Architect of paradise (PART I: Out of the Ruins)

25. Hope

When Alice came back, Lily was with her. They saw my bright and dreamy smile and they instantly understood that I had made up with Daniel. Alice made coffee for the three of us and the girls wanted to hear me talking about my relationship with Daniel. In the end, I told them about our passionate morning and that he called me his girlfriend.

-"It was time!" Alice says. I know that she was really angry because of him.

-"Congratulations, Addie. Even though, Daniel doesn't have a good reputation, I think that he is a good person deep inside." Lily says.

-"Hm. Really deep, I would say." Alice says and we are laughing.

-"I will be watching him. If he hurts you, he is going to be beaten to death!" Alice says and Lily laughs.

-"You are really close you two, aren't you?" Lily points.

-"We are together from the university and before that. So yes, we are pretty close." Alice explains.

-"I always wanted a close friend but in the city I didn't have time to meet someone like that. However, I feel that you two are my destiny."

-"That sounded really poetic, Mrs. Teacher." Alice jokes.

-"Nevertheless, Lily, you are our good friend, too." I say.

-"Of course. So tell us, what happened between you and Tony." Alice asks with a cunning smile and Lily blushes.

-"After the trip on the mountain, he asked me for a date. In our second one, he kissed me." She tells us and blushes.

-"Tony is a good man, nothing like Daniel." Alice says smiling.

-"I think that he is serious."

-"You think? Lily, he was in love with you from high school. I think that after a couple more dates, he will propose to you."

Alice grew up in Green Hill and she knows the most of the people of her generation. Of course, she knows about the unfulfilled love of Tony. Lily blushes again.

-"What about you Alice?" She asks to change the subject.

-"My fiancé is a police officer at Washington. However, I think that he will ask for a transfer near here." Alice answers.

-"Really? I didn't know." I say surprised.

-"We decided to live here. It is better than the chaotic Washington. After some time here, I realized that it is heaven."

-"So, I must find another place to live. I don't want to trouble you." I say.

-"Are you insane? You are living with us. Of course, if you get married, you can move out."

-"Yes, mom." I joke and we laugh again.

We stayed together the whole day. Lily took over the kitchen to cook something to eat while Alice found a good movie to watch. Lily left late in the evening with a good mood.

At ten o'clock in the Sunday morning, Daniel came at my house for our date. He drove to Harrisonburg. Firstly, we sat at a cafeteria to take some breakfast. We ordered black coffee for him and orange juice for me with some donuts. After that, we walked in the center of the town watching the shop's windows. I came a lot of times in Harrisonburg for the shop of our organization but I never toured the town. It was a good opportunity. We did some shopping, too.

We relaxed in a beautiful restaurant at noon and we had good food and wine. Daniel was watching me the whole time and I couldn't eat without blushing. We were chatting for a lot of things about him and me. He even told me about some bad deeds of him while he was a police officer.