Diane knew better, of course she did. But she couldn't seem to stop herself from checking her phone whenever the screen lit up. Her heart would do a little happy jump whenever her phone let off that short ding to indicate she had a new message notification, her heart also sank deeper into her stomach when it turned out to be another work email. Harold was getting on her nerves now even as she knew it wasn't his fault that she felt as dejected as she did.
A week after the night with Dario, she hadn't heard anything from him and a part of her wanted to move on badly, the idea just did not go beyond an ordinary thought and it killed her how attached she had become. It had barely been a month since she met him at that bar that night but for some reason, it felt she had dedicated her whole life to him and only him.
Going over the schedules in her calendar on her phone, she noticed she had marked a meeting with one of her professors from college.
Diane's POV
Mrs Grey did more than teach, she was there for the students that reached out to her, the students that needed a little nudge, the students that had potential and didn't want to waste it. And I was one of such students.
It was my second year as a student taking her class and I had started to fall behind, I was missing classes and when I wasn't, I was extremely late to them. She had taken notice of my absence, so she invited me to her office on a Wednesday after class. I remember this so clearly as it was the start of my first healthy relationship with someone far older than me that I could look up to as a substitute mom since my biological mother only ever took notice of me when there was something to report on.
She offered me a seat and went on to ask me a series of personal questions that had me bawling my eyes out in her office. By the time we were done, It was a few minutes to 10, she offered to buy me dinner and we both went to a burger place close to campus.
After that day, I made a mental note to talk to her about any and everything whenever I was starting to get overwhelmed by my emotions and that I did.
Things at home were becoming more and more tense as I and my mother would get into yelling fits and neither of us was willing to listen to the other. I couldn't bear to spend everyday with my mum especially as we were going on a long semester break. Mrs Grey had already invited me to join her on a trip back to her hometown and I had politely turned her down but on that day, I found my way to her office asking if the offer was still available and luckily for me, it was.
I was packed and ready early that morning anxiously waiting on her call.
The ride to Oakdale Heights took longer than I'd expected. 6hrs minus our flight,
As we drove into Oakdale Heights for the first time, the cab driver led us down a winding road lined with ancient oak trees. The town's main street unfolded before me, its charming shops and cafes glowing warmly in the fading light of day. A sense of curiosity and trepidation fluttered in my chest as I turned to look at Mrs Grey sitted beside me and smiling at the familiarity of her small town.
We slowed down on a dirt road, Mrs. Grey leaned forward, her eyes lighting up with a warm smile. We passed through a sleek, black modern gate and followed a winding driveway lined with towering oak trees. At the end of the drive, a beautiful bungalow came into view, its low-pitched roof, large windows, and minimalist facade glowing warmly in the fading light. Mrs. Grey's eyes sparkled with pride as she gazed at her home. "We're here," she said, her voice filled with a sense of welcome.
As the car came to a slow stop, I rolled down my side of the car window and pulled the door open from outside while the driver ran to get out stuffs from the booth of the car. I got out and stretched my legs to keep them from buckling from the exhaustion of the journey.
As we carried our bags into the house, a girl a little bit taller than me ran out into the driver and flung her arms around Mrs. Grey, nearly knocking her off balance. The girl's arms wrapped tightly around Mrs. Grey's waist, squeezing her in a warm, enthusiastic hug. Mrs. Grey laughed, and wrapped her own arms around the girl, holding her close for a moment before releasing her.
Their resemblance was unmistakable, they both had long flowing Auburn hair that complimented their tanned skin even though Mrs Grey has already started spotting a few grey hairs on her head, her striking resemblance to the girl in front of us could not be missed.
"This is Denise, my daughter. She's a senior in high school" Mrs Grey gestured at the girl who I now knew to be Denise.
"And this is Diane, the student I told you would be staying with us until school is back in session" my Professor said looking in my direction.
"Oh hi, nice to meet you, I'm Denise. I know my mom already introduced me, but regardless I wanted to still introduce myself " she said stretching out her hand for a handshake.
I awkwardly shook her hand and followed closely behind her and Mrs Grey as they both led me into their house.
The living room had a plush, cream-colored sofa and a pair of armchairs, a large window let in plenty of natural light, illuminating the room's neutral color palette. I recall noticing a few carefully chosen pieces of artwork on the walls, adding a touch of personality to the space.
The room was anchored by a beautiful, reclaimed wood coffee table, surrounded by a few cozy throw blankets and some of Mrs. Grey's favorite books lined up in a beautifully crafted bookshelf. I remember seeing a vase filled with fresh flowers on the table, a touch of elegance to the room.
It felt cozy and nice, still following closely behind Denise, she showed me the room I would be sleeping in.
I was grateful to finally be resting after the long day I'd had, I lay on the platform bed that occupied the far left of the room and stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours before deciding to join Mrs Grey and her daughter in the kitchen.
It looked like they had been having a very serious conversation and I had interrupted, I apologized and was turning to head back to my room when Mrs Grey called me back and ushered me to the dining area, asking if I was hungry and wanted to eat anything.
I was in fact hungry and I indicated that I was.
The spaghetti and spaghetti sauce was eaten in silence, with the only time someone was talking was to ask for water, or juice.
After dinner, I retreated back to my room and fell asleep immediately my head made contact with my pillow.
The next day, I woke up early and helped out with chores, we had breakfast and I offered to do the dishes. A little after 12, Denise asked if I would follow her to the Library to return a book she had borrowed and then help her pick a new one she could take home to read. Since I was not busy, I obliged and followed her there. It was a 20 minutes walk from their house to the Library, it was bigger than what I'd initially thought it to look like. The inside looked like it could feature in Harry Potter, the drawings on the wall gave the impression that the architect had made a really good decision in incorporating those drawings to the interior of the library building.
We perused the the aisles of the library going from the fantasy shelves to the romance book lineups. I asked Denise what she was into and she said murder and thriller and I was very impressed with her choice of literature.
I picked up a James Patterson novel and convinced myself I would read it once we got back home.
Going to the library each day became a routine for myself and Denise. We would go to the library in the afternoons then in the evenings we would help with dinner and then sit by the fireplace and read our books that we had gotten from the library. On one such day we were at the library when Denise got a call from Mrs Grey, her mom. I watched as the colors drained from Denise's face, without any warning, she pulled on my hand and dragged me out of the library. Frantically I watched her stop a cab and we both got in.
"Oakdale Heights General Hospital" she said to the cab driver, breath shaking.
There had been an accident, a truck had driven into a motorcycle and the motorcycle had fallen off the road. The whole hospital was in chaos, people were speaking on top of each other, patients were being wheeled into the hospital while some a
Were already in surgery.