Chapter 6
1718 Words
The Unexpected Encounter
The days turned into weeks, the weeks into months.
Luci had settled into a routine: waking up early, feeding Adriana, doing some chores, and spending the rest of the day taking care of her daughter.
Miguel kept up his protective streak, making sure she had everything she needed. But their conversations about moving on was one she avoided them like the plague.
She wasn’t ready.
Not to take off her wedding ring.
Not to remove Dotan’s pictures from her nightstand.
Not to stop feeling married, even if her husband was gone.
But fate had its own plans.
It started on an ordinary Saturday morning.
Miguel had taken Adriana out to the park, giving Luci a rare moment alone. She decided to visit a small coffee shop nearby, one she had passed several times but never entered.
The place was warm and inviting, filled with the scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked pastries. She ordered a cappuccino and found a quiet corner, staring out the window as she absentmindedly stirred her drink.
Then someone called
“Luci?”
She froze.
That voice.
It had been years since she last heard it.
Slowly, she turned.
And there, standing by her table, was Javier Hernández.
Javier had been Dotan’s closest friend before life pulled them in different directions.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, with piercing brown eyes and an easy smile, he still looked the same, yet different.
Older, wiser and surprised to see her.
“Javier…” she whispered, her heart pounding.
He chuckled. “Wow. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Luci gave him a small, sad smile. “Grief changes people I guess.”
His expression sobered. “I heard about Dotan.” He pulled out a chair. “May I?”
She nodded, still trying to process his sudden appearance.
“I should’ve reached out sooner,” Javier admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I was overseas when it happened. By the time I got back, Miguel said you needed space.”
Luci swallowed hard. “I didn’t just lose my husband, Javier. I lost… everything.”
He exhaled. “I can’t imagine.”
Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken emotions.
Then, Javier glanced at her hand.
“You’re still wearing the ring.”
Luci instinctively touched it. “Because I’m still his wife.”
Javier studied her for a moment before nodding. “I get it.”
Did he, though?
Did anyone?
After a few more minutes of catching up, Javier leaned forward.
“I know this might sound sudden, but… I own a small bookstore now. I could use some help.”
Luci blinked. “You’re offering me a job?”
Javier smiled. “You were always good with books. And I figured… maybe you need something to do. Something just for you.”
Luci hesitated.
She hadn’t worked since Dotan’s passing.
Miguel had been providing for her and Adriana, and she had fallen into a routine of simply existing.
Could she really step out of that?
Javier must have sensed her hesitation because he added, “Just think about it.”
And for the first time in a long while…
She actually did.
That night, after putting Adriana to sleep, Luci told Miguel about her encounter with Javier.
Miguel’s face hardened. “Javier?”
She nodded. “Yes, he offered me a job at his bookstore.”
Miguel crossed his arms. “And what did you say?”
“I told him I’d think about it.”
Miguel exhaled sharply. “Luci… I don’t know if this is a good idea.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
“Because you’re vulnerable. And Javier—” He stopped himself, shaking his head.
Luci narrowed her eyes. “Javier what?”
Miguel hesitated. “He used to have feelings for you.”
Luci stared at him, stunned. “What?”
Miguel sighed. “Dotan never told you?”
She shook her head, still processing.
Javier… had feelings for her?
She thought back to their conversation at the coffee shop. The way he had looked at her. The way he had understood without prying.
Had there been something more in his eyes?
“I’m sure that was just a misunderstanding, you must have thought wrongly about him. Besides I don’t think that matters now,” Luci said, her voice quiet.
Miguel didn’t look convinced. “Just… be careful.”
Luci met his gaze. “I’m not looking for anything, Miguel. I just want something for myself again.”
Miguel studied her for a long moment before nodding.
“Alright. But if he steps out of line, I’ll handle it.”
Luci rolled her eyes. “Of course you will.”
But deep down, she wondered if Miguel was right about Javier.
The next morning, Luci stood outside Javier’s bookstore, her heart was pounding heavily in her chest.
It was a quaint little shop, filled with warm lighting, wooden shelves, and the soft scent of paper and ink.
For the first time in a long while, she felt nervous, excited and alive, all at once.
She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Javier looked up from the counter, a slow smile spreading across his face.
“You came.”
Luci nodded.
“Yeah,” she said softly. “I think I’m ready.”
And for the first time since Dotan’s death…
She actually meant it.
Luci settled into a new rhythm at Javier’s bookstore.
The days passed with the scent of freshly printed pages, the soft chime of the doorbell, and the quiet hum of customers browsing through shelves.
For the first time in a long while, she felt useful.
She was doing something outside of grief, outside of Adriana, outside of the past that haunted her.
And Javier made it easy.
But then, there was this unspoken tension between them, it started subtly.
Javier would linger a little longer whenever they worked together, watching her with an expression she couldn’t quite decipher.
When she reached for a book, his hand would brush against hers, a simple touch, yet loaded with meaning.
He always asked about Adriana, about how she was adjusting, about how Miguel was treating them.
And Luci tried not to notice, she tried not to feel the weight of his gaze.
Tried not to hear the warmth in his voice when he said her name.
But Miguel’s words haunted her—
"Javier used to have feelings for you."
And now… she wasn’t so sure if that was really an assumption or if those feelings had ever left.
One evening, Luci returned home to find Miguel pacing the living room.
The moment he saw her, he crossed his arms.
“You’re spending a lot of time with Javier.”
Luci frowned. “It’s just work, Miguel.”
“It’s not just a job,” Miguel shot back. “He looks at you like you’re his second chance.”
Luci sighed, rubbing her temples. “You’re overthinking this.”
Miguel wasn’t convinced. “Am I?”
He stepped closer, his voice softer now.
“I just don’t want you getting hurt.”
Luci met his gaze. “I’m not looking for love, Miguel. I just want to feel normal again.”
Miguel studied her for a long moment before nodding.
But something in his eyes told her this conversation wasn’t over.
That weekend, Javier invited Luci over for dinner at his apartment.
She hesitated but eventually agreed.
After all, they were just friends.
But as they sat across from each other at his small dining table, the air felt different.
Javier poured them both a glass of wine, watching her closely.
“You seem… lighter,” he said. “Happier.”
Luci gave a small smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt that way.”
Javier leaned forward. “I’m glad.”
Silence stretched between them, filled with unspoken emotions.
Then, he exhaled.
“I should have told you years ago,” Javier admitted. “Back when Dotan was alive.”
Luci’s stomach tightened. “Told me what?”
He hesitated. Then—
“I loved you.”
Luci’s breath caught.
Javier looked down at his hands. “I never said anything because Dotan was my best friend. And he loved you more than anything in this world.”
Luci felt her heart pounding.
She wasn’t ready for this conversation.
She wasn’t ready for any of this.
But Javier wasn’t finished.
“I know you still love him,” he continued softly. “I know you’re still wearing his ring. And I would never try to replace him.”
Luci swallowed hard. “Then why are you telling me this?”
Javier met her gaze.
“Because I need you to know… that if you ever decide to move on, you don’t have to do it alone.”
Tears burned in her eyes.
She pushed back her chair abruptly. “I should go.”
Javier stood too. “Luci—”
“I can’t, Javier.” Her voice trembled. “I can’t do this.”
He didn’t stop her, beg or try to chase after her as she walked out the door.
But as she hurried home, her heart was racing, she knew—
Things could never go back to how they were.
Luci barely made it inside before Miguel’s voice greeted her.
“What happened?”
She turned to face him, her chest still heaving.
“What?”
Miguel narrowed his eyes. “I can tell when something’s wrong. Did Javier do something?”
Luci exhaled sharply. “No. He just… he told me something I wasn’t ready to hear.”
Miguel’s jaw clenched. “Let me guess. He still has feelings for you.”
Luci’s silence was all the answer he needed.
Miguel sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Luci, you need to be careful.”
She shook her head. “I told him I wasn’t ready. I told him I couldn’t.”
Miguel studied her for a long moment. Then, his voice softened.
“But will you ever be?”
Luci had no answer.
She only knew one thing, her heart still belonged to Dotan.
And she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be ready to let him go.
- Writer
