Page 133 of From Rivals to I Do

here with you this very moment, Leonard,” I squeezed his hand and slowly let it go as I pushed myself away from the table. “Well, you better get some rest. We

have a long work week ahead of us; goodnight, Leonard. I hope tomorrow is a better day for you,” I say sincerely. “Thank you, Rayne,” he responded.

That night I lay in bed, the room pitch dark. The glare from the street lights crept between the curtains. I could not help but feel sad in my heart for Leonard and

wonder how I landed a job with such a wonderful boss. Tonite felt so right, and it felt so normal. How could this be happening? I moved to Queens for a new

start, not a new relationship.

As the days go by, I start to see Leonard in a different light other than just my boss, and he is a vulnerable, thoughtful man who cares for the people around

him. We still haven’t spoken about the Monday night incident, and it feels like we have known each other for a lifetime. Monday night was the only night we ate

meals prepared by the hotel. Leonard took me to every fancy restaurant in the city. I wondered if this was a business trip or a vacation; it felt so different from

what I was used to. He wanted to make me happy, and it felt amazing.

The following day, when I opened my eyes, I pinched myself. Is this real life or a fairytale? A few months ago, I was being beaten by Reece, with no money,

crying every day, and today I feel like a queen. Is this real? Does Leonard feel the same about me as I do for him? Should I pull away? As the questions flooded my mind, my heart said, he is the one.

That evening we were sitting on the patio and started talking about work, but slowly the conversation became more personal.

“Thank you for the other night,” he started to say when suddenly my phone rang. It's my mother requesting a video call. I have barely spoken to Charlee in the last couple of days, and my first reaction is to panic.

“Mom?” I begin to say when Charlee’s face greets me. “Oh! Hey Pumpkin, are you missing Mommy?” I ask, feeling guilty that I have been having too much fun lately and forgetting about the most precious gift to me.

“Yesssssss!” my daughter screams, making sure I hear her.

“Aww, Mommy will be back tomorrow with lots of treats for you, okay? Pass the phone to Grandma, please.” I say, blowing her a quick kiss.

“Hey, Mom, how is she? Hope she hasn’t been too much trouble?” The questions spill out.

“Breathe, she’s fine. Hope you’re fine as well?” she asks, arching a brow.

“Yes, I am. I’ll see you at home tomorrow. Sleep well.” I wave before ending the call.

“I’m so sorry,” I say, turning to Leonard and dropping my phone. “You were saying something?”

“Yes, I was,” he picks up from where he left off. “I’m sorry for dragging you out like this. I knew you had a daughter, and I still made you come out for my selfish

reasons. Monday was my mom's death anniversary, and I always came here every year to remember her. This was the last place she stayed before she died. I

bought that penthouse so no one else could stay in the room she last slept in. I usually come here with Ria, but she couldn’t make it this year, and I didn’t want

to come alone. I didn’t have anyone else to come with, so I lied about it being work-related, but all the work meetings were secondary.” He finally stops talking.

“I’m sorry about your mom,” I said as soothingly as possible. “Was she sick?” I inquire.

“No, she died in an accident trying to save a few-month-old child,” he responds with pride in his voice. It was a noble and heroic death.

“I’m so sorry to hear that. May her soul rest in perfect peace,” I say, but without pausing for him to respond, I continue: “However, if you would have asked me to

accompany you in remembrance of your mother, I would have. I do wish you would have been upfront with me before we left Queens”.

“From the night I told you we were traveling. I wanted to tell you the truth but didn’t know how to express my emotions. I guess my pride got the best of me,”

he admits.

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