Chapter 175 - The Day Arrives

"Woah... Mom, Dad you both look so young in these pictures... Were you both still teenagers?" Happily glancing at the album sitting right next to her mother Eleana, young middle-schooler Eva asked her meekly.

A wide smile of pleasance appeared on her face as soon as she heard the question. Gazing at the picture she nodded her head softly, "well...I was around 18 when I first met your dad. This is our first picture taken together." She whispered.

"Really? Then...Was dad your first love, mom?"

"Yes. We both were each other's first love, Eva." She tenderly caressed her hair sounding very warm.

"But..." Suddenly, her small face stiffened a little as the smile on her lips quickly disappeared. "I read a quote in a story...that...first love never works out, mom." 

"Haha... That's all false belief, Eva." Holding a warm smiley gaze, her shimmering brown hair was shimmering in the sunlight coming through the giant windows beside their couch. She softly placed her arm around her small shoulder and patted her head, "there is nothing such as a perfect relationship, Eva. In every love story, there will be indefinite struggles. Your dad and I didn't have an easy path either...The sufferings were so intense that at a moment, we really thought we have to give up on each other...

But we chose to stay strong and fight together. And look, today we are blessed with such a beautiful family... I can't imagine my life without Stevan and I know, he feels the same. The struggles and fights actually prove your worth to save a relationship from falling apart. It's just you have to choose with whom your heart wants to bear the struggle with..." 

Eva had a proud smile on her face while looking at her with a gaze of devotion. Tenderly, she held her arm with her small grip and mumbled, "mom, will I ever find someone who will love me like the way dad loves you?" 

"Your destiny must be already waiting for you, my child. It's just a matter of time till your heart chooses the person who will be right for you... Once you find him, never let him go, Eva. Because, if you do...all you will be left with immense regrets..." She placed a soft peck on her forehead, whispering her soothing answer.

.

"But I am never gonna allow my Eva to marry someone else!" 

Both of them flinched hard with the sudden voice before them. Stevan was standing holding a sulky grimace, fondly looking at both of them. 

"Dad?" Eva smiled brightly with her brown eyes gleaming in joy.

"Stevan...since when you were listening to us? And how long you are gonna be a possessive father?" Eleana tossed a gentle query, glancing at him with her affectionate gaze.

"No matter what happens...I will never allow my Eva to go to any other man..." Gently he walked towards them and took his seat on the couch in the middle of Eleana and Eva. He gripped both of their arms tenderly and whispered again, "no one will be ever allowed to leave me. I am very possessive for my Eva, especially."

"Aww...I am also never gonna leave you, dad. We will always stay together...forever..." She snuggled in his embrace, reciprocating his proclamation in the most gentle way possible.

"Watching you both father-daughter duo, my heart feels warm. I hope...the divinity will always keep us together..." Eleana tenderly leaned her head on his shoulder, mumbling in a low sonorous voice.

.

"And what about us?" 

Standing in front of the door, young Felix and Clara were smiling at them while asking in a surly way. Glancing at both of them, Stevan spread his arms wider inviting them to his warm embrace.

"How can I forget about the members of my family? Of course, you both are also not allowed to leave me either! Our family will be strong as a rock... Come here, my little children..." 

All of them giggled in a jubilant manner as both of them rushed towards the couch. The sound of their joyous laughter reverberated the entire room as an echo.

....

All of a sudden, Eva opened her eyes. She was lying alone on Clara's bed and with the mild sunrays barging in the room. It seemed as if it was already morning. Tears were dripping down from the corner of her eyes as she looked at the ceiling with the pain of loneliness breaking her heart apart.

"Since how long I got to see such a happy dream? But those words mom told me once...why do they seem too deep?" Wondering deep inside her mind, she wiped her tears and slowly sat up on the bed. Her head was being heavy with feeling dizziness twitching inside. Leaning against the cushion, she slowly glanced outside the window at the sunny weather. The intense rain from yesterday had stopped and the horizon was pretty clear. It was around the end of springtime so the temperature was quite rising high.

.

"Are you feeling better today?"

All of a sudden, she noticed that Clara was standing at the door with a warm smile on her face and bringing a coffee with some cookies for her. 

"Y-Yes." Eva slowly nodded her head.

"Yesterday you returned home completely soaked in rain. Luckily, you didn't catch a cold but your head might feel heavy. Here, drink this and take a good rest today." She placed the coffee on the table beside the bed, mumbling gently.

Eva stayed calm for a few seconds and lifted her chin up to look at her. "Umm, Clara... The coat I was wearing--"

"I know, it belongs to Zeus, right?" She reciprocated quickly before her she could finish her words. 

"Yes..."

"Don't fret, I have dry cleaned it too. Just take a good rest and unnecessarily don't step outside. Today is the red lunar eclipse." She tapped her shoulder once, whispering in a sonorous voice.

Quietly she nodded her head to her response and lowered her head down. "So...5 days are already over." She thought.

"Eva, I might be late today from work. I am gonna apply for leave by this weekend. Let's go for a short trip by that time to relieve our stressful life. Okay?" Clara had a small simper on her face while she was trying her best to cheer her gloomy self.

"Yes."

"Alright, I have to head for work. Breakfast is already prepared. Don't overthink too much and...don't go outside today, okay?" Somehow her voice sounded a bit intense as if she was trying hard to keep her away from any uninvited danger.

As soon as she walked out of the room, Eva glanced at the desk near the bed.

The golden bracelet was kept carefully on it and staring at it, she mumbled on her own, "why is she telling me to stay outside? Is she scared that I might invite any new trouble?

Or... Something is gonna happen today?"