SERENDIPITY

~42~ New Place And Abandoned Work ✔️

"Mariella," she sighed, her voice carrying a mixture of frustration and concern. "This is the umpteenth time I'm going to ask you this question." She stood with her arms akimbo, her impatience evident on her face. "When are we going to make the next record?"

I stared at her, a weariness settling in as I felt the weight of this question that had haunted me for the past five years. "When are you going to stop asking me this question?" I quipped, my lips pursed in mild annoyance.

"Until you give me an answer other than 'Not now,'" Janessa retorted, her determination unyielding.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Not now then," I replied with a nonchalant shrug, picking up the pen I had set down earlier when her interrogation had begun.

Janessa's frustration was palpable. "Mariella, I just said—"

"Enough, Janessa," I snapped, a thread of frustration weaving through my words. "You're well aware of the reasons behind our lack of recordings these past five years. Stop pushing me into something I'm not prepared for. Not yet."

"I won't back down, Mariella. Since when did your personal life become so intertwined with your career?"

"Since my personal life became an inseparable part of it."

She let out a sigh, a mix of exasperation and concern. "Mariella, the past is exactly that—past. Those around you have moved forward, others depend on you. You can't continue to penalize your fans and family for something that's behind you."

In silence, our eyes locked, a silent duel of wills unfolding. Eventually, I yielded, shifting my gaze to the window stretching from floor to ceiling.

"Excuse me." I shoved the chair back with force, my exit from the music room abrupt and intense.

She was right. It had been five years, yet the ache of losing him still lingered. While others had managed to move on, he included, I remained... stagnant. The notion of returning home to face my family and friends was daunting, the mere thought enough to send tremors through me. Despite staying in touch, they remained unaware of my current whereabouts, except for Nathan and Janessa—simply because they were part of my team.

Perhaps it was time to confront the reality I had been evading.

The trill of my phone interrupted the stillness, causing me to startle and hastily answer it on the second ring. "Hello, dad," I greeted, settling onto the couch.

"How are you?" his voice came through the line immediately.

"I'm alright," I replied, sensing the tension in his tone.

"I heard about the bomb explosion in London and..."

Ah, that.

"It was nowhere near where I'm staying," I reassured him.

"And my two bundles of happiness?"

A smile played at my lips upon hearing those words. "Speaking of which," I glanced at the wall clock, confirming the time as 3:05 pm—five minutes ago. "I need to rush. Janessa and I had a bit of a disagreement, and I forgot to ask her to pick them up," I announced, rising from the couch and bounding up the stairs, two steps at a time.

"Regarding the usual?"

I hesitated momentarily. "Yes," I finally replied.

A pause lingered, and I held my breath, bracing for his next words. "Rafaela..." he began.

"No, no, no," I interjected swiftly, preventing what would likely become the second lecture of the day.

He paused again, his voice softening. "I wasn't about to say what you thought I was. Just listen," he continued deliberately.