CHAPTER 16: The important news

　　We came home, and I helped Zion change and freshen up, ate, and then we did his homework. I sat next to Zion after tucking him in bed and stroked the side of his face and then bid him good night. 　　"Sweet dreams, okay?" he nodded, and I leaned in and placed a kiss on his forehead before leaving his room to mine. 　　I had assignments and projects to grade and I had to do them tonight as I would turn them in tomorrow. 　　I entered into bed, wore my glasses, and gather the papers and books on the nightstand onto my legs. Thirty minutes into my grading, I heard my phone buzzing on the nightstand and I reached for it. I saw Diya's ID on the screen and I didn't hesitate to pick it up. 　　"I'm engaged!" was the first words that came into my ears, her voice high and glass shattering. I didn't need to see her to know she was grinning from cheek to cheek. 　　"Oh wow, congratulations! Greg finally decided to put a ring on it." 　　"He did! I'm over the moon with excitement!" she squealed. 　　"Have you called your mom and dad?" 　　"Not yet. You were the first person who crossed my mind after I said yes." 　　My heart swells at her words. I have always rooted for them since the first day. Their chemistry was like non-other back in university. It wasn't forced, and anyone who saw them could tell their love was genuine. I envied them in a good way and always prayed I find someone that would make me as happy as Greg made Godiya happy. They were both perfectly made for each other and waited until they had attained their dream position in their careers before making the big move. After six years of being together; they were engaged now to be married. 　　"I am indeed happy for you, Diya! You both deserve nothing but the best." 　　"Thank you, I believe your knight and shining armour is around the corner." She cooed. 　　My mind raced back to the face I had seen across the road earlier today and chills ran through me. I had done my best to block out all the thoughts in my head and focus mainly on the present. He wasn't there. My mind made him up. 　　'But how can your mind make him up if you haven't been thinking about him, to begin with?' a voice in my head argued. 　　'If he was real, then where did he go? And how did he disappear so fast?' another voice argued. 　　He had to be an imagination, I couldn't have him be real under any circumstance. I've moved on from it all and my life was fine. I couldn't have him in my life. It had to be an image, one I didn't want to see again. 　　"Are you there, Zera?" I snapped out of my thought to realise I was still on the phone with Diya. 　　"Yeah, I'm sorry I zoned out a bit." I admitted. 　　"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice switching tone from worried to concern in a second. 　　I nodded and rubbed my face, then realised she couldn't see me. "I think I saw Aaron Hart today." 　　There were a few changes in his appearance, but he was still the same man. The changes were because of the years gone by and I had those changes as well. I had changed in my appearance and was no longer the size or shape I used to be. I was curvier. My hair was shorter now and I had them in curls instead of the plain straight they had. My eyes were now ocean blue as to the topaz blue they once were. Career wise, I was not a student anymore, I was a professor at a prestigious university and at the top of my world. We weren't the same people we were when we met years ago and yet we were. 　　"What? Where? And When?" Diya's worried tone pulled me back from my wandering mind. 　　I sigh, and my eye fluttered, "I took Zion to get ice cream at the Domino restaurant and that's where I saw him standing across the road and staring at me with a grimace on his face. He disappeared a moment later which was very weird. I was still asking myself to make out the truth about whether he was real or a figment of my imagination." 　　Diya knew about Aaron. She knew about my magical weekend, filled with care and affection and steamy moments. I confessed every detail to her after a returned home from class that faithful Monday. And despite my heartache, I was able to reminisce about the moments we had and admit they were unbelievable. She had my back, like always. She told me she was happy I had so a fun-filled weekend, then called him a good for nothing for breaking my heart and reminded me I deserved better. 　　'You will find someone that would make you happy.' She had told me. 　　Maybe I would have already found someone already, but after having Zion, my priorities shifted from relationships to my son. He was my primary focus and though I'd been on a few dates, none had made it past the first. Daniel was the only one that had persisted so far, but I liked him as a friend and didn't want to compromise our relationship by introducing more to the mix. 　　"It's been five years since you two met and you live in a different state. I don't think what you saw was the man you were with five years ago." 　　I know what I saw, or maybe I didn't. 　　I sighed, "I guess you're right, Diya. We should talk about you, not me." 　　"Nonsense. If you're not happy, how the hell will I be happy?" 　　I smiled, counting myself lucky to have this lady as my friend. "I love you, Diya." 　　"I love you too, Zera." 　　The call ended, and I clung to my best friend's words. There was no way the one I saw earlier with the man I met five years ago. Aaron Hart was in the UK running his many businesses and cuddling the woman of his dream. The last thing he would think about was me.