English Version: Dandelions in the Wind

14

Gentle sunlight seeped through the glass window while Dionne was still asleep. Her smartwatch had vibrated several times, signaling an incoming call on her phone. Dionne suddenly woke up and quickly looked at the watch: Tracy Arnaiz was calling.

She immediately searched for her phone and found it on the bedside table. She picked it up and answered the call. "Hello, Tracy?" Dionne said, her voice hoarse, clearly just awakened. "Hi, good morning, Dionne. I just called to inform you that Miranda has moved the event date. We're now holding it three weeks earlier. Is that okay with you?" Tracy said on the other line.

Dionne sat up in bed. "Yes, that's fine. I was half-expecting it to be moved up. It's better this way than getting canceled, right?" She had settled down and was fully awake now. Only then did she notice that she was alone in the room.

"Oh, that's great. Did you just wake up?" Tracy asked, noticing her sleepy voice. "Yes, I just woke up. If it weren't for your call, I'd probably still be sleeping," Dionne replied and went straight to the bathroom.

"Oh, sorry for waking you," Tracy apologized, sounding embarrassed. Dionne turned on the tap, filled a glass with water, took a new toothbrush, and applied toothpaste. "It's alright. It's good you called. It's already late, and I need to get going. Is there anything else, Tracy?"

"No, that's it for today, Dionne. I'll keep you updated. Bye." Tracy was the one to end the call.

Dionne put down the phone and started to get ready. A few minutes later, she heard noise from the kitchen. Thinking it was Charlotte cooking, she couldn't help but smile.

She quickly left the room and was surprised by an unexpected visitor. "Clarissa? What are you doing here?" Dionne asked in surprise upon seeing Clarissa preparing breakfast. A plate was already set on the table, alongside a bowl of fried rice and a plate of omelet. A glass of juice, water, and coffee were also prepared. "Good morning, Dionne! Charlotte left earlier. She also took the horses. I'm accompanying you to the mansion. Your clothes are already prepared," Clarissa cheerfully said while arranging the napkin on the table. "Come on, have breakfast. Sit down." Clarissa took Dionne's hand and guided her to sit. Confused, Dionne sat down.

Dionne quietly served herself some fried rice and tasted the omelet. "Thank you, Clarissa, for this." She kept her troubling thoughts to herself and smiled at Clarissa.

"You're welcome. I'll leave you to eat. Just call me if you need anything," Clarissa said, leaving her alone.

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Dionne glanced at her watch. It was already half past ten in the morning. She put on the clean riding gear prepared by Clarissa: white long sleeves, jodhpur pants, and a black coat. She had already put on her boots when she and Clarissa got into the car. Dionne couldn't explain the nervousness she felt as they entered the mansion.

"There you are! I've missed you!" Marcus seemed to have just returned from a trip, noticeable from the wrinkles on his blue polo and jacket. Upon seeing her standing alone near the staircase, he immediately hugged Dionne.

"What time did you get here?" she hugged him back.

"Past eight. Mom told me you and Charlotte stayed in a cabin last night because of the storm," Marcus said, embracing Dionne.

"Yes. Sorry, I woke up late. I couldn't pick you up," Dionne replied, gradually loosening her hug.

"It's fine. You must be tired; no need to worry. Here, I have something for you." Marcus happily handed her the gift inside the paper bag.

"What's this?" Dionne asked, puzzled.

"Open it." Marcus couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

Dionne opened the paper bag and furrowed her brow at what she saw. "Why did you buy me a phone? It's not even released yet." Marcus's gift was a newly released iPhone, which baffled Dionne.