𝐟𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 ๋࣭⭑𝘥. 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯

𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫

grace strolled through the bustling mall, the  music blending with the chatter of shoppers and the enticing aromas from the food court. it was a welcome escape from the usual routine, and she relished the freedom of navigating the stores by herself.

as she look through many racks of clothing and tried on a few outfits, her mind wandered back to the encounter at the dingo and the mysterious man who had intervened. with a newfound determination, grace decided to head home, her shopping bags in tow.

as she walked through the busy streets, she spotted a familiar figure standing near a street vendor, his eyes scanning the crowd. It took her a moment to realize that it was the same man who had come to her rescue.

approaching him cautiously, grace cleared her throat to catch his attention. "excuse me, sir. i just wanted to thank you again for helping me the other day." dallas turned to face her, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"no problem at all. just glad i could help." grace extended her hand, introducing herself. "i'm grace." dallas shook her hand with a friendly nod, deciding to come up with a name. "nice to meet you, grace. i'm mike."

they stood there for a moment, exchanging small talk about the weather and the busy weekend at the mall. grace couldn’t help but feel a sense of curiosity about this man who seemed familiar yet unknown at the same time.

"are you from around here, mike?" grace asked, trying to keep the conversation light. dallas hesitated for a split second before answering. "not originally, but i've been here for a while now. how about you?"

"i've lived here most of my life, i was actualy born here," grace replied, sensing a shared connection in their conversation. as they walked together towards the bus stop, their conversation flowed easily. dallas was charismatic and easygoing, sharing anecdotes from his own life without revealing too much.

grace found herself opening up as well, talking about school, her friends, and her love for music. before they parted ways, grace couldn’t resist asking one more question. "so, mike, what do you do for a living?"

dallas chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "oh, a little bit of this and that. nothing too exciting, i assure you. but i actually work at a bar." grace smiled, appreciating his sense of humor. "well, thanks again for everything, mike. it was nice meeting you."

"the pleasure was all mine, grace," dallas replied warmly. "take care now." as grace watched dallas walk away, a mix of emotions stirred inside her. there was something about him that felt familiar yet elusive, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to his story than he let on.

back at home, grace reflected on her encounter with dallas. there was a lingering curiosity, a desire to know more about the man who had stepped in when she needed help. she wondered about his past, his experiences, and the reasons behind his calm demeanor and easy charm.