First Touch

The Night That Held It's Breath (Part2)

That thought sobered her enough to refocus. She needed a plan — something to keep

her moving instead of floating.

“Maybe I should make a list,” she considered. The idea made her wrinkle her nose; it

felt a little too formal for getting ready for a date. But maybe that was exactly what she

needed — a distraction that would keep her from losing time to her thoughts of him.

She’d never made a “getting ready” checklist before, but the more she considered it, the

more it felt like the right move.

She walked to her desk, grabbed her notebook and a pen, and glanced at the clock.

Four hours until the driver arrived. More than enough time… theoretically. Still, she

opened the notebook.

She began writing her checklist in the order she needed to complete each task:

“Pull out everything I’ll be wearing tonight. Wrap hair so it won’t get wet. Remove

today’s makeup. Take a bath. Do skincare for face and body. Put on makeup. Fix hair.

Get dressed. Hopefully finish early enough to relax before the driver arrives.”

Nova reviewed the list twice to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. To her surprise,

the simple act of writing it down steadied her. It gave her something to follow —

something to keep her from drifting off into thoughts of William every five minutes.

Though, as she looked at the list again, she couldn’t help but hope four hours would be

enough… especially if her mind decided to wander again.

List in hand, she headed toward the bathroom to start her bath.

Just as she reached for the faucet, her phone rang. She hesitated, tempted to let it go to

voicemail — unless it was William calling back. But when she checked the screen, she

saw Aria’s name.

Nova smiled, though a small knot of distress tugged at her. She loved talking to Aria, but

she didn’t have time for a long conversation. Still, she answered, just in case something

was wrong.

“Hi Aria. Is everything okay?”

Aria took a dramatic breath — the kind Nova knew well — before launching in. “Girl,

yes! I’m just calling to make sure you’re still coming tonight. I figured with William in the

picture there’s no way you’d cancel, unless you two made other plans, which would be

totally understandable… but I really hope you’re both still coming.”

I adored Aria. She was the sister I never had but would have gladly claimed. As she

talked, I tried to slip in a word, but she clearly had her own mental checklist to get

through. I waited for her to inhale again before answering.

“Yes, Aria. William and I are still coming to the party tonight.”

Aria squealed — loudly — and I couldn’t help but smile. “That’s awesome, Nova! I’m so

happy for you! I have a million questions, but that wouldn’t be fair. I’m sure your mind is

running a million miles a second.”

“It was,” I admitted, “but I’ve calmed down enough to get ready. Hopefully I’ll even have

time to relax before I leave.”

“That’s great, Nova,” she said warmly. “If it were me, I’d be completely flustered right

now. But you’re an organizer and a planner — I’m sure that carries over into your

personal life just like it does at work.”

I smiled; Aria always saw me clearly.

“So I won’t keep you. And I’ll try not to monopolize your time at the party. After

everything settles down, maybe we can catch up oneonone if you’d like.”

“You know I will,” I said.

“Excellent! Well, I love you, girl… see you tonight. Later!”

“I love you too, Aria. And yes — you’ll definitely see us tonight. Later!”

After we hung up, I paused and quietly thanked God for blessing me with a friend like

her. Aria had been my first real connection at the company — loyal, genuine, and

always willing to share her heart. I already looked forward to spending time with her

after tonight, once William returned home.

I returned to my preparations and finally slipped into the bath I’d been craving. The

warm water enveloped me as I settled into my oversized clawfoot tub — the one I’d

specialordered because I’d always wanted something larger, deeper, more luxurious

than the standard. Some people joked it was practically a small pool, but I loved its

height, the builtin headrest, the intricate exterior design. It was comfort and beauty

wrapped into one.

As I looked around my bathroom — and beyond it, the home I’d poured myself into —

gratitude washed over me. I was blessed to have the means to design every detail with

intention. My home reflected my heart: warm, thoughtful, expressive. Every corner held

a piece of who I was and the love I hoped to share with others.

Before I knew it, I was back to checking off items on my list. Since I didn’t want to deal

with cleaning the tub later, I figured it was best to take care of it now. I didn’t hire a

cleaning service, and I had the time, so I quickly wiped everything down, making sure

the tub sparkled. The rest of the bathroom could wait for another day.

The rest of my preparations flowed smoothly, and even with the unexpected call from

Aria, I still ended up with a full thirty minutes to relax before the driver arrived. I sank

into my living room chair, letting the quiet settle around me. My heart felt full — nervous,

excited, hopeful — all at once. Tonight felt like a threshold, a moment where something

in my life might shift in a way I couldn’t yet name.

A knock sounded at my door. It wasn’t loud, but it carried a sense of arrival — as if the

evening itself had come to collect me.

When I opened the door, a man with a friendly yet professional demeanor stood waiting.

“Hello, Miss,” he said with a polite nod. “My name is Harold, and I’ll be your driver this

evening. Are you ready to go?”

I took a slow, steadying breath. This was it — the beginning of whatever tonight would

become. I felt the weight of possibility settle gently over me, warm and thrilling.

I smiled and said, “I am.”

As Harold stepped aside to let me lock my door, I glanced back into my home — the

soft lighting, the familiar comfort, the space that held so much of who I was. And for a

moment, I whispered a quiet prayer of gratitude. For the peace I felt. For the hope

blooming in my chest. For the chance to step into something new.

Then I turned, lifted my chin, and walked toward the waiting car — toward William,

toward the night, toward whatever story was ready to unfold.