Time is a very interesting thing. He doesn't properly exist like Einstein once said 'Time is an illusion' yet Pericles, an influential ancient greek statesman and general believed that time was the wisest counselor of all and maybe both are right.
Time doesn't makes things better or worse just helps to accustom, familiarize things that are lost, it doesn't bring them back, it doesn't increase the pain just makes it rhythmic, constant... Also time helps to grow , With time we grow older, we grow wiser, we grow smarter and we're better, we become ...seasoned.

Three years, not precisely three years, but more or so, let's start for Alina.

Well she went to university, she is taking a design course to be a interior designer. She moved to campus since the university was far, luckily their friends got in, in the same place, so they would meet in time to time, not all the time and mostly to study sometimes to party yet they found a way to talk with each other.

Alina was currently in her third year, only missing one year to complete her bachelor's degree. She was in fact loving the course it was hard, it took a lot of work and job but she made it through the way.

She visited Harold during these three years, to talk a bit with him, explain the situation she was in. She had never seen Colten since that day, he missed family Sunday and so did she, whenever she would go he wouldn't, university helped being away started to be normal.

She asked Harold for him a couple of times yet the old man didn't had news about him, she lived her life, she helped Harold rebuilding his housed, the old man was rebuilding everything and she helped with colors, textures, everything she could. She knew Colten was in a university also, enjoying his football career, she didn't knew much more about him it was like he had disappeared from the map, from her life.

Yet, life carried on..right?

"Oh guys I'm sorry" Sophia said putting all of her things in the hair next to her

"No problem, if you wanted us to grow roots you could've just texted" Gabe said ironically taking a sip of his tea

"It was Travis" She explained "He is so lame always grabbing me for not to go"

"The usual" Zoey commented

"so news who got them?" Gabe asked curiously

"Uh uh I" Sophia raised her hand excitedly

"As always "Alina chuckled

"remember Emma?"

"What Emma?" Zoey questioned

"The devil in person who suddenly started to be an angel" Sophia said "The new year, new me"

"oh the one who dated with Colten" Gabe completed

"Yes"

"why didn't you just said that?" Zoey questioned

"Whatever... You know what?"

"what?" They all asked in unison

"She is dating" Sophia squealed, making the customers of the cafe look at her "Sorry"

"She is dating?" Zoey asked curiously "With who?"

"That's even better" Sophia said and then looked at Alina and her head bent down

"What?" Alina asked sensing her weird behavior

"Maybe I shouldn't" Sophia realized bitting her under lip

"Well you started it, now end it" Gabe implied

"But- It's"

"Sophia jus say it" Zoey insisted'

"It's...Lucas"

"WHAT?" They asked in unison making the whole cafe look at their table

"Sorry" Gabe apologized and lower he asked again "What the fuck how did that happen?"

"When she got in university she gave up on the shelters and started working at a makeup shop which surprisingly was in front of Toy' R'Us " Sophia explained

"I'm shocked" Gabe said looking at the table with wide eyes

"look" Dophia said showing them her phone "here they are"

"She actually look normal" Gabe noticed "That's great for them"

"I guess" Sophia shrugged her shoulders

"Are you ok?" Zoe asked Alina

"Yeah why wouldn't I?"

"Didn't you guys had a thing?" Zoey asked Alina rolled her eyes

"I have told you dozens of times that we were just friends" Alina answered back "Is it so unbelievable?"

"For me? Yes. He was a snack" Gabe responded "But don't worry because I see a backup for you" he wiggled his eyebrows looking at the man behind the balcony

"Please guys not again" she rolled her eyes and took a sip of her cold tea "You literally talk about tis every time we are together"

"Cus this ain't healthy girl" Zoey said

"just tell me honestly..." Sophia started " How long have you been without sex?"

"Oh my god" Alina rolled her eyes and laid back on her chair " For real"

"Yeah, for real" Sophia nodded

"Since Jake when did you ever got some interaction?" Gabe questioned now

"Jake was what 4 years ago?" Sophia asked

"Yeah... it's going to make for on the New Year's Eve" Zoey informed

"The New Years Eve is three months away " Gabe dramatically informed "You haven't had sex for 4 years?"

"can you keep it down?" Alina asked

"4 years...I'd die" Sophia said looking at the ceiling with a worried face

"You seriously need a date" Zoey stated "You're gonna get one today" she said looking at the bartender

"Oh oh yes and he's available"

"How the hell do you know that?"

"Because...A friend of mine had a crush on him, and he came to the cafe they had some sort of hangout, he even took a picture of him... then he figure it out he wasn't gay when he saw him scrolling down his instagram but... what matters is that he is free" Gabe explained

"Uh show me the picture"

"Ok ok " Gabe said taking his phone out

"i'm not having a date with him"

"Oh please he's totally into you" Zoey said

"See" Gabe showed a picture of he bartender

"It's not happening" Alina stated

"Damn Daddy" Sophia growled

Alina smiled getting up "I have to go"

"family Sunday" they said in a mocking tone"

"yes... Family said, and if I stay here talking with you I'll loose my bus" she said dressing her coat "Behave you three" she took her iPad case with her and her phone

"Yes mom" They said making her laugh

"Right" she got near them and kissed their heads "Love you"

"Love you " they said and she left the cafe. She hopped on the bus and two hours later she reached her stop.

"Sis" Her annoying brother said from inside the car

"Aaron...I missed you" she said getting in the car

"Is this my sister? Have you been abducted by aliens. Did they swap you?"

"Oh you're annoying" she rolled her eyes getting comfortable on the seat

"Ah you're back" he smiled driving home

"Why can't you just take a simple compliment"

"Doesn't suit me unless..." he said with a raised finger "You're mom and dad or my girlfriend, she can say whatever she wants" he said smiling

"Ew"

"By the way, how is she?"

"You literally talk to her everyday"

"Yeah but you see her"

"When was the last time you saw her? Two days ago?"

"Yes and it's been too long" he said pouting "It's a shame she as an exame tomorrow she could be right there where you are instead of you"

"Oh wow...I love you to brother"

"Hi don't" he said almost crying

"How can you be a doctor when you look like a 7-year-older who just lost his favorite toy" she asked intrigued

"You don't understand...It's love"

"Do you already have a ring to propose or what?" She joked

"I do"

"You what?" She looked at him with a shocked face

"Don't say anything"

"Oh you did not" Alina said then started laughing like a maniac "Are you out of your mind? You don't even live together"

"Is that a step we should take first?" He asked innocently

"Ahh yes? It's not like a step but surely is something people do... are you going to propose and then where are you going to live?"

"Makes sense" he nodded

"I sware I don't understand you. How can you memorize the name of every single microbes and you can't know this"

"How could I? Nobody reached me this at school"

"It's common sense Aaron"

"What's common sense for you might not be for me"

"That doesn't even make sense, because it's common...it's something everybody supposedly know even if it's wrong...common sense" She explained

"I don't miss you anymore" he breathed and she rolled her eyes. They got home greeting everyone

"Hello" Alina said placing her coat on the hanger

"Our princess" she heard her father say they were all sat down at the table happily talking and eating the appetizers

"sister" Tobias said hugging his sister

"You are enormous"

"I am eleven what do you expect?" He answered

"Ok Ok boy I got you" she said taken back by his answer

"Ali" Little Callie hugged her hip...well not so little anymore "Can't you stop growing?"

"They can't" Her mother said coming straight to her with open arms to hug her "They grow to fast. One day you'll know that"

"Hello darling" Anna said hugging her to

"Hi Aunt"

"Ali li" Thomas cheered hugging her to and finally her dad

"hello kiddo, I missed you"

"I missed you too dad" the dinner was calm and relaxing, everybody was happy to have some time with Alina when the Perk's were about to leave Anna receives a call

"Yes?" She said, Thomas was helping Toby to dress his coat while they were waiting for Anna

"yes well I haven't seen him in two weeks "

"Oh no" Anna said, Alina noticed her blankness and when she noticed her eyes closed and Anna fainted.

Thomas grabbed her and laid on the sofa while Damien grabbed his stethoscope and analyzed Anna.

Alina on the other hand grabbed the phone who was on the floor which Anna was previous holding

"hello? Hello? Mrs. Perk?" Along heard from the other side of the line, she took the phone to her ear

"Hello" Alina said

"Is Mrs. Perk there?"

"Hum no, she can't take the phone now felt a bit nauseous "

"Well I guess that's normal" the man on the other line said "Can you tell her then that we are ready to send the search warrant to the police but only with her permission, if she decides to do it tell her to call me, the school will support her making the police searches faster"

"Yes I will, may I now what happened"

"I'm sorry but it's confidential"

"She's my aunt" Alina lied, she treated her by aunt so it wasn't a complete lie

"well I guess in that case" the man said "It's her son"

"What happened to Colten?" worrying feeling her chest

"Mr Perk has been skipping classes for about a month, he made his last essay two weeks ago. He hasn't been quite the regular student doesn't appear to a lot of classes yet this month he got numerous complains from his couch. He has been missing practice too"

"He didn't said anything to anyone ?"

"I'm afraid he didn't "

"Ok well thank you"

"Sure" Alina turned off the phone and looked at the living room everybody was worried with Anna though Damien had already got a reaction Aaron was helping him too.

"What happened honey did the said anything?" Martha asked worried

"Yeah they did" Alina said still taking in all the information "Colten... is... missing"