Written in the Stars

Chapter 5

Mathew Point of View

Hours later, Mathew finally landed in South Africa with his crew and his personal assistant Vicky at his side. A team sent by Mr. Luther waited for them at the airport, ready to escort them to their hotel where they will be staying through the project.

The airport was alive with movement—travelers rushing past, announcements echoing over their heads, and near the entrance, a group of Zulu dancers performed a powerful traditional dance.

The rhythm of their feet and the sharp beat of their drums caught Mathew’s attention immediately. He stood still for a moment, fascinated by the energy and precision of their performance. They music was so alive and almost told a story as they perfume the dance.

But it all come to end soon, though, he was ushered toward the waiting cars.

By the time they arrived at the hotel, everyone felt the weight of the long journey. They checked in at the front desk—each man receiving a room shared with one teammate, two single beds in every room. Mathew’s assistant Vicky, being the only woman in the group, had her own room, and Mathew had a private room as well.

When Mathew unlocked his door and stepped inside, the exhaustion struck him all at once.

The flight had felt endless, and no matter how hard he tried, he hadn’t been able to sleep on the plane. His eyes immediately found the large bed in the center of the room, neatly made with crisp white sheets.

He didn’t think twice and locked the door instant behind him and put down his suitcase.

Mathew walked straight toward it and let himself fall onto the mattress, releasing a long, heavy sigh the moment his head touched the pillow.

The softness beneath him felt like heaven. A tired yawn left his lips.

Thank goodness it wasn’t Monday yet.

He still had time to settle in, to let everyone get comfortable and rested before the work ahead. That was the advantage of arriving early—everyone could find their place, breathe a little, and gather their strength before the real pressure began.

It was not long his eye lids grew tired and before he knew it he fall in to deep sleep.

Driven Point OF View

Eating breakfast with his almost one-year-old was always fun, and always messy story with it. Michaela managed to get more food on herself than in her mouth, but Driven didn’t mind. Her laughter and little squeals made every bit of the chaos worth it.

After they finished eating, he cleaned her up before heading to the bedroom to get dressed. He had work today—he needed to finish the last pieces of the project. On Monday, he had a meeting with important clients, and everything had to be perfect.

As he slipped his silver watch onto his wrist, when he heard his wife call from the hallway.

“Could you pick up Michaela’s meds at the hospital?”

“Sure,” he replied, fastening the clasp.

“Thank you. I’m going to be too busy—I still have to pick up the last things for her birthday party.”

Driven gave her a small smile. Inside, he didn’t understand why she wanted such a big celebration. Mickayla was turning one. She was too little to remember any of it. But Braire had insisted on hiring decorators, caterers, and entertainment… and the costs kept piling up. Food. Décor. More décor. Photographers. It was already a fortune, but he didn’t argue. Not out loud.

He could feel in his wallet have take a big tall out of it with this birthday part for they one year old daughter.

He cleared his throat. “I’ll pick up her meds.”

But the one thing he would do was getting his daughter meds.

It was important she had them. When Mickayla was born, they discovered a small hole in her heart that hadn’t closed the way it should. The doctors prescribed medication to help support her heart function, and she had to take it regularly.

“I’ll get them,” he repeated gently.

He grabbed his jacket and kissed his wife goodbye. Before leaving, he stopped by Mickayla’s room. She was on the floor playing with her dolls. He crouched down and kissed her head.

“Bye, sweetheart. Daddy will be back later.”

Then he headed out.

He decided to stop by the hospital first. Better to get the medication before going to work.

The entrance was busy, nurses and visitors moving in and out, but the Saturday pharmacy was thankfully quiet. After picking up the prescription, he headed toward the exit—then froze when he spotted someone walking down the hallway.

Doctor Miller. His old doctor what he used to have.

“Driven! It’s so nice to see you,” the doctor greeted him warmly.

Driven stopped, the brown pharmacy bag in his hand. “Doctor Miller,” he said, surprised. Dr. Miller had not only been his doctor, but also Joelien’s—back when they were still married.

The doctor’s eyes shifted to the bag. “Ah, I see you picked up Joelien’s medication. Please remind her that she needs to come in on Monday for her blood-fusion therapy.”

Driven blinked.

Blood- fusion. This was the first he have heard it.

For a moment, he couldn’t speak.

But then he thought why would the doctor ashamed he would picked up his ex-wife medication.

Then it hit him—the doctor didn’t know. Because Driven had never told anyone about the separation. The divorce had happened so suddenly, right after their honeymoon, that spreading the news had been the last thing on their minds.

But his confusion returned quickly.

“Blood fusion?” he asked.

Dr. Miller nodded. “Her anemia has gotten worse. We’ve tried everything. At this point, the only effective treatment for her iron-deficiency is weekly blood-fusion therapy.”

Driven felt his stomach drop. He knew he had no right to feel this way anymore—she wasn’t his responsibility. But hearing that her condition had worsened… that she needed blood infusions…

His face must have gone pale because the doctor frowned. “She didn’t tell you?”

Driven shook his head. No. She hadn’t. But then again, why would she? He hadn’t seen her in months. And seeing her… that alone already hurt enough.

“I thought she was getting better,” he said quietly . But then again he thought he haven’t seen her in months. Of course she haven’t get better that she need now extra blood to help her.

Dr. Miller’s eyes grew serious. “I’m afraid not. If this continues unchecked, it could damage her organs. Her body isn’t producing enough red blood cells. Without them, her brain doesn’t get enough oxygen. Long term, it’s dangerous. Very dangerous.”

Driven felt numb. Divorce or not, he still loved her. She still mattered.

And now—she was sick. Really sick.

He couldn’t walk away.

“Thank you, Doctor,” he said, steadying his voice. “I’ll make sure she gets the treatment. She’ll be here on Monday.”

The doctor smiled. “Good. She needs someone to keep an eye on her.”

Driven didn’t waste another second. He turned and walked out, heart pounding. Everything in him wanted to go to the farm to talked to her about this . But then he could not because he need to go to work first there was thing he need being done before Monday . He have other choice and would stopped later by her.

Lucas Point of View

As the first rays of sunlight broke over the hills, Lucas was already wide awake and hard at work on the farm. While everyone else remained snug in their beds, he was vigorously tending to his morning chores.

He stepped out into the crisp morning air, accompanied by the faint sounds of birds chirping, and led the cows out to the lush green pastures. Their gentle mooing filled the air as they eagerly filed out for their morning graze.

Once the cows were settled, Lucas climbed into the cab of his big John Deere tractor. The familiar scent of machinery greeted him as he revved the engine, a surge of excitement running through him. Today was an important day — he needed to harvest several rows of corn and transport them back to the waiting truck at the edge of the field.

The massive wheels rolled over the uneven terrain as he maneuvered carefully along the neat rows, cutting through the dense golden stalks with precision. The rhythmic hum of the machinery mixed with the satisfying sound of ears of corn tumbling into the trailer.

After finishing the first two rows, Lucas glanced back and noticed the trailer was filling up quickly. A deep sense of satisfaction swelled in his chest. He turned the tractor around and headed toward the unloading point, eager to empty his load and return to the field.

As he waited for the corn to be fully loaded, he heard a sweet, familiar voice behind him. A smile instantly tugged at his lips.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Maribel said warmly.

Lucas turned around, and his smile widened at the sight of her. Her dark blue eyes sparkled as she held out a steaming mug toward him. “Here. You might need some energy for the next round.”

“I swear I fall more in love with you every second,” Lucas said, taking the cup of coffee from her hands. It was exactly what he needed.

Maribel smiled and closed the small distance between them. “You were out of bed so quickly this morning, you barely gave me a chance to make it for you.”

Lucas smirked and took a slow sip, savoring the rich, fresh taste. “You know me, my love. I don’t do the whole ‘sleep in’ thing.”

It was true. Lucas had grown up on a farm and had never been one to linger in bed. Even as a child, he was up before dawn. His father had taught him everything about farming before he finished school. After working overseas for a few years to save money, he had returned to his hometown and bought his own farm, determined to build something meaningful.

“That’s the one thing I wish you would do a little more,” Maribel said softly, raising her hand to cup the side of his face. Her fingers gently traced his cheek. “Slow down every once in a while.”

Lucas leaned into her touch, his eyes softening. “My love, if I slept in, who would take care of the farm? The cows need milking, the chickens need feeding, and this is the season when the corn has to be harvested.”

He paused to take another sip of coffee. Maribel’s expression grew more serious as she continued.

“Speaking of family… I spoke to your cousin Joelien yesterday. She went to the doctor again.”

Lucas lowered the mug slightly, his brow furrowing with concern. “What did they say?”

Maribel sighed softly. “Her anemia isn’t improving like they hoped. The doctor told her she needs a blood transfusion now, and she’s starting treatment on Monday. She sounded tired when I spoke to her, but she’s trying to stay positive.”

Lucas’s face tightened with worry. Joelien had always been like a little sister to him. Knowing her health was getting worse made his chest feel heavy. “Damn… I was hoping the last round of tests would show some improvement. She’s been dealing with this for too long…. Ever since the death of Mia she has being dealing with this Anemia of hers…”

He finished the last of his coffee in one long swallow and handed the empty mug back to Maribel.

“I’ll stop by her farm later this afternoon once I finish up here,” he said firmly. “I want to check on her myself and make sure she’s okay. She shouldn’t be going through all of this alone.”

Maribel nodded, her hand resting gently on his arm. “She’d like that. I know she would.”

Lucas pulled her closer, sliding his fingers into her fiery red hair and kissing her deeply. Her lips were warm and soft against his, grounding him amidst the worry. When he pulled back, he looked straight into her dark blue eyes.

“I love you,” he said quietly. “And I want you to know… you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Maribel’s lips parted, her cheeks flushing. “I love you too, Lucas,” she whispered.

He leaned in one last time, giving her a slow, tender kiss under the rising sun before reluctantly letting her go.

“Alright,” he said with a small sigh, turning back toward the tractor. “I’d better get back to work if I want to finish early enough to see Joelien.”

Maribel gave him one last warm smile before heading back toward the house, leaving Lucas with renewed determination — both for the harvest and for taking care of family.