One More Chance
Chapter 83: Mother and daughter date

~~~I had it all but I let it slip away. Couldn't see that I treated you wrong. Now I want around feeling down and cold, trying to believe that you're gone. Love takes time to heal when you're hurting so much. Couldn't see that I was blind to let you go. I can't escape the pain inside, cause love takes time. I don't wanna be here alone~~~

-Mariah Carey-

SAM'S pov:

Everything went back to normal after that morning. Well, that's how I think of these last few days Luke has been visiting Cali, I just don't know and I'm not sure if the people around me feel the same way ... or maybe I was just good at pretending.

Although I still feel a little awkward talking to him, I have to stand to what I said... we can never be friends nor back to being friends as we have never become one even before and he has never given me the chance to do so. There were times when I looked at him, some sad and painful moments from the past came back to me and still hit me. And even though I tried to shake those memories off, I failed as it seemed like a fire burning my sanity.

It's been four years... yes... it's been four years since I left including those memories and everything behind, but it still gives me chills. I know that the feeling I had for him had already vanished a long time ago, but what he did still taunting me at this very moment and maybe that's the reason why I still couldn't find forgiveness for him.

And it's been a month since that 'morning incident' happened and I've seen---I've witnessed how things have changed between us.

He still visits his daughter regularly and there have been times when he came to the house that I was in the living room and it would be too late to avoid him as he already saw me, so I have no choice but to talk to him instead.

My mom always giving me a thumbs-up every time she sees me talking to him, but little did she know that Jack's reaction was opposite of hers as my best friend's face couldn't be painted. But of course, for the sake of Cali, she never opened her mouth and instead gave us space and time to talk to each other.

She and Paul continued seeing each other, but when my brother found out about their so-called 'friendly date', he started annoying her again to the point that he goes to work late just to see if Paul would visit her at home. And what shocked me the most was when I heard him talking to someone on the phone and asking him to watch Paul's every move.

I asked him about it but the only response he gave me was that he was just worried about my best friend. And as usual, I laughed at him when I heard his answer. Since when did he start worrying about someone else, especially my best friend? But he didn't give me the chance to know the reason as he already left me that day.

I decided not to tell Jack about what I heard because I know, for sure, she wouldn't believe me. She would only laugh and would say 'Nah! That's impossible!'

And as for my boyfriend, he still hasn't been able to give me the exact date when to visit me in San Fransisco, but I understand him as the situation of being a doctor isn't that easy. But even though he was that busy, he never failed to call me every night or every end of his duty. He even contacted one of the famous flower shops in San Francisco just to deliver a bouquet every Sunday morning.

I haven't told him about Luke yet. The conversation we had and our agreement as parents to our daughter. David knew everything about my past. I didn't leave any information and told him everything. And that's one of the things I love about him, he understands me and everything I've been through. He always listens and has never judged me for my past.

For me, he's the ideal man I've been looking for all my life. The husband material, every woman man.

"Mommy..."

"Hmm?" I opened my eyes slightly only to see my daughter on the side of the bed, sulking as she stared at me. "Hi, baby, good morning."

"Mommy, you promised me we're going to the park today and to your favourite coffee shop near Auntie Jack's apartment."

"Ohh..." I couldn't help but tap my forehead because I'd already forgotten that promise. "Yeah, mommy's just going to take a bath, okay?" I got up and smiled at her.

"By the way, mommy, Uncle David called 30 minutes ago."

"He called?" She nodded. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because he told me not to wake you up, so I didn't wake you up."

"Okay, so what did he say?"

"He wanted me to say good morning to you and I love you and the flowers have already arrived."

"Wow... that's so sweet." I couldn't contain the smile that had spread to my lips. "I'll just call him later, but for now, I'll take a bath so we can already go to the park, what do you think?"

"Yey!" She exclaimed excitedly and threw herself at me. She even gave me light kisses all over my face.

It's a mother and daughter date. I didn't bother asking Jack if she wanted to join us too because I know how busy she was with her date.

It took me almost 20 minutes to do my morning routine and take a bath. I've changed into something casual yet comfortable clothes... and when I say comfortable, I mean a sundress with flat sandals for my feet.

After checking myself in the mirror and getting my sling bag, I decided to go downstairs and head to the kitchen. I found my daughter helping the maid prepare the food that we will eat while wandering around the park and to other places Cali wants to go to. She seemed excited for this day that she never let me sleep until midnight as she kept asking about what food we were going to bring to eat.

"Mommy, let's have breakfast so we can go to the park now!"

I couldn't help but chuckle as she even pulled the chair for me.

"Wow, thank you, baby," I said kissing her on the forehead. "Mommy, can we buy ice cream when we get there?"

"Of course, baby, we will buy as much ice cream as you want."

"Yey!"

I watched her as she excitedly stuffed the slice of chocolate pancakes into her mouth. The excitement showing in her eyes was priceless and it brought me so much happiness that I couldn't explain.

After having breakfast, we headed straight to the car. My mom and Dale requested to me to have Carl to drive for us to where we wanted to go, but I refused as I wanted this day to become exclusively for us. It's our date.

We will go to the coffee shop near Jack's old apartment after Cali has finished memorizing every corner of the park.

Actually, that same shop is Jack and I's favourite place to hang out before and now it will soon to be under our names. The owner of the coffee shop including all members of her family is migrating to Canada, so they decided to sell the shop as no one would manage it when they left.

As for that moment, that matter remains only between me and Jack, of course also with the owner. The coffee shop has a lot of memories from our teenage years and they're all still fresh in our head, so we decided to take the risk and grab the opportunity before anyone else could take it.

We are planning to renovate the shop and change the interior design from rustic to modern. We love to turn it into a coffee and a flower shop in one. And since it's only ten blocks from the college university, for sure lots of students will go and buy coffee, with flowers for their love ones and of course, to take pictures.