~ SEASONS OF HER~

MINE

CHAPTER 2

Morning .

Soft sunlight filtered through the curtains, warming my skin and gently pulling me from sleep. For a moment, I just lay there, listening, No weight pressing against my chest.

I turned slightly. The other side of the bed was empty.

Of course it was.

I slipped out of bed, wrapped myself in my silk robe, and stepped onto the balcony. The city stretched endlessly below glass towers, catching the early light, streets already alive with movement.

I inhaled slowly.

By the time Leo padded into the kitchen, dragging his blanket behind him, I was already dressed. Tailored trousers. Cream blouse. Hair pulled into a sleek bun.

"Morning, baby," I said.

He blinked up at me, still half-asleep. "You're pretty."

I crouched to his level, smiling. "Thank you, Mr Handsome."

He grinned, climbing onto his chair as I set pancakes in front of him.

Mornings with Leo were simple. Honest. Everything else could be complicated, layered, exhausting.

But this was easy.

"Final presentation today," I told the nanny, wrapping my hands around my coffee mug.

The words settled differently when said out loud. Not pressure. Something closer to excitement.

Work didn't feel like an escape. It felt like proof.

The office greeted me the way it always did, polished wood, soft lighting, the faint scent of something floral I had chosen months ago. Intentional. Everything here was intentional.

The room quieted as I entered the conference room. Eyes lifted. Attention shifted.

Not fear. Recognition. Respect.

"Good morning, everyone," I said, setting my tablet down. "Let's make something beautiful."

I moved fluidly through the presentation textures, lighting, color palettes.

"Notice how the natural light moves across this space in the evening," I said, zooming in. "That's intentional. A home shouldn't just look good, it should move with you."

One of the clients leaned forward. "Lighting that feels… emotional."

"Exactly," I said. "Luxury isn't about price. It's about experience."

By the time we finished, they weren't just clients anymore. They were invested.

"Catherine," one of them said, smiling, "this is beyond what we imagined."

I allowed myself a small, controlled sense of pride. "This is why I do what I do."

By late afternoon, my phone buzzed.

Amelia: Dinner. 6 PM. Don't argue.

I didn't.

The restaurant was warm, with soft lighting, low music, and the quiet clink of glasses. I spotted them immediately. Vanessa leaning back like she owned the place. Amelia's eyes barely containing something. Lila calm, observant, already noticing everything.

"Look who decided to grace us with her presence," Vanessa teased.

"Oh, my queen, do forgive my incompetence," I said, sliding into my seat.

We laughed.

"Cathy, you have this glow about you," Amelia said coyly.

"I had a productive day, that's all."

"That means she closed the deal," Amelia said, smirking.

"It is predictable," Lila said calmly. "You're good at what you do."

Something about the way she said it, quiet and certain, settled over me.

"Enough about me," I said. "We should be talking about Amelia, who looks like she's about to burst."

who looks like she’s about to burst from holding in information.”

We all turned to her. She stared back with those wide, almond eyes.

“For real, though,” Vanessa added, “this emergency dinner is clashing with my date night.”

Amelia scoffed, rummaging through her purse. “Who knew you’d all be this curious when I had to threaten you all to be here?”

We all sighed dramatically.

She pulled out a piece of paper, which Vanessa immediately snatched. I leaned in closer, trying to read it over her shoulder.

Then everything went still.

Pregnant.

After everything she'd been through, my friend was finally going to be a mother.

No one screamed. It was quieter than that. Softer.

Tears spilt freely as we pulled her into us, laughter and disbelief mixing into something warm and overwhelming.

"You deserve this," Lila said gently.

"We're going to be the best aunties," Vanessa added, wiping her eyes.

We eventually pulled ourselves together. Vanessa complained about her latest date, Amelia exaggerated everything, Lila observed quietly, and talks of a baby shower were already forming.

Then my phone buzzed.

Mark: Running late. Don't wait up.

I stared at the message and put my phone down.

"And then what happened?" I asked Amelia, as if nothing had occurred.

Because tonight, nothing had.

We parted ways soon after. The city air had cooled, carrying the scent of damp pavement and streetlights.

Somewhere beneath the warmth, something twisted quietly inside me. Everyone was moving forward, building something new. And I was maintaining something that had already cracked beyond repair.

I swallowed the thought before it could take shape.

I turned toward my car, heels clicking softly against the pavement.

"Catherine?"

I froze.

Not because of the voice. Because of what it stirred.

Slowly, I turned.

And there he was.

"You're… wow," he said, a small, almost disbelieving smile forming. "It's really you."

"Xavier?" I said.

He laughed quietly. "I was hoping you'd remember me."

I shook my head, smiling despite myself. He pulled me into a brief hug. "Hi, stranger," he murmured.

We stepped back, caught between who we had been and who we had become.

"You look…" he started.

"Different?" I offered.

He grinned. "Amazing."

I held his gaze.

For the first time today, I wasn't entirely sure what I felt.