REDEMPTION'S RHYTHM

CLOSE CALL

{CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR}

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"He's definitely not the one," Lisa said

"Seriously?" I snatched the photo from her grasp, my heart sinking. The disappointment was observable as I had pinned all my hopes on him being the one, the one I desperately needed him to be.

I let out a weary exhale, my cheeks puffing out in response. Meeting Lisa's gaze, I saw reflected at me the concern etched in her eyes. Despite the setback, I understood the importance of accepting it, moving ahead, and persisting in my quest for him.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't be of help to you," the lady said, rising to her feet with a swift motion, her baby in her arms, prompting me to rise as well.

"It's fine, and you did a lot for me. Thank you for letting me come here. At least I tried, but I won't stop here. I'm gonna keep on trying," determination clear in my voice.

"But I believe it's time for us to bid farewell."

"No worries at all. It was an absolute pleasure having you here." With those words, she came over for a hug, then turned to Lisa, who was on her feet and shared a warm embrace with her as well.

As we drove back, Lisa and I dove deeper into how things unfolded. She expressed her concerns, not wanting the search for the young boy to consume me entirely. Lisa suggested redirecting my determination in the search for the young boy to my upcoming marriage plans with Jackson. The mention of Jackson led my gaze to the ring on my finger. At that moment, the reality of becoming someone's wife momentarily slipped my mind. Despite his persistent calls since our arrival at the lady's place, I chose not to disrupt our conversation by answering, not wanting to be rude.

I cast a glance at Lisa and then at my ring—she was spot on; it was time to center my attention on Jackson and our impending wedding. The anticipation of him meeting my family and Lisa, the ones dearest to me, filled me with joy. I had a strong feeling that Lisa would take a liking to him.

"Is Jackson arriving tomorrow?" Lisa's question cut through, a reminder of Jackson's visit.

"Uh, yeah," I replied tersely, the seconds dragging on as my attention remained fixed on the road ahead.

"I hope I like him."

"Oh, I'm certain you will," I replied with a convincing smile. "Remember the first time I mentioned his name to you? And you thought his name sounded familiar? So, being drawn to his name automatically makes you drawn to him." I gave her a mischievous wink.

Of all persons, it just had to be Lisa who took a liking to Jackson. I can't quite explain it, but deep down, that's exactly how I wanted it to be—she was my friend, and it just felt fitting for her to admire and view my man in a positive light.

"I remember," she chuckled lightly. "I said his name sounded familiar to one of the guys I used to have a crush on. Oh, how silly of me," her laughter persisted.

Our convo just kept rolling as we drove, chatting about this and that; we just went with it. Before we knew it, it was time to drop Lisa off at her place.

"Stepping out of the car, she leaned casually against the window where she had just been seated, and with a smile, she mentioned, "Just keep me updated on his arrival. We'll chat later."

As she was on the verge of departing, I managed to grab her attention, pulling a goofy face as I spoke, "Thanks for being my escort today. I know you had something weighing on you that was tough to share, but I'm thankful you left it behind and still came along with me."