Chapter 99
I laughed, shaking my head. “Please, you’d last a whole five minutes before you got bored. And besides, I’m not letting anyone else near the coffee machine–especially not someone as… ‘talented‘ as you in the kitchen.” “Suit yourself,” he replied, crossing his arms. “But you’ve been so busy with this Sunshine PACK project that I figured I’d take some of the
load.”
I smiled, relaxing a bit. “It’s not that bad. They’re a huge organization, and there’s a lot to figure out, but it’s exciting. Their gardens are beautiful, by the way, so well kept and peaceful. I actually met the older woman there–kind, graceful, reminded me of someone from another era. And there was this young girl too… she even gave me a painting as a gift.”
Carlos listened, his eyes focused on me, really listening. I could see a certain admiration in his gaze. “That sounds incredible, Doris. It sounds like you’re building something meaningful. Sunshine PACK’s no small player; they’ve got serious resources to back you up. You keep at this, and you’re bound to make something big happen.”
I gave a small shrug, trying not to get too carried away. “It’s still just the beginning, though We haven’t finalized anything beyond preliminary cooperation. I’m not getting my hopes. up until there’s something concrete.”
Carlos just looked at me, his expression warm and encouraging. “Don’t downplay it. You’ve already got so far because of your determination. I know you’ll make it work.”
His confidence in me was… surprising, comforting. I hadn’t expected him to take such an
interest, and honestly, it made me feel better about everything. “Thank you, Carlos. Really.” “Anytime.” He nodded, and after a pause, I decided to switch gears.
“So,” I said, looking over at him with a curious smile, “What have you been working on lately? Aside from offering your excellent coffee–making skills?” He laughed, then pulled a paper from his pocket. “I’ve been working on this research paper–medicine, mostly. It’s got some new findings I think will be useful.”
I took the paper he handed me and glanced at it, but all the medical terms and diagrams – blurred together. “Carlos, you know I don’t understand a single word of this, right?” He
laughed, taking the paper back. “Hey, it’s alright. I just wanted to share it with you, even if it
und Chance at Happiness
2
poks like a foreign language.”
thought crossed my mind, and I asked. “How’s Cyrus doing? I haven’t checked in as much
as I should.”
Carlos’s face brightened instantly. “He’s doing great. He passed the initial senses training. and he even completed the snow training.”
“Snow training?” I asked, half–joking. “What’s next, training in the desert?” Before he could answer, his phone buzzed, interrupting us. Carlos picked it up, glancing at the screen. “Sorry, let me just take this.” “Sure, no problem.” I replied, moving slightly to give him some space. But as I stepped back, I realized I’d been standing much closer than I’d thought. That
realization brought a strange, fluttering sensation, and I quickly looked away, embarrassed.
My hand grazed the edge of the stack of papers, and suddenly, they went flying. everywhere, scattering across the floor.
“Oh no,” I mumbled, mortified as I dropped to my knees, hurriedly gathering them up. I heard a woman’s voice on the phone, sounding confused. “Is everything okay?” the woman
asked.
Carlos bent down, helping me pick up the papers without missing a beat. “It’s just a friend here with me. She’s had a bit of a paperwork accident.”
I
ed to keep my head down, focusing on gathering the documents, but my face was burning. The woman on the other end seemed curious. “A friend, huh? Well, Carlos, where’s that student you promised to introduce me to?”
1 froze, unsure what she meant by “student,” but Carlos simply chuckled, glancing over at me. “His mom’s here with me right now. The woman’s tone brightened instantly. “Oh, that must be Miss Doris! Hello! I’m Faye. I’ll be teaching Cyrus how to swim. Welcome, Doris!”
I looked up, startled. “Faye? The Faye?” I stammered, not believing my luck. “The swimming star?” Carlos just smiled after hanging up “That’s right. She’s my little sister. And she’s one of the best swimmers around, so I thought she’d be perfect for Cyrus.”
I Couldn’t hide my excitement. Seeing someone I’d only ever watched on TV now connected
to me and Cyrus–it felt surreal. Faye was a well–known swimming champion, someone I had admired from a distance, and now here was Carlos, casually telling me she’d be training Cyrus.
Carlos looked at me and continued. “She’s excited to meet both of you, especially Cyrus. She’s got this whole program lined up
- him.”
I was taken aback, still trying to process this twist. “This is… such a wonderful surprise. I had no idea you had a sister, let alone one who’s so accomplished.”
“Giving Up My First Love For Secret Research: Second Chance at Happiness
