Heaven is on earth (Loubbie)

35 . Still in LA.

As Lou woke up on her third day in LA, she decided to head to the hotel pool. It had become her little sanctuary during her time in LA—a place where she could relax, unwind, and bask in the warmth of the California sun.

Lou changed into her swimsuit and grabbed a towel before making her way to the pool area. The sight of the glistening water and the inviting lounge chairs welcomed her with a sense of tranquility.

As she dipped her toes into the refreshing pool, Lou felt a wave of calmness wash over her.

"Hi, Lou!" Danny said cheerfully, walking over to where Lou was sitting.

Lou smiled warmly at the little girl. "Hey, Danny! How are you doing today?"

"I'm good," Danny replied, plopping down on a nearby pool chair. "I saw you sitting here alone, so I wanted to come say hi!"

Lou chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you did. It's always nice to see a friendly face."

Danny nodded enthusiastically. "I like talking to you. You're nice."

Lou's heart melted at the sweet compliment. "Thank you. You're very nice, too."

Lou's gaze lingered over the pool, she saw Danny's stepdad, and she waved her hand at him, letting him know that she was watching over Danny.

"You know," Danny said suddenly, "I saw you looking at the sunset yesterday. It was pretty."

"You were watching the sunset too ?"

"Yes, with Mommy and Claude."

"Who's Claude ?"

"My mom's boyfriend...You saw him yesterday. I wanted to say hi to you, but then mom said not to disturb you, and then Claude was tired, so we got home."

Lou smiled at Danny's innocent explanation and appreciated the thoughtfulness of her mother not wanting to disturb her. "It's okay, Danny. I'm glad you had a chance to enjoy the sunset with your mom and Claude," she said warmly. "Sometimes, it's nice to have those special moments with the people we care about."

Danny nodded, her eyes shining with happiness. "Yeah, I like spending time with them. But I also like spending time with you. You're my new friend!"

Lou's heart warmed at the little girl's words. "You're a new friend to me, too, Danny."

"You reminded me of my mom.."

"Oh, really ? Do I look like her ?"

"No, you don't look like her at all. But you're just like her. You are really nice and pretty but you're sad ."

"I'm sad ?"

"Yes, even when you have a happy face. You have your eyes, and your eyes are sad. And my mom too, even when she's with me sometimes, I know she's sad. And I don't like to see adults sad because it makes me sad too."

"You have such a special gift of seeing and understanding people's feelings, even when they try to hide them... It's true; I've been feeling a bit sad lately. But you know what? Sometimes, even adults feel sad, and that's okay. It's a part of life."

Danny looked thoughtful for a moment. "But why are you sad, Lou?"

Lou paused, trying to find the right words to explain her situation to a little girl like that. "Well, Danny, someone I loved, really made me sad. Adults can go through difficult times. But that doesn't mean we won't feel happy again. It's like the sunset we talked about earlier. The sun sets, but it also rises again the next day, bringing a new day and new possibilities."

"I want you to be happy, Lou." Danny said with genuine concern.

Lou smiled at the little girl's kindness. "Gosh, your mom is lucky to have you, and I'm lucky to have met you too. You're a special girl."