SERENDIPITY || Jan Rozmanowski

i.ii

"So what's gotten you all smiley and everything?" A voice sounded from behind Summer, making the girl turn around swiftly with a small, yet just as radiant grin flashing on her lips. Ever since she came in that morning, she couldn't tear that elated smile off her face. And it wasn't like she tried to do so either way. "I just had a good night's rest, Eleonora." She was rather happy, heart swelling with the delights of last night's messages. After she arrived home yesterday, she stared at her phone and the certain number that was saved within her contacts. Contemplating whether she should text him immediately, see if he's gotten home safely already, or just do so in the morning.

But as impatient as she was, Summer sent a simple text saying it's her and asking if he got back home. With that, she went to shower to let her body relax under the comforting sensation of a hot bath. She left her phone in the living room, knowing all too well that she'd be checking it every two seconds for a reply. For the time being, she'd just let herself lean into the bubbles that kept occurring and clear her mind. It would be a rather busy day tomorrow, for there were always the most children on Sundays, which meant too many parents to greet.

And it was exactly like that. As soon as she got to work, she barely had time to check Jan's reply from last night, seeing that he replied almost immediately after she sent the message. It tugged at her heart, now feeling slightly bad that she didn't see it earlier. Typing out a quick response, along with an apology for not noticing it earlier, she told him that she'd call him when her work ends. With that, she tugged her phone away and into her back pocket when parents started piling inside the gameroom with their overly excited children.

'Please, it's barely nine in the morning'

She could only sigh, greeting them with a fixated, perhaps too bright smile.

As soon as the last parent clocked out, and the gameroom was all tidied up, Summer rushed to go and get changed. On Sunday's, they closed earlier, at six, and at the beginning, she wasn't too amazed by that fact. She could only return home, cook, or even watch something for the rest of the evening. Nothing that brought real enjoyment to her life, nothing to look forward to when she comes back to the lonely walls of her apartment. But now, she left work rather excited, an elated look on her face that gave away her eagerness to finish the work for that day. But the long-haired boy wasn't the only reason. Recently, Summer even started going out with her friends from work, accepting their invites to go clubbing or even for a stroll around the town. Life was finally getting good, and after such a long time, she was expecting each and every day with upcoming excitement. The candle that melted all too quickly was suddenly set aflame once more, with a spark of lively, friendly laughter.

Summer scrolled down her list of contacts, stopping only when her eyes landed on 'Pirate Boy🏃‍♀️', tapping the call option, and placing her phone against her ear with a bright, almost beaming smile.

"Took you long enough," Jan was the first one to speak, picking up almost immediately when he saw who called him. Seated comfortably on his couch, and watching whatever was on the TV at the moment, he couldn't stop checking the time. Waiting so patiently for the clock to hit six, already playing scenarios that could occur once she does - or even doesn't, calls. And the moment his phone started ringing that all too familiar melody, Jan was quick to grab it, blinking his eyes at the brightness of the screen. His smile was quick to spread, as easy as wildfire, once seeing Summer's caller ID.

"Well, Mister Impatient, I just love staying with screaming children, and their annoyed out of this world, parents, so much that I stayed overtime for them." Summer said, quite nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders as if he could see her. It didn't really matter because Jan could already hear it from the tone of her voice alone, picturing her grinning so freely while walking towards her bus station. "I knew it, then you should watch Gladiator with them then," he sighed, quite overdramatically if one may add, slumping down on his couch, earning a heartfelt laughter from the girl. For a moment, he sat up straighter, merely smiling as his gaze wandered into nothingness. If he could bottle up that sweet melody of her laughter and get drunk off of it every night, he would.

"About that…" Summer spoke up at last, after a few brief moments of silence, which he seemingly didn't even notice. "I was thinking," she continued on, with a sudden change in her tone, which she covered all too perfectly, almost too quickly and too meticulously. Like a mistake she saw approaching from a mile ago, and prepared herself accordingly for it. If someone were to look into it deeply, they could even deduce that it was an act repeated countless times, all until it came naturally, with the flow of water. "Yeah?" Jan only hummed from the other line, not bothered at all. "Well, if it's okay with you, I'd like to meet up a few more times before inviting you over." She explained, and truthfully, she did feel bad for saying it like that.

Summer mulled it over at work countless times, and no matter how much she thought about it, the idea of calling someone to come to your house when you've only met up twice, and for no longer than half an hour, was unsettling for her. Last night, the words her heart spoke so sweetly were like an inviting melody to her ears before the rationality of her brain could even dare to catch up. "Oh, yeah, that's absolutely okay!" Yet, Jan didn't even hesitate to answer, and that alone reassured her beyond reason, letting a small chuckle slip past her lips. "Thanks. Are you free today?"

'I'm free right now. As a matter of fact, I could run out of the house right now if you wanted to meet up now'

He held those thoughts to himself. They occured so quickly that he was glad that he actually processed them before letting them spill into the white world. "I am! What about you?" Instead, he opted for that, a more calm and absolutely not so desperate answer. "Mhm! Since I'm so amazingly good with directions, and especially those around Warsaw, I'll leave the recommendations to you," she said, her voice so gentle that the soft breeze carried it with ease. "How do you feel about botanical gardens?" Jan asked, almost immediately coming up with a fitting idea, and for one, Summer absolutely loved it. "Ohh! When and where!" The excitement was pooling through her voice. She always liked nature. Gazing at the flowers, or just sitting by a tree's shade, was always one of her favourite activities. As a child, she once dreamed of becoming a florist when she grew up. A dream full of pure innocence that her childish soul held.

"There's one at the University of Warsaw, I've been there like, two times, and it's so mesmerising." He kept commenting, "although, they close in less than two hours, so we should meet there now, if that's okay with you?"

Delightful thrill spread through her chest, unable to contain her anticipation, Summer just nodded with a low hum. "Yeah! Just send me the location, and I'll head over there right away!" She looked around herself and just hoped that she could catch a bus at the station she was already at and wouldn't have to walk to another one. "Alright, I'll see you in half an hour then?" He asked, his tone matched the eager enthusiasm of her own voice. "Sure thing, pirate!" And Jan couldn't help but stop for a moment to pursue his lips into a small frown as an attempt to contain his smile. "You're really sticking to that nickname, huh?"

"Of course. Now hurry up, I'll see you there!"

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it's a tad shorter chapter compared to the other two, but im half asleep and needed to get something out😭 though next chapter will be worth it, i promise🤭