Under One Umbrella

Chapter 3: The Morning After

Zhynia couldn't stop smiling as she stared at the message on her phone.

"I know we just met, but I'm already looking forward to seeing you again."

She read it once.

Then twice.

And before she knew it, she was smiling like an i***t in the middle of the bus ride home.

The next morning, she woke up to the sound of her alarm.

Still half asleep, she reached for her phone.

A new notification appeared on her screen.

Zhynia: "Good morning, Caelum. Hope you have a great day today."

Her heart skipped a beat.

It had been a long time since someone made her smile this early in the morning.

Zhynia: "Good morning. You're up early."

A few seconds later, a reply came.

Caelum: "Couldn't sleep."

Zhynia: "Why?"

Caelum: "Maybe because I kept thinking about our conversation last night."

Maya felt her cheeks warm.

She quickly put her phone down.

Then picked it up again.

Zhynia: "That's cheesy."

Caelum: "But it worked. You're smiling, aren't you?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed.

Unfortunately, he was right.

Days turned into weeks.

What started as simple messages became part of their daily routine.

Good morning texts.

Late-night conversations.

Random memes.

Voice messages.

Everything felt natural.

Every day, they learned something new about each other.

Zhynia discovered that Caelum loved photography.

Caelum learned that Zhynia secretly dreamed of traveling the world someday.

The more they talked, the more comfortable they became.

And somehow, neither of them noticed how quickly they were falling.

One Friday evening, Zhynia received a message.

Caelum :"Are you free tomorrow?"

She smiled.

Zhynia: "Depends. Why?"

A few moments later, another message appeared.

Caelum: "Because I'd like to see you again."

Zhynia stared at the screen.

Her heart raced.

Zhynia: "Is this your way of asking me out?"

Caelum: "Maybe."

Zhynia: "And if I say yes?"

Caelum: "Then I'll be the happiest guy in the city tomorrow."

Zhynia bit her lip, trying to hide her smile.

Zhynia: "Then yes."

For a moment, she simply looked at her phone.

Excited.

Nervous.

Happy.

Little did she know, tomorrow wouldn't just be another day.

It would be the beginning of something neither of them could deny anymore.

To be continued in Chapter 4: Our First Date... ❤️📖🌧️