Unexpected Encounter: A Second Chance at Love

[One year later]

[Garden]

"Oh my, you are so beautiful." Gently caressing it, Rachael smiled, "I am so proud of you."

Gently tapping the bud which was yet to bloom, she chuckled, "You will also be like your sister in sometime."

Humming 'Spring Day' by 'BTS' she resumed watering her plants, making sure not to leave any of them.

"Seriously—" Tina frowned. "Why the hell are you not dressed yet?"

"I will once I am done—"

Snatching the water cane from her hand, Tina kept it on the ground. "We have no time, the movie starts in twenty minutes."

"But—"

"Look, I know you love your plants, your garden but if you don't get ready in five minutes, I swear I'll kill you."

Tina Adams, was one of Rachael's childhood best friends. They had been together since kindergarten. Her father was the minister of the current in-power political party.

"Alright, I will be ready in two minutes but first you should look for someone who hasn't even arrived—"

"Who said I am not here yet?" Flipping her hair, Emma remarked, "You two are the lazy ones this time."

Placing her hand on her chest, Rachael and Tina gasped in sync. "Oh my God, my eyes."

Rolling her eyes at her dramatic best friends, Emma scoffed, "Oh please—"

"I'll go change before Tina starts throwing her hands," Rachael chuckled before rushing towards her room.

The last twelve months hadn't been easy for her. In fact, the emotions Rachael had felt which she eventually learnt to cope with, was very challenging.

Her grieving process started with a complete denial. For a couple of weeks, her heart and mind refused to believe what had happened. She couldn't accept the fact that the man she loved the most had abandoned her.

For the next couple of months, the denial turned into anger. She was angry at everyone. She was angry at Oliver, she was angry at her awful fate and her luck but most importantly, she was angry at herself. She cursed herself for being so foolish. She cursed herself for caring for someone more than herself.

For a whole month, she completely shut herself up. She did not get out of her room, did not talk to anyone. She even refused to meet Tina and Emma.

Rachael wanted some time off reality to gather her thoughts. She wanted to analyse everything and figure out where she went wrong. Was loving Oliver a mistake? No, it wasn't. How could loving someone be a mistake? Her only mistake was loving the wrong person. Pouring all her emotions, love and care on someone who didn't care enough to treasure it.

After months of grieving and shutting herself up, she finally decided to start over. She figured that the best way to do that was to divert her mind.

Even though her father had suggested she go on a long vacation with her girlfriends, Rachael decided to stay back. She didn't want to run away from reality, she wanted to face it and deal with it until it was out of her system.

This is when she started trying out new things. From baking to gardening, she tried everything out. But out of all the new hobbies she had picked, gardening was the only which became a habit.

She started off with reading multiple books on gardening followed by some intense research on flowers and organic vegetables.

In the past nine months, Rachael renovated the entire garden. She would spend hours seeding, adding fertilizer and then watering them. She even designed an 'Organic Vegetable' section.

As her father had promised, he never stopped her from doing anything in the past twelve months. No matter how crazy her ideas sounded, he encouraged her and told her to do whatever she liked without feeling obligated to inform him as he would never say NO.

…..

[Downstairs]

When Rachael, Tina and Emma came down, Reeta asked them to sit for breakfast. "You girls are right on time, let's eat."

"Mom, we are late for the movie."

Nodding, Emma added, "And if we don't leave now—" Pointing towards Tina, she said, "Someone will kill us—"

"You girls are going for a movie?" Looking at all the food on the table, Reeta sighed, "Who will eat my pancakes now?"

"Pancakes?" Rushing towards the table, Tina quickly sat down. "I am so hungry—"

"What about the movie then?"

Pouring herself a glass of milk, she casually said, "We can watch the next show."

Looking at each, Emma and Rachael sighed and helplessly shook their heads. Their friend was really very shameless.

"Rachael Emma, come and eat." Arranging the plates, Reeta asked one of the helpers to call Michael and George.

Sitting beside Tina who was all ready to devour the mountain of pancakes right in front of her, Rachael asked, "What happened to watching the first day first show?"

"First day, second show is also cool."

"Good morning ladies and Emma—" George greeted everyone before sitting on his regular seat. Ignoring Emma's eye roll, he poured himself a glass of orange juice. "Where is dad?"

"He is coming—you kids should start, help yourselves. I'll wait for him."

Placing food on Rachael's plate, George strictly remarked, "Finish everything."

Looking at the four pancakes which he has stacked on her plate, she frowned, "You know I won't be able to finish this—"

"But you have to—" Michael, who had just arrived, sat beside Reeta. "Listen to your brother sweetheart."

Without saying anything, Rachael started eating her food. She knew it was useless arguing with her father and brother over food as it would always backfire to how weak her immune system was and how skinny she looked.

"No one has plans this evening right?" Michael asked.

"I don't—" George answered.

"Rachael?"

"No plans yet—but why?" she curiously asked.

"Good, don't make any plans. Someone special is coming over for dinner today and we all need to be there."

"Who is coming?" George inquired.

"Andrew."

...