It was still early in the evening when Denise left Mr. Davidson's apartment for her home. She walked very often to a particular distance before she would decide to take a cab to her house. Denise was dismissed from work early today, so she thought she could just walk all the way home.
She trekked to a good distance before she remembered that her mom needed to take her drug soon. She suffered from an acute sickness and had a routine medication that was prescribed with strict emphasis on the drug timing. She quickly stopped a cab and hopped in as though she was been chased.
"Please drop me at St. Tailor Street". Okay ma, the driver responded as he started the car. He drove a little distance before he asked Denise, "It seems you are in a haste, I hope all is well is okay with you". Denise was lost in her thoughts of how she would get home on time. "Hello ma! Hello! The driver repeatedly called out before Denise jerked back to reality.
"Oh, so sorry, is there any problem? Denise asked. "Not really, I just noticed how unstable and worried you are, I was asking if all is well with you" Denise pulled a fake smile and said "all is well, I just need to get home quickly, so that I would give my mom her medication".
Oh! It means you really need a quick ride home. Denise started looking impossible to get home on time. Denise had sighted a long queue of car from her distance. The driver saw it as well and made a quick branch through Elvis junction and told her not to get too worried about getting home on time.
"Here, we are madam", the driver said after he had arrived at Denise's location. She had arrived earlier than expected, it was about 30 minutes before her mum was to take her medications.
"Thank you Sir, here is your money". Denise said as she stretched her hands towards the driver. Thank you he responded and then left.
"Hello mom, how have you been?" Denise asked her mom. "I am good, you look more stressed than other days!" what happened?" her mom asked.
"Yeah, I felt like walking home, they dismissed me from work early today, I had to take a cab so that I could come and Check on you to ensure that the word ensure that you take medication"
"Denise! Her mom called, her voice sounded calm and worried.
"Yes ma," Denise responded as she walked towards her mom. She got close to her mom and said "mom I know you want to say I shouldn't worry much about you, but you have to understand you are the only person I have left and I can't let just let you die", she concluded while tears rolled down her cheek.
Her mom took her into her arms consoling her while in tears too. "I know sweetheart" she said while she looked into Denise eyes and said "you are beautiful, strong and have so a full life to live, you should live your life, I can take care of myself. I love you dear" she concluded.
I love you too mom" Denise replied. Just then her phone rang.
She quickly excused herself, cleaned have eyes and cleared her throat to ensure that the person calling won't know she was crying.
"Hello, who is this", Denise asked.
It's Lewis, "I called to ask if you have gotten home" Lewis responded.
"Yeah, not too long though, but I am at my place" Denise answered. She had this smile that looked as though she was talking to someone she was emotionally attached to. Her mom could easily notice that it was someone she liked.
Denise ended the call and returned to attend to the mom.
Denise mom smiled while looking at her. She asked who he was.
Denise told her mom about Lewis and what happened between both of them.
"He seems to like you", Sarah said, she noticed her daughter cheek grew reddish she smiles and wished her luck
"We just met, so there's no need to conclude on anything yet" Denise said while putting on a childish face.
She served the food to her mom and gave her the drug.
Lewis sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his phone. It was late, but he couldn't get Denise out of his mind. They had only met a few hours ago, exchanged numbers, and parted ways. Still, the memory of their brief time together lingered, her smile replaying in his thoughts. The connection felt instant—natural and he wanted to keep it going.
After hesitating for a moment, A dialed her number. As the phone rang, he wondered if she'd pick up, or if it was too late. Then, her voice broke through the silence.
"Hello?" Denise answered, her voice soft, almost as if she had been expecting his call.
"Hey," Lewis said, feeling a smile tug at his lips. "I hope I'm not disturbing you or anything."
"Not at all," Denise replied. "I was just lying in bed, thinking about today."
Lewis's heart skipped a beat. "Really? So was I."
There was a brief pause, the silence between them filled with unspoken curiosity. It was amazing how two people who barely knew each other could feel this level of comfort, even though a phone call.
"I'm really glad we met," Lewis continued. "It's weird, you know? It's like we've known each other longer than just a few hours."
Denise chuckled softly. "Yeah, I feel the same way. It's like we just clicked."
Lewis leaned back, relaxing into the conversation. "Tell me more about you, Denise. I mean, we had a good chat earlier, but I want to know more."
Denise hesitated for a second, then opened up. "Well, I'm a law student. Or at least I was before I took a break. I'm hoping to go back soon and finish what I started."
Lewis raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Law, huh? That's impressive. What made you want to get into that?"
Denise sighed softly. "It's kind of cliché, but I've always wanted to help people. I feel like law gives me the power to fight for those who don't have a voice. Plus, I love the challenge of it—the debates, the logic."
"I think that's amazing," Lewis said, genuinely impressed. "You're not only smart, but you're passionate. That's rare."
Denise's laughter floated through the phone. "Flattery will get you everywhere, you know that, right?"
No
"I'm just being honest," Lewis replied, his tone playful but sincere.
"So what about you?" Denise asked, shifting the conversation. "Tell me something interesting about yourself."
Lewis thought for a moment, trying to think of something that wouldn't sound too ordinary. "Well, I'm a bit of a tech geek," he admitted. "I'm really into coding and all that nerdy stuff. I'm working on a couple of side projects, mostly related to app development."
"Coding?" Denise sounded surprised. "I would have never guessed. That's so cool, though. Do you work in tech?"
"Yeah, sort of," Lewis replied. "I'm in software development, but I like to branch out and explore different things. Keeps me busy, you know?"
Denise seemed genuinely interested. "That's awesome. I always thought coding was way too complicated for me to understand. You must have a lot of patience."
Lewis chuckled. "It definitely requires patience, but once you get the hang of it, it's kind of like a puzzle. You just keep working at it until everything fits."
They continued to exchange stories about their lives, each learning more about the other with every passing minute. Denise told Lewis about her family—how close she was to her mother and how hard it had been to take a break from school. Lewis, in turn, shared stories about growing up with a single mother and how he had to learn responsibility at a young age. The more they talked, the more it became clear that they had a lot in common, despite their different backgrounds.
"Do you believe in fate?" Lewis asked suddenly, the question slipping out before he could stop himself. Denise paused, considering her answer. "I don't know. I think everything happens for a reason, but I'm not sure if I'd call it fate. Why do you ask?"
"I was just thinking," Lewis said slowly. "Out of all the people I could have met today, I met you. And now, here we are, talking like we've known each other for years. It feels… special."
Denise didn't respond right away, but Lewis could sense that his words had struck a chord with her.
"I think there's something to that," Denise finally said. "Sometimes people come into your life at the right moment, when you least expect it."
"Exactly," Lewis agreed. "And I'm glad I called you tonight."
"Me too," Denise admitted, her voice softer now. "It's been a long time since I've felt this comfortable with someone, especially so soon after meeting them."
They continued talking, their conversation flowing effortlessly from one topic to another. It was as if they were old friends catching up after a long time apart. Every laugh, every shared moment only strengthened the bond that was quickly forming between them.
As the night wore on, Lewis found himself not wanting the conversation to end. There was something about Denise that drew him in her warmth, her intelligence, her sense of humor. He could see a future with her, even though they had only known each other for a short time. It was a strange and exhilarating feeling.
"I should probably let you get some sleep," Lewis said reluctantly, glancing at the clock. "It's getting late."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Denise replied, though she didn't sound eager to end the conversation either. "But this was nice. I'm really glad you called. "Me too," Lewis said, smiling to himself. "Let's do this again sometime."
"I'd like that," Denise agreed.
They said their goodnights, and Lewis hung up the phone, a sense of contentment settling over him. He had never felt this way about anyone before, and he couldn't help but wonder where this connection with Denise would lead. Whatever it was, he was ready to see it through.
Afterwards, he laid in his bed, his thoughts still lingering on their conversation, Lewis knew one thing for sure: he had met someone special and he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away.