothes, a simple white t-shirt and comfortable jeans, and tied her hair in a messy bun.
Back in the living room, she picked up her to-do list. "Let's see... review the contract for the new song, answer emails from the studio and, oh, visit the fabric store. I need to start planning the wedding dress I promised Uncle Otávio," she thought, smiling.
Before leaving, she decided to finish a personal project: adjusting the flowers she had bought last week. She put on some calm instrumental music, separated the arrangements in a larger vase, and made the decoration of the room even more charming.
While she was fiddling with the flowers, she received another notification on her cell phone. It was Lara again.
"Hi, Lara!" Emily said, sending a voice message with a playful tone. "Now I'm going to ignore you for a while. I need to sort out my life, and you're distracting me too much with these messages!"
Laughing, she put her cell phone aside, put away the flowers, and organized the room.
Later, in the city center, Emily decided to go out to run the errands that required her presence. First, she visited the fabric store she loved. There, she chatted with the attendants, chose samples of lace and silk, and shared some ideas about the wedding dress she planned to make.
"It seems like it's becoming real, huh?" the attendant commented, seeing the sparkle in Emily's eyes.
"Oh, it's still going to take a while! But I want to be ready when it happens," she replied, laughing as she examined the fabrics.
With bags in hand, she went to the café she loved to frequent in the city center. She ordered a cappuccino with chocolate and sat by the window, watching the people walking by on the street. It was a peaceful time, and she loved this feeling of balance between the rush of work and the peace of simple moments.
She took out her notebook and began to scribble ideas for new songs, a scene for a script, and even small sketches of the dress she imagined wearing on her wedding day.
"The future looks bright," she thought to herself, smiling.
After scribbling for a while, Emily took a last sip of her cappuccino and sighed, satisfied. The sound of the coffee around her, the buzz of people, the barista preparing drinks, and the sound of the background music made her feel connected to the world, but still at peace.
"Time to move on," she muttered to herself, standing up and arranging the bags with the fabrics she had bought.
When she left the café, the sky was already tinged with a soft orange, announcing the end of the afternoon. Emily decided that she deserved a walk through the streets of the center before heading home. She looked at the store windows, admired street artists playing the violin and even bought a small bouquet of lavender from an elderly florist.
When she finally arrived at the apartment, she felt energized, but knew that the evening would be calmer. She put away the fabrics and the bouquet, put on some soft music and went to the kitchen to prepare something for dinner.
As she chopped the vegetables, she thought about Matthew. The conversation they had had earlier kept echoing in her mind, and she felt increasingly certain about their relationship.
As soon as she finished preparing a light soup, she took out her cell phone and sent him a message:
Emily: "I'm home! I hope work is going well. I miss you, but today was a good day. <3"
She put her cell phone on the table and began to eat, enjoying the calm of the moment. With each spoonful, she felt grateful for the life she was building.
Right after dinner, while she was washing the dishes, her cell phone vibrated. It was a response from Matthew:
Matthew: "I miss you too. Can we see you tomorrow? I'm leaving the office early and I'd love to spend the rest of the day with you."
Emily smiled, dried her hands quickly and replied:
Emily: "Of course! I can't wait. Tomorrow will be perfect."
With the night approaching, she decided to relax on the couch, watching an old movie. She grabbed a blanket, turned off the lights and let the movie envelop her, but her mind was already full of ideas for the next day with Matthew.
After the movie ended, she fell asleep right there on the couch, with a peaceful smile on her lips, looking forward to what tomorrow had in store.
Emily woke up slowly with the first rays of sunlight coming through the windows. She smelled the breakfast she had prepared the day before and decided to start the day calmly.
After a quick shower and light makeup, Emily chose a casual but charming outfit: a high-waisted denim skirt, a flowing white blouse and a pair of comfortable boots. She tied her hair in a loose ponytail, grabbed her bag and left the apartment, eager for the meeting.
While waiting for Matthew at the entrance of a park they had agreed on, Emily felt her heart race as she saw him approach. He wore a casual blazer, dark jeans and leather shoes, an impeccably carefree look, as was typical of him.
"You look beautiful as always" Emily commented, smiling as he approached.
"And you look radiant, as always" Matthew replied, taking her hand and pulling her into a tight hug.
They decided to start their outing with a quiet walk through the park, where the sound of the leaves in the wind and the birdsong created a serene atmosphere. They talked about work, future plans and even about small childhood memories.
"By the way, I brought you something," Matthew said, pulling a small box out of his pocket.
Emily looked at it curiously, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"What is this?"
"Open it and see," he said, smiling.
Emily opened the box and found a delicate heart-shaped pendant, made of silver with a small blue stone in the center.
"It's beautiful, Matthew!" she exclaimed, excited. "But what does it mean?"
"I thought of something to symbolize what you mean to me. Blue is the color of calm and confidence, and you bring that to me every day."
Emily felt her eyes fill with tears of happiness, but she managed to hold back her emotion. She hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Matthew. I never imagined I would find someone as special as you."
They spent the rest of the afternoon together, enjoying each other's company. They sat by the lake, took funny pictures, and even shared an ice cream while laughing at Emily's jokes about the ducks in the park.
At the end of the day, as they walked back to Matthew's car, Emily held his hand and said,
"I can't wait for the future, Matthew. I think we're building something really special."
Matthew smiled, stopping in his tracks to look at her.
"We are, Emily. And I promise I'll do everything I can to make our future even more amazing than you imagine."
They shared a soft kiss as the sun set in the background, painting the sky with orange and pink hues. It was the perfect end to the day.