Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)

In the dim light, I glanced around the room, suddenly remembering that I was supposed to return to Serene Garden Homes last night. But how did I end up back in my room? That thought had me flinging off the covers and jumping out of bed, barefoot. I hurried to the window and with an abrupt tug, yanked the curtains open.

Blinding sunlight flooded in, and I instinctively squinted against the glare.

After a moment, my eyes adjusted, and I took in the room. It was spacious, much larger than my villa back home, decorated in my favorite champagne hues. And then... I chuckled as I spotted Milo lounging on the daybed. Sensing my gaze, the lazy cat meowed at me.

"Milo!" I scooped him up, spinning around with him held high, "How did you get here?"

In that spin, I noticed I was in pajamas. I remembered now, and Hannah must have helped me change.

I couldn't afford to allow myself to reach such a state of exhaustion again. It was unbearably embarrassing.

As I stroked the cat, I berated myself. I'd neglected Milo, and he felt thinner under my hands. He stretched disdainfully, looking at me with a touch of scorn.

"You're holding a grudge?" I laughed, "I forgot about you. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

He meowed and turned his face up to me, his expression dismissive before he leaped gracefully to the floor, stretched again, and jumped onto the windowsill, surveying the world below.

I shrugged helplessly, feeling a twinge of embarrassment, and joined him at the window. The view was breathtaking, a tapestry of lush greenery with the endless sea beyond. It was truly beautiful here.

I opened the window and took a deep breath, the air a blend of the sea's briny tang, the trees' freshness, and a hint of sweet water.

I thought of how the kids would love this place. If only I could found my lost son and bring him here to play on the lawn.

The thought clenched my heart.

Noticing the sun's position, I realized it wasn't morning sunlight at all.

I hurried back to the bedside, grabbed my phone, and checked the time. My eyes widened in shock.

Good heavens! It was already one o'clock in the afternoon.

Without having found my son, I had no right to enjoy the sunshine.

I dashed into the bathroom, freshened up quickly, and bolted out of the room. But, embarrassingly, I was lost.

The house was too big, and I didn't even remember how I'd gotten to my room last night.

Stepping out now, I was clueless about which way to go.

As I hesitated, Ronan strode towards me, and I breathed a sigh of relief, greeting him with an awkward smile, "Ronan, I overslept."

"Yesterday, Hannah mentioned you were non-stop all day, so I thought you could use the extra rest. It's peaceful here, good for recovery," Ronan said seriously with no hint of mockery, "No matter the rush, you need to balance rest with effort, especially while you're still healing."

"How can I relax when my boy's not found?" I said somberly, weighed down, "I don't even know what kind of life he's leading or who took him..."

I trailed off, but I knew Ronan understood.

Ronan's deep eyes met mine, "Ease up, and we'll get news. Hungry, aren't you?"

I hadn't realized I was hungry until he mentioned it. My stomach growled on cue.

I laughed awkwardly, "I've been hungry, and I can't even remember when I last ate."

His smile was warm and comforting, and I found myself growing accustomed to that gentle face.

"Let's fill your belly first. After eating, we'll look into what you want to know."

"Got any news?"

"Don't rush it. Let's eat." He gestured to the direction we should take and led the way down the hall.

I wanted to ask how I ended up in my room last night but swallowed the question because it was too embarrassing.

He seemed to sense my dilemma and turned back to me, "What's up?"

"Nothing," I denied it quickly.

I followed him downstairs, trying to ease the awkward silence, "Where are Hannah and the others?"

"They're out handling some things and should be back soon."

That made me feel even more sheepish. It seemed I was the only one who'd overslept.