Chapter 0823
Peter’s P.OV]
For a few seconds, I just stared at Celeste.
She was just a girl–well, compared to me, she was.
She was thin, her curly hair as messy as always, and she wore glasses that made her look even younger. There was an innocence in her eyes, a brightness untouched by the weight of life.
I smiled and walked toward her.
“Who are you?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
“Hello, sir! My name is Celeste Mason,” she replied respectfully.
“Celeste Mason… Why haven’t I seen you before?”
“Oh! I
I’m just visiting. I don’t actually live in Galea–I’m from Willowcombe. It’s a small town, very-
-Very beautiful,” I finished for her.
She beamed. “Yes! You know it?”
“I think I might’ve been there once.”
“Really? I can’t imagine that. It’s still such a small town… It’s lovely, but it still has a long way to go in terms of development.‘
”
So, that’s where you live?”
“Yes… Why do you ask?”
“You seem familiar, but I can’t figure out where I’ve seen you before.”
“You probably saw me at the bar where Mary worked. I worked there three years ago, but only for a short time before returning to my town.”
I watched as she set out plates and poured coffee, moving effortlessly around the kitchen. She glanced at me and gave me a shy smile.
Did she feel it too? That strange sense of familiarity?
Nothing about this made sense.
“And what do you do, Celeste?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer. Ljust needed to hear it from her.
Her eyes lit up. “I’m in university now! It took a lot of effort, but I finally got in.” She paused, then added, “I had to take a year off, but now I’m officially a student!”
“What are you studying?”
“Well, my mother and father were both painters and art curators, so I guess it runs in my blood. I’m studying painting and art history.”
“That’s amazing,” I say, smiling. “I’ll give you the name of a contact at the Royce Ceramic and Redmond Print Museum. I’m sure they’d appreciate a talented artist like you.”
She looked surprised. “But… You don’t even know me. How could you recommend me?”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0823
“You said your parents were artists, right? That means you must be one too–it’s in your blood.”
“Were…” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper
And just like that, I remembered.
She had lost her parents when she was very young. She never talked about it, but I knew she had to fend for herself from a young age.
Before I could say anything else, a sweet voice spoke from behind me.
“Peter! I see you’ve met Celeste…”
As soon as I heard her voice, I turned around and saw her.
Mary.
She was wearing the same summer dress from that damned day–the day that changed everything. Just seeing it brought back the memory of what was supposed to happen. And if everything was going to unfold the way remembered… I couldn’t let it.
I wasn’t sure if things would play out exactly the same, but if I was here, then I had a lot to do–and very time to do it.
little
First, I had to secure Celeste’s future. She was a natural–born artist. I had seen it firsthand in my real life. She just needed a push, and I knew I could change her life forever.
Mary’s case was different.
If life was giving me a second chance, should I take it?
A part of me wanted to. The part that still belonged to her. The part that wondered what could have been. The part that ached to see Serenity grow up–to be a father to her. The part that had been ripped away from me in a matter of seconds.
But then there was another part of me–the rational part.
The part that told me not to do it.
The part that reminded me that I already had a wornan I loved–and it wasn’t Mary.
The part that whispered that I was a father, a grandfather, and that I would again be a father and a grandfather.
I had no idea what was happening. This had to be some kind of sick dream. But everything felt too real, and that terrified me.
What if everything I knew–everything I remembered–was nothing more than a dream?
What if this was my reality?
“Peter? Are you okay? You look a little pale.”
Mary’s voice pulled me back to the present.
I looked at her, kissed her forehead, and forced a small smile.
