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The next day, a Saturday morning, Aleyah awoke in a good mood. And though this mention seemed unnotable, it was very significant for the girl, who usually found herself lingering in a neutral emotion range, often alternating closer to sadness than happiness.
But that morning was different. The girl was strangely elated for reasons she wasn't able to understand nor did she feel the need to do so. For the first time in a long time, she was functioning with her worries cast so far aside that she couldn't remember what they were. Aleyah didn't get many days like this and she knew not to take it for granted, especially with the knowledge that the day could easily be flipped around for the worse.
So with that tone set, she decided to extend her joy to her younger brother by taking him to the park for a couple of hours so he could run around for a bit. The young boy desperately needed a breath of fresh air as being constantly cooped up in their tiny home was far from benefiting to him, especially since he was always seemingly filled up with energy. Additionally, the change in scenery wouldn't hurt Aleyah either.
As the two left their home, Aleyah glanced at the nearby house where Lucas resided, the thought of inviting him to the little adventure crossing her mind. But she quickly dismissed the idea as their last conversation made its way to the forefront of her thoughts. She then thought of asking for Jude's company so that she wouldn't be alone as August played, but she also shot down that notion due to the fact that she didn't have enough courage to reach out to him.
Having gone through all of her few options for company, Aleyah decided just to leave it as a sibling date even though most of her time would be spent watching her brother run around aimlessly. So with that in mind, the two set off for the public garden.
Enclave Park was a hidden gem in the city of Birmingham. It had beautiful neat greenery, a couple of playgrounds, and well-structured benches with shelters above them, suited for the country's alternating weather. And above all, it was quiet and peaceful, owing to the fact that not many people knew about this location. Aleyah herself, despite living not even 20 minutes away from the place, wouldn't have known about it if she hadn't gotten lost on her way home a few months ago and somehow ended up in the park.
As usual, the park was partially empty, safe for the few joggers passing through, and some couples coddled up on the benches. Aleyah situated herself on one of the seats across the playground after giving August the go-ahead to head to the play area. She watched with a smile as the boy sprinted away, dragging the toy more than half his height along with him. Despite only having the item for a day, August refused to put it down for more than 5 minutes at a time.
The thought then reminded Aleyah to send the boy an appreciation text for the gifts, which she had forgotten to do the day prior. It would also act as an excuse to start a conversation with the football player. However, just as she dug out her phone from her bag, a ping sounded from the device, the boy beating her at texting first.
