A Chance Encounter

Chaper 178

Chapter 178

It's Friday, and it's also Valentine's day. Alana sees Tom walking around the vet as if he is walking on air. It just reminds her of so many years ago. That she did the same thing, feeling so happy, so alive, like she met the person she would spend the rest of her life with.

She just sits at her desk, and thinks back, and sees it still pains her to this day. Remembering, the Valentine's weekend they spent together, the one that felt like a dream. She would give anything to go back to that weekend, and if anything make Luke see, how much she really did love him.

As she sits there Billie comes in, picking Tom up for their dinner date. Tom coming out from the back with a dozen of roses and handing them to her. Alana just looks at them with a deep sadness inside her soul.

Tom looks at his mother and can sense something isn't right.

"Mom are you ok?" Tom asks.

"Yes, I'm fine. You two go and have a wonderful evening. And son?" Alana says.

"Yes, mom?" Tom answers.

"Don't let anything separate you from what you want and who you love," Alana replies.

"Mom, are you sure you are ok?" Tom asks.

"Yes, son I am fine. I just don't want you to have any regrets." Alana says.

"I won't mom Go home I am sure dad is doing something for the evening," Tom responds.

"Yea." Alana comments.

Alana watches Tom and Billie walk out of the vet together, in a way her heart just breaks.

She locks up the vet office, and walks home, crossing at the corner she used to meet Luke on. She doesn't know why all of a sudden, so many years later this is hitting her like this. She locked down her feelings so many years ago, doing her best to push everything away, and yet it's still here.

She goes home, seeing Thomas isn't there yet, and in a way she is happy. She really didn't want to talk. She goes upstairs into her bedroom in the closet and reaches for the locked box behind a bunch of sweaters and pulls it out. Opening it up and looking at the dried roses she kept from so many years ago, and the little things she kept as a reminder, that the relationship was real. At least on her end. She kept these for over twenty years, just seeing how happy and in love her son truly is brought everything back. Every feeling and emotion. Every want and desire. All the things she craved and missed all these years from the one person she could never have. She locks the box up and places it back as she hears the front door close knowing Thomas is home and it's back to reality.

She takes a seat on the bed, undoing her shoes and trying to act as if everything is fine.

"Hey, sorry I'm home a little late, there was a lot of traffic tonight. I didn't forget valentines though." Thomas says handing her a card and candy.

"Thank you, Thomas. It's fine really I had a long day at work." Alana answers.

"Would you like to go out to dinner? Or stay in?" Thomas asks.

"I think staying in would be fine. Maybe we can go to dinner on Sunday when we are both well rested." Alana suggests.

"That sounds like a plan, I don't know how rested we will be after meeting Billie's parents tomorrow," Thomas answers taking off his suit jacket.

"Thomas whatever your feelings are about tomorrow I want you to keep them to yourself. Our son is happy, I don't want you to ruin it. Let him have this, it only happens once." Alana states.

"Yea, don't we know it. I just don't want him to wind up like you." Thomas slips.

Alana just looks at him and stands up off the bed. "ANd how is that Thomas?" She spats.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way. I meant hurt. I don't want to see him hurt. I watched your crumble and I don't want the same for our son." Thomas comments.

"At least he can say he had it, felt it, lived it. It's not for us to stand in his way." Alana states.

"Do you still think about him?" Thomas asks.

"It was a long time ago Thomas, it doesn't really matter, nothing is going to change how things went," Alana admits,

"I know, do you regret staying?"Thomas asks.

"No, you did change just like you said you would and you took my child as your own. I will never forget that." She answers kissing Thomas on his head.

"We have come along way, being able to sit here and talk about this, without problems," Thomas replies.

"Nothing to make problems about, it's long gone.." She responds.

Alana goes into the bathroom, knowing it was long gone. She was good until today when the day itself and her son brought everything back. Luke lived in her and would always. Not only because she had Lucia but because her love for him never really died.