Counterpoint

Chapter Twenty-Three

Summer arrived in London like a warm exhale, bright, restless, and unashamedly alive. The days stretched long and golden, the evenings thick with the scent of lilac and mown grass.

For Brianna Kim, it was the first quiet summer in a long while. Lucas was on school break, spending his days between the park, swimming lessons, sports camps and endless Lego projects scattered across the living room floor. The house, though often noisy, felt content, settled.

Her parents had already returned to the Philippines for the season, leaving the household in the steady hands of Janna, who had long been more family than employee. Lucas adored her, and Janna, in turn, treated the boy as though he were her own. With that comfort in place, Brianna could finally allow herself to travel, something she had avoided since moving to London.

The opportunity came unexpectedly.

An email from TD Bank’s corporate events department landed in her inbox one Monday morning, subject line simple yet weighty: Floral Proposal for TD Conference, Toronto.

It was the kind of contract florists dreamed of, a large-scale, high-profile event that would put Lucent Blooms in front of hundreds of potential clients.

For a long while, she simply stared at the message, the TD logo stirring something faint and half-forgotten in her chest. She had worked for them once, back when her life had followed a different rhythm, all deadlines and boardrooms, not petals and stems.

Still, she couldn’t ignore what this meant.

By the time she called Trevor, her voice was steady. “They want to meet in Toronto,” she said.

Trevor’s reply was immediate, his tone light but firm. “Then we go to Toronto.”

He was more than just a friend now, he was her supplier, her business ally, the same man who, along with his wife Maggie, had convinced her one summer evening over dinner to start her own shop.

“You love flowers, plants,” Maggie had said that night, wine glass in hand. “And you have the brain for business. Why not blend both?”

Brianna had laughed then, unsure. But Maggie’s faith, and Trevor’s practical support, had carried her through the uncertainty. Now, Lucent Blooms was one of downtown London’s most reputable floral studios, known for its modern romantic aesthetic and meticulous attention to detail.

Teaming up with Trevor for the TD project felt like a natural step forward.

They worked for weeks preparing, designing concept boards, perfecting color palettes, running budget forecasts. When the proposal was finalized, it bore both their names.

The night before her trip, Brianna packed carefully. Lucas hovered by the doorway, curiosity in his eyes.

“You’re going far, Mommy?”

“Just to Toronto,” she said, folding a white blouse into her suitcase. “It’s only for two days. Janna will be here with you.”

He nodded solemnly. “Can we FaceTime?”

“Of course,” she smiled. “Every night.”

Satisfied, he threw his arms around her waist. “Good luck, Mommy. You’re gonna do amazing.”

She held him close, the weight of his little arms grounding her in the midst of her nervous energy. “Thank you, love. That means everything. Do you want me to bring anything to you when I get back?” He used to love Jollibee’s Chickenjoy and spaghetti, the only Filipino food he ever ate.

He shook his head like he got over it to Brianna’s amusement. She kissed him good night and tucked him to bed.

The next morning, she was on the highway by sunrise, her car filled with the soft hum of early light and low jazz. Fields passed by in a blur of green and gold. For the first time in years, she felt a kind of anticipation she hadn’t known since her early twenties, the mix of business, ambition, and the quiet thrill of possibility.

Toronto’s skyline rose ahead of her by midday, gleaming in the summer haze. She met Trevor in the lobby of TD’s corporate tower, both dressed in crisp business neutrals, their nerves hidden beneath practiced smiles.

“You ready, Kim?” Trevor asked with a half-grin.

“As I’ll ever be,” she replied, adjusting the strap of her portfolio bag.

The meeting stretched for two hours, detailed, intense, but rewarding. The panel was impressed by her presentation: the seamless blend of design sensibility and corporate polish. Her years in marketing lent her a quiet authority, one the clients immediately trusted.

When it ended, the head of the events team stood and shook her hand. “Now that,” she said warmly, “is what we call a presentation. Since this conference is happening in less than two weeks, I assume you’ve been briefed to visit the venue and finalize details, yes?”

Brianna nodded, excitement flickering in her chest. That was precisely why she’d planned to stay in Toronto for two days. Trevor, on the other hand, intended to drive home that night. She still needed to meet with a ribbon supplier at Kensington Market and, early the next morning, visit the venue itself. Erin, one of her team members at Lucent Blooms, would be joining Trevor the following day to ensure everything was documented and aligned.

Outside, sunlight glinted off the glass towers. Trevor exhaled deeply, a grin spreading across his face. “That was intense.”

Brianna allowed herself a small, private smile. “Right? But how exciting is this?” Her eyes shimmered with the thrill of it all, and Trevor couldn’t help but share her grin.

“So, you’re still heading to Urban Stem later?” he asked, referring to their floral materials supplier.

“Of course. What time are you leaving for London?” she asked.

“In about two hours,” he said. “Just need to grab something for the crew at Cheesecake Factory before I hit the road.” He paused, then added, “Want to grab something to eat before I go?”

“Sure,” she said. “But I’m checking into the hotel first. I need to breathe before I can talk about centerpieces again.”

“Fair,” he chuckled. “I’ll pick you up here so you don’t have to drive.”

They parted ways near Bay Street, agreeing to meet back in an hour.

Her hotel, the Marriott Downtown, stood a few blocks away, elegant but understated. Inside, the lobby was cool and quiet, the faint notes of a piano drifting through the air.

At the front desk, she smiled politely. “Checking in. Brianna Kim.”

Once she received her keycard, she headed straight for the elevators. The fatigue from the day settled over her the moment she entered her room, yet her mind refused to rest. The excitement of one of her biggest projects buzzed beneath her skin. Instead of lying down, she opened her laptop and began organizing notes, replying to emails, and finalizing supplier details.

Time slipped away unnoticed until her phone buzzed with a new message.

It was from Maggie, a photo of Lucas splashing in the backyard pool with Marcella and her siblings, all laughter and sunlight. Brianna smiled, her chest softening at the sight. He looked so carefree, his grin a perfect mirror of her own when she’d been his age.

Then she glanced at the clock. Fourteen minutes to get ready.

She jumped into the shower, dressed quickly, and hurried down to the lobby. Just as she was about to text Trevor, he called instead, his voice over the line steady but apologetic. “Stuck in traffic on the DVP. Might be late.”

She sighed in relief. “Perfect. Gives me time to sit for a bit.”

She settled on one of the couches near the lobby windows, the city humming softly outside. Moments later, her phone lit up with a FaceTime call, Maggie again.

She slipped in her AirPods and answered. The screen filled with sunshine and laughter, the kids were still in the pool, waving excitedly. Lucas was swimming with surprising precision, each stroke smooth and confident. His lessons were paying off.

“So proud of you and Trev,” Maggie said, her smile wide. “I knew you two would land that project.”

Brianna laughed, energy returning to her voice. “I know, right? I was a bundle of nerves during the presentation, but thank God everything went perfectly.”

They chatted about logistics and next steps for a few minutes before Lucas noticed the phone and immediately swam over.

“Mommy!” he said, water dripping from his hair. “How many more hours until you come back?”

Brianna chuckled softly. “Less than forty-eight, honey. You’ll blink and I’ll be home.”

He grinned, his face filling the screen. “I told Janna it was Marcella who spilled the orange juice, not me!”

“Lucas Kim,” she said in mock warning, laughing as Marcella’s indignant shout echoed in the background.

The sound of his voice made everything feel lighter, the miles between them seemed smaller. She leaned back on the couch, smiling. “You two behave for Janna, alright?”

He nodded dramatically, water still running down his cheeks. “Promise!”

As she was about to respond, a subtle shift in the light caught her attention. A shadow moved across the lobby floor, and an unmistakable energy stirred in front of her, familiar, almost haunting.

She looked up.

And froze.

There, standing before her, was a man who could have been Lucas but twenty-eight years older, the same dark hair, the same calm depth in the eyes.

Jordan Saavedra.

For a moment, the noise of the lobby disappeared. The years between them folded into silence. His expression was unreadable, his brows lifting slightly, as if he too couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Brianna,” he said, his voice low, steady, disbelieving.

Her heart stumbled, but her face remained still, practiced. “Jordan.”

And just like that, nine quiet years collided with the present, the peace she had built trembling at the edge of something she had never expected to face again.