YENA

“Sorry to just drop in on you like this,” I said to the person at the front desk at the nursing home. “But we thought we’d just come by and see if we could talk to a… manager or something? Because we’ve got an idea for some volunteer work we’d like to do here.”

“Oh,” the woman said. “Well, that’s very nice. If you wanna talk to the director, though, unfortunately he’s not here right now, and the doctor’s busy with a patient.”

“Okay,” I said. “Maybe you can help?”

“Of course. You said you want to volunteer? We can really use all the help we can get, any time.”

“And, is there a good day or time we should come by?” I asked. “When we’re ready with the stuff for our project?”

The lady put down the pile of paperwork she’d been holding. She was getting more interested in what I was saying.

“And what kind of project are you girls thinking about?” she asked, smiling.

“Well, I’m a designer,” I told her. “My friend Lucy and I make clothes, and we’ve got some stuff to give away. We want to bring some items in for the residents to look at and take if they’re interested.”

“And,” Lucy added, “we can fit the clothes to the residents and custom tailor the pieces too.”

The woman’s blue eyes sparkled.

“Wow! That sounds great. The residents will love it.”

She went behind a counter and looked at a calendar on the wall.

“Tomorrow you could come by around noon,” she said.

She ran her finger along rows of handwritten notes on the calendar and moved her lips silently as she read through everything on the schedule.

“Yep,” she concluded. “Noon will be best. That’s lunch time, so most of the residents will be up, before they go rest in their rooms later in the afternoon.”

“We’ll be here at noon, then,” Lucy said.

“Great!” The lady scribbled something onto the calendar using a red pen. “I’ll let everyone know, and we’ll see ya then!”

“Oh, one last thing,” I added. “I was hoping I could maybe visit with one of the residents, a man that I know. Can you tell me if he’s available for a visit now?”

“Sure,” the woman said. “What’s the resident’s name?”

“It’s Alaster…” I realized I didn’t know his last name.

Didn’t matter. The woman nodded her head.

“Yes,” she said, unsmiling. “Um, I believe Alaster is actually in with the doctor right now, but if you’d like, I can tell him you’ll be here tomorrow, to make sure he’ll be up and able to see you.”

“No need,” I told her. “I don’t want to bother him. I’ll just see if he’s up for a visit tomorrow when we’re here anyway.”

ADAN

Adan cleared his throat before answering the phone, thinking consciously about what kind of tone he needed to maintain while talking to Yena.

Casual. Loose. Platonic.

Innocent.

“Hey, Yena.”

“Hi, Adan. Sorry I missed your call earlier. How are you?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. But more importantly, how are you? What’s the update with everything going on?”

“Well…”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just that there’s a lot going on, actually. But, uh, I don’t have a lot of time right now. I just wanted to let you know I think everything’s moving along just fine.”

Yena was being cagey.

Not like Adan could judge her for that.

He knew, when he managed just barely to reach this tense reconciliation with her, that it would be an uphill battle. She might be polite and kind to Adan, and willing to let him help her… but it didn’t mean she trusted him again, yet.

“That’s great, Yena. I’m so glad to hear it.”

“Yeah,” she said, “and thanks again for setting up that meeting the other day. It’s been helpful to be able to look through the course catalog and everything.”

“No problem at all.”

“So, I’ll let you know if anything else comes up…”

Before she could rush off the phone, Adan interrupted –

“Can I ask you for one favor, Yena?”

She paused. The line was quiet.

“I just hope that I could see you one last time before you go. Will you please go out to dinner with me?”

“Oh, Adan, I don’t think so.”

That was a quick and straightforward rejection.

Adan didn’t easily take no for an answer, though.

“Please, Yena. One meal. I just want to congratulate you on your accomplishment and say goodbye.”

Again, there was a pause…

“Adan, thanks. But there’s very little time left before I need to leave, and I need to spend it with my family.”

“Alright,” Adan said in a resigned tone. “That makes sense. But – and I was going to wait till dinner to make this offer to you in person – there is just one more thing.”

“And what’s that?”

“If you need someone to travel with you, I’d be more than happy to go with you to the human world, Yena. I know it well and can be a big help to you as you get settled in.”

“Oh.” Yena sounded very surprised.

“I hope it doesn’t sound too forward. That’s why I thought it’d be more comfortable to talk about in person. Just know that I’d have no expectations – I’d just be coming with you as a friend.”

“Adan, thank you again but no. And I actually already have someone who will be traveling and staying with me over there. My brother is coming.”

An image of Yena’s brother came into Adan’s mind. He’d seen the kid in surveillance shots from the investigator that was following Yena around.

“Oh?” he said. “Well, that’s great!”

“Yeah, it is. So I won’t be alone at all. But thanks for your offer, anyway.”

“Of course, I just –”

Yena interrupted him.

“Look, Adan, I’m very sorry but I need to go. Just wanted to close the loop with you and say thanks again.”

“Yeah, no problem, Yena.”

“Bye, Adan.”

Adan said “Bye—” but heard the line click off before he could finish.

He took in a long, shaky breath, suddenly feeling…

Enraged.

And jealous.

He had already been working on getting Yena away from Nolan. He didn’t know that there was another rival in the mix, vying for Yena’s attention, too.

YENA

I was up in my room when I heard the doorbell chiming downstairs. And then the front door opening, the muted voices of Tina and a stranger she was talking to at the door, and then the door closing.

Then a pause.

Then Tina’s voice, clear as a bell, shouting: “Yena!! YENA!!! Come here, now!”

I leapt to my feet and was flying down the stairs in flash.

“What is it, Tina? Is everything okay??”

She was grinning and holding up a big, thick envelope that had just been delivered. It was white with a big purple university logo on the front. The logo for the School of Fashion Design.

“Come open it!” she shouted.

“Oh, my Goddess.” I took the package from her. It was surprisingly heavy.

This was an acceptance package.

It was finally happening!