Chapter 8

The next day, Emma woke up early, as she always did on weekends. The sun had barely risen, but she was already dressed in her running clothes, ready to train for the marathon. The morning air was fresh and invigorating, and she felt that a long run was just what she needed to clear her mind. Especially since today he would be running with his sister, Zoe. She was already waiting in a park next to Emma's apartment as she stretched.

"Good morning, my sunshine." Zoe said, smiling as she saw her approach and hugged Emma briefly. "Ready?"

"Always!" Emma replied with certainty.

They started the race at a moderate pace, with similar strides. The trail meandered through the park, allowing them to enjoy nature while doing sports. The sound of the birds chirping created a natural soundtrack for the moment and gave them more gas to run. As they progressed, the pace of the race gradually increased. At a certain point, Zoe couldn't take it anymore and stopped. Emma continued the ride for a few miles, until she decided to stop as well. Not because she couldn't, but because she also wanted to talk a little about life with her sister.

"How was your Friday? Another day of watching series on the couch?" Zoe said, as the two of them ran.

"It was... An interesting day. I went on a date with Niklas." Emma smiled, albeit a little hesitantly.

"Niklas... Schmidt?" Zoe said, showing great surprise at her reaction. Some of the water in her mouth was spat out on the floor unintentionally with her sister's unrehearsed reaction. Zoe knew about everyone Emma worked with, by the way... What didn't she know?

Zoe stopped running and rested her hands on her knee, panting with fatigue and trying to understand if she had picked up the information correctly. How did this constellation take shape? She wondered.

"Himself" Emma confessed in a low tone of voice, not knowing where to look.

The two sisters, still catching their breath from the race, decided to sit on a bench next to them.

"Oh my god! Emma... You are a box of surprises. How did this happen? What year am I living in?" Zoe said between sips that she drank from her water to rehydrate.

Emma felt her dry lips curl inwards in an involuntary reaction to her slight nervousness. The look of surprise on her sister's face was to be expected, and she was waiting for more information about what had happened. Emma didn't know how to start, so she described everything from the beginning. From the unexpected invitation to lunch, to his statement, and also about the most intimate moments they shared, such as exchanging caresses in their hands, or what she felt when she put on his jacket. But she also didn't hide the tense moments they shared. Each word was handpicked to convey the complexity of his thoughts and feelings.

Zoe listened attentively, but her expressions were not evident. It seemed to range between surprise, concern, and empathy. Emma could almost see the smoke coming out of her head or her mouth opening from the shock.

After hearing everything, a silence ensued. Zoe wasn't sure Emma had made it to the end and needed a few seconds to process all the information herself. She knew Emma had a complicated history with relationships, especially considering her propensity to get involved with older men. This time it surprised him that Niklas was so young. That wasn't Emma's type.

"Emma, look me in the eye." Zoe began in a serious tone of voice. "You know you need to be careful. Niklas is Julian's son. And... You know... I still remember your huge crush on him."

Emma knew exactly what her sister was referring to. Julian was an extremely attractive, charming, and intelligent man, and that Emma thought this wasn't exactly a secret. But what only her sister knew is that at the beginning of their professional relationship, Emma had to move away from the thought that led her to desire Julian in a closer way. When she found out that he was happily married, she had to tear out the part of herself that thought of him differently. But that was so long... Zoe's pondering seemed absurd in the present day. Today Julian was a mentor, a man she respected above all else, but nothing more than that.

"I think you may be projecting a possible relationship with Julian onto Niklas. From what little I know from you, they're both ... very similar. But I could be wrong... I'm just commenting."

"Zoe, I understand what you're saying. But that was a long time ago. Yes, there are similarities between them, but I don't think one has anything to do with the other. He made me feel so alive, he lives life in a way that I don't know how to live and... The moment had its charm, its energy, I don't know. It's something I don't know how to explain and maybe deep down, in Emma that no one sees, not even me, there's someone who wants to find out."

"You should be careful." Zoe said, understanding her sister's point, but full of trepidation. 

"I just think... It doesn't seem to make your type get into complicated relationships, sis. And this is definitely one of them."

"I know... But I've lost so many things in life by thinking too much, by being too sensible. Time goes by and I see that something in the way I live life isn't working out, or why am I still alone?"

"Honey, if you think you should invest... Maybe it's an opportunity for you to try something new, to get out of your comfort zone."

"I don't know, sis. Really."

"Let your heart decide for you then. But... Be aware of the possible consequences and remember that he is not the last man in the world."

Emma thought about her sister's words. She has always had relationships with older men, seeking security and stability. But they were never really satisfying, they always found themselves in different periods of life and Emma felt uncomfortable with that. Some were even divorced, with children from other marriages and other aggravating factors. Niklas still had his whole life ahead of him, he had almost just come out of diapers, basically. There was something different about him, something she couldn't ignore all night. He was polite, but he also knew very well how to impersonate an attractive conquistador with some Don Juan traits. 

"Emma, I have something to tell you too..." Zoe said with a smile on her face, changing the subject and Emma, intrigued, looked at her sister curiously, trying to forget her personal doubts. Zoe's tone suggested that the news was significant.

After a brief moment of suspense, Zoe looked at Emma with a mischievous smile raising only one eyebrow, wanting her sister to guess. She approached to her and with a delicate gesture, she took Emma's hand and placed it on her belly. Emma frowned, confused.

"Zoe... You..." Emma stammered, finding it unbelievable.

She didn't respond right away. Instead, she caressed her own belly as Emma's hands came out of there and looked there full of pride. Emma watched her sister and her eyes watered.

"You're..." Emma started to speak, but her voice cracked a little due to strong emotion.

Zoe nodded, her eyes shining with joy and her eyes also full of water, she claimed.

"I'm pregnant, Emma. You're going to be auntie. Zoe said, her voice charged with emotion." I found out a little while ago, and no one knows yet. I wish you were the first to know."

Emma looked at her sister's belly, and although there were still no visible signs of pregnancy, she already felt an indescribable love for what was probably still an embryo. She felt a surge of excitement and nostalgia, remembering the time when the two of them were still children. Emma and Zoe have always been inseparable.

"That's awesome! I'm so happy for you!" she said as she tried to dry the tears of emotion on his face.

Zoe was surprised by a strong loving hug from her sister as she machine-gunned her with questions.

"When is the child for? How are you feeling?" Emma asked, stepping back a little to look into her sister's eyes.

"It's still very early, but the expected date is in the summer, in June." Zoe replied, the smile not fading from her face. I'm so excited, but also a little scared. It's a big change. I'm going to be the mother of a human being. Do you think... Am I ready for this? And Philipp as a father, this is all still so crazy in my head, you can't imagine."

"You will be magnificent parents, I have no doubt. You're going to be the best mom in the world."

"And you're the best aunt in the world," she replied, laughing.

As soon as her nerves calmed down a bit, Zoe started talking about how she had found out about the pregnancy, her emotions, and her plans for the future. She said she initially thought the morning sickness was just some kind of indigestion or stress. However, when the symptoms persisted, she decided to take a pregnancy test and well, the blue line on the test wasn't lying. She was invaded by a mixture of shock, joy and a hint of fear, just at a moment when she was completely alone at home she made the greatest discovery of her life.

"I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, Emma. It was a rollercoaster of emotions... It is, actually. And when Philipp arrived he realized that something was going on, that I was strange. By the time I told him, you needed to have seen the reaction. It was so cute, he was very happy and said he had suspected it before me did. The next day he came home with a book about becoming parents. I'm sure he'll be very dedicated...

"You're perfect for each other, you know, right?" Emma laughed.

Little by little, Emma was assimilating the fact that her confidante and lifelong friend was about to go through a moment of extreme change. Their problems seemed to compare to that one

"Oh, sis, they're your eyes. At the moment I'm worried about everything, from the baby's name that I don't even know the gender I know to the type of crib we're going to buy." Zoe admitted, laughing a little.

"I'm probably not the best person to give you advice on something I've never experienced, but I think that's normal, Zoe. All of these feelings are normal. And you have Philipp, our family, and definitely me to support you in everything.

"Thank you for the comfort, little one."

Zoe nodded, touched by her sister's words, and continued to talk about the first symptoms, the doctor's appointments, and the subtle changes she was already beginning to feel in her body. Emma felt that her sister gained a different glow when she talked about it and showed complete interest in it.

"Shall we run some more? Your marathon won't end on its own. But before that... I wanted to tell you not to let fear stop you from living something true. You may need to learn how to apply your enormous dedication to work in your personal life as well. If you feel like you need it, give the boy one more chance. You never know..."

"Thanks for the support, sis. And by the way... You won't believe me if I tell you."

"What? One more surprise?"

"Niklas is going to run the same marathon as me."

"It's fate." Zoe laughed.  "Who knows, maybe you'll train together one of these days..."

"No... I've got you for it. It wouldn't be nice to mix things up so much."

"Emma, open your eyes. Do you think going for a run with him is more intimate than one day going to bed with him?"

"Zoe!" Emma blushed. "Who says I'm going to bed with him? We're a long way from that..."

"Oh, no? So, if things ever move forward, will you play with dolls?"

"I don't know, I didn't stop to think about it." she said thoughtfully. "This topic makes me nervous. I can't mess things up at work because of a simple curiosity, because of a boy."

"I think you guys need to talk about it... Maybe it's possible to figure this out in a mature way of dealing with the situation."

"Zoe, he's twenty-two..."

"So what? I'm thirty-three and Philipp is twenty-nine. And he's always been a mature guy. I know you, Emma. If you didn't have the will, if you didn't want to find out, you wouldn't be thinking about it until now, discussing the smallest details with me, and pondering the rationality of it. You would have discarded it on the spot."

Zoe was right, when Emma was sure of something she didn't want, she definitely came to that conclusion quickly and in a super rational way. Sometimes Zoe even joked that her sister didn't have a heart. But she knew that yes, Emma's heart was indeed huge in other ways. The difficult thing was Emma to be sure of something she wanted, because her rationality always entered places where she was not called. For this reason, she sometimes struggled with relationships.

"I'm sure any parent would be happy if their child was with you. Especially Julian, since he adores you."

"That's if it works... What if it goes wrong, Zoe?"

"He'll understand... Giving the boy a chance doesn't mean you're getting married. That's where the maturity part comes in and that's where you have to be careful. If you think it's worth it, give it a try. If not, say so in a friendly manner. If you keep creating scenarios and more scenarios of how things can go wrong in this little head here." 

Zoe put her index finger on her sister's head, pointing.

"There's really no way things can work out there. Let it happen, maybe you'll get a nice surprise. Like yesterday..."

Emma listened intently, and as hard as it was for her to let things happen spontaneously, she promised her sister that she would try to follow her advice. Zoe as an older sister always had a strong influence on her, she could read Emma like no one else and always provided her with sage advice. She always dealt calmly in all situations and was a great mediator in conflicting situations. Not coincidentally, she worked in public relations management for an event production company.

"Besides, you don't think I'll be able to keep up with your pace in the race when I have a belly, right? Maybe a young man, who is also going to run the same marathon as you, can help you with this."

Zoe said jokingly, referring to the only person who could fill that description. Emma put her finger to her mouth in a sign of nervousness and began to bite her cuticles, so she wouldn't have to provide a direct answer to Zoe.

"I have a lot to think about until I see you again on Monday. I need to mentally prepare myself for this encounter. But for now, I want to see you run." She said, slapping her sister's ass and immediately running back, causing her to have to go after her.

Zoe laughed at Emma's reaction, noticing that her sister was a little nervous about the matter and started to chase after it. She knew that Emma needed time to process everything that was going on in her life. She had always been strong and determined in most matters, but with a few, such as relationships, she was a vulnerable girl who absolutely needed her sister's words of support.

Feeling the wind on her face and the running meters getting behind her, her body warming up again and hearing the sound of her sneakers hitting the asphalt, Emma tried not to think too much about what they had talked about last. The rhythmic breathing helped clear her mind a little, but she still thought about the night before and Zoe's words. There was a mixture of anxiety and excitement in her chest, a sensation she wasn't used to feeling often. She hoped that after the race, which used to be her outlet, her emotions would find clearer.

After a few kilometers of running and a few sweaty liters, they decided to slow down and head for the exit of the park. The sun was already higher in the sky, and the place was beginning to fill up with other people who wanted to enjoy Saturday morning. Some families picnicked, couples walked hand in hand, others walked their dogs and while Emma thought about everything and nothing at the same time, Zoe thought that soon she could live a moment like that family, who seemed so happy having a picnic with a baby. Ever since she got the news, Zoe had been paying attention to all the children around her and her life was almost surrounded by thoughts related to babies. The only thing that kept her out of it was her work, and now in a way the race with Emma, that was good for her. When they arrived at the exit of the park, he suggested that they stay together for a while longer.

"Why don't we go for brunch? We can go to that place you like."

Emma readily agreed. Not only did she want to spend more time with her sister, but she also felt comfortable and safe by her side. At home I would be alone. They walked to a cozy little café on the corner of the street that served the best grilled bread Emma had ever eaten and had several variations of coffee from different production locations.

They chose a table near the window, from where they could see the movement of the street, and Emma ordered a Colombian coffee, a loaf of bread on the plate, and a bowl of müsli. Zoe, more restrained, ordered an orange juice and a croissant.

While they were waiting for the food they had already ordered, Emma saw her cell phone vibrate on the table. He was facing Zoe's side, so she quickly recognized whose message it was.

"I think you'll want to see whose message this is from." Said the sister, eager to know what it was about.

Emma was already suspicious, from the way her sister spoke, but when she looked at the screen, her heart skipped a beat, starting to beat faster and her hands sweating. It was a message from Niklas.

"Good morning, Emma. I haven't stopped thinking about yesterday until now... And about you... I didn't expect to redeem the prize from my bet so soon, but you leave me no options. :) Do you have time tomorrow?"

The direct way he wrote had the same effect on her as when he was in front of her talking and she didn't know what to say. Still, you can't help but smile when you read the message. Niklas seemed to be thinking about her as much as she was thinking about the whole situation. Zoe, noticing the smile on her sister's face, asked curiously:

"World News Schmidt and soon a smile forms on those lips."

Emma, trying to hide her smile, showed the message to Zoe, who read it quickly and then looked at her sister with a mischievous expression.

"It sounds like someone is very interested in you."

"Anyone who writes things as straightforward as that... It leaves me speechless. What do I say?"

"It depends on whether or not you want to go out with him tomorrow."

"Should I?"

"That's not important right now. Do you want it or not? Something in your smile tells me you want it."

"Perhaps..."

"Then go ahead. Allow yourself. Do you think I would be with Philipp today if I hadn't been allowed to? You know... He was part of my painting course and I didn't even think he liked women, until he came to me, with all the shyness that belongs to him. Give me this cell phone, I'll answer this message for you."

Emma tried to take the phone out of her sister's hand, but the older one was more agile than her and by the time Emma did, the message had already been sent.

"Good morning, Niklas. I also didn't stop thinking about last night. What's your idea for tomorrow?"

"Well, you're welcome." Zoe said as Emma read the message sent from her cell phone.

"Your scowl face. If you weren't my sister, I'd kill you right now. She spoke with red cheeks."

Emma would never have had the courage to send such a message, and it probably would have taken her a lot longer to think and analyze every word before sending it. Deep down, Zoe had actually done her a favor.

"If you weren't my sister, I'd almost believe it." Zoe replied laughing. 

"You sometimes need a little push."

Emma's phone vibrated again, faster than the two of them could have imagined. They looked at each other and Emma quickly unlocked the device, reading the answer aloud. The second he realized what was written, he regretted it, afraid that someone else in the place had heard it.

"I can't wait. I want to surprise you with a dinner that will make last night seem like just the beginning. I'll pick you up at 7 p.m. Get ready. ;)"

"Emma, this boy wants you in a way... I would take this "get ready" seriously." 

She laughed, impressed.

Emma spared her sister any comment and replied right away:

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

After sending the message, Emma put her phone aside and took a deep breath.

"How bland. I could have answered something more vivid, more provocative. He wants you to tease him, he's crazy about you girl."

"But I'm not like that, Zoe. It's no use!"

"OK. I'm sorry, it's my pregnant hormones." She laughed. "The one who spoke is no longer here."

The brunch was the envy of anyone for its appearance and was quickly consumed without sparing praise for the establishment. When they had finished, their paths parted and they each went home to bathe and get ready to meet later in the city. The day was beautiful, blue skies, few clouds and the sun was even open on that November day.

Emma helped Zoe pick out clothes that would accommodate her growing belly, while Zoe insisted that Emma buy her something special for dinner with Niklas. Emma rolled her eyes, thinking she had enough clothes, but she knew Zoe wouldn't give up easily, so she eventually gave in.

"You need something that will leave you speechless." Zoe stated, examining a number of clothes on the store's hangers. "Something that highlights your curves, an uplifting outfit, but without saying much."

Some options passed through the hands of the two and Emma did not make Zoe's job easy. She was skeptical, leafing through the macaws without sparing criticism, refusing several pieces that Zoe showed her. In all of them she was flawed, too short, too frilly, too cleavaged, tacky, old-fashioned, dull in color... Negative adjectives didn't seem to be lacking for her to describe the pieces she saw. Zoe was starting to lose her temper, but she stayed focused as long as she could. It was already the fifth store of the day and Emma had not yet found something that appealed to her.

Emma stared for a few minutes at the burgundy dress Zoe was holding in front of her, sizing it up from every angle. The fabric was soft and warm, it had a small slit in her right thigh, but without showing much, and the collar covered even a little of her neck.

"It's not horrible." Emma admitted, taking the dress from Zoe's hands. "I'll give it a try."

Emma entered the dressing room and closed the curtain behind her. Outside, Zoe waited anxiously, hoping it was the right dress. When the curtain opened, Zoe saw her sister dressed in the elegant burgundy dress.

The slit on her thigh added a touch of sensuality without being vulgar, and the burgundy color matched the white shade of Emma's skin. Zoe was sure that matched with the correct earrings, her sister dressed in that piece of clothing would be breathtaking.

"I think you should take that one. It brings out your romantic side and shows off your body without showing too much." said the sister, convinced that she had found a dress befitting the occasion.

"Okay, okay. I'll take it and then we'll look for clothes for you! Enough stuff for me."

The search for clothes for Zoe's pregnant phase was significantly easier than for Emma's date. Her sister was a considerably quicker decision-maker and didn't like to waste time on irrelevancies. He would go into the shops and analyze everything like a man, precisely and rationally. In a few minutes they bought everything she needs, at least to be able to use it for the next few months. When her belly grew larger, she would have to think again about how to solve this problem.

Then they went together to Zoe and Philipp's apartment. The décor of the apartment was super personal and intimate. Zoe had pictures scattered all over the room, from travel, from family and also with friends. The two were a very welcoming couple, full of friends and stories to tell. Philipp, a tall, thin man with straight brown hair and blue eyes, was in the kitchen preparing an appetizer when the two arrived. He was a government employee and worked on things that no one quite understood. He always tried to explain, but it was tricky because he didn't have just one task. In his spare time, he was a professionally recognized cook, Zoe said that he would live in the kitchen all the time if he could, and indeed all his dishes were acclaimed by everyone he had the opportunity to try.

"Hello, girls! How was the shopping day?" Philipp asked, coming to meet them with an apron with "super chef" hanging around his neck.

"It was great! We found everything we needed." Zoe replied, putting her hand on her husband's face and kissing him tenderly.

"Emma is already aware of the news." Added the sister, referring to her pregnancy.

"Isn't that wonderful, Emma? I'm the happiest guy in the world with this woman. " He hugged Zoe sideways and showered her with kisses on the cheek.

"I'm looking forward to being an aunt and very happy for you. I already know this baby is going to be very spoiled, isn't it?" Emma laughed.

Conversation goes, conversation comes, Philipp served a plate of antipasti made by himself at the table and served Emma and himself with a good red wine. Zoe opted for a non-alcoholic cocktail, her husband's special creation for her for the period when she would be forbidden to drink alcohol due to pregnancy. They sat in the living room and talked about the recent discovery of pregnancy, plans to move to a bigger apartment, and a trip they wanted to take before the baby was born to Tanzania.

Emma, on the other hand, only had stories from work or colleagues to tell, as she did not consider it appropriate to talk about her recent meeting with Niklas so openly. After all, Philipp couldn't add anything to the theme that Zoe hadn't already said. She felt a little empty compared to the exciting life as a couple that Zoe and Philipp planned together. They had been together for eight years and had been married a little over a year ago.

"Emma, there's a reason why we invited you here today." Zoe said, grabbing something from the desk in her living room. She exchanged glances with Philipp, who already knew what it was all about. Emma brought the glass of wine to her mouth with a curious look, genuinely unsure of what to expect.

She received the considerably large card in her hands and opened it in a hurry. On the front was a drawing of a stork, holding a baby wrapped in a cloth. When she opened it, she found small pictures of her and her childhood sister pasted on one side, and on the other side she had written in Zoe's handwriting

"Will you accept to be the godmother of our little miracle? We love you, Zoe and Philipp."

The tears could hardly be contained in Emma's eyes and began to roll without her being able to do anything about it. He tugged at his congested nose from the tears that were falling and searched for words to respond to such an affectionate and delicate act coming from them.

"Of course." She closed the card and hugged her sister immediately. "I will love this child as if he were my son." She smiled.

"I'm sure of it, sister. There is no better person for this position than you. Philipp and I also have another announcement to make. I'm sorry for the amount of ads these days, but it's better all at once, isn't it?" Zoe laughed.

"Zoe and I decided to have a wedding ceremony. We finished planning everything last weekend and in two months we want to gather our closest friends at the Betsfords mansion for an intimate party celebrating our wedding late." Philipp said with a smile on his face.

"I'm going to get married pregnant, Emma. Can you believe it?

"It's always been your dream..." Emma said with a smile on her face, happy for her sister's accomplishment.

"By then, everyone should know about the pregnancy too... And well, now you know everything too! No more surprises."

"Well, now it's over, isn't it? My heart can't handle so much wonderful news in one day." Emma said in a joking tone.

As the night wore on, they put on music, sang karaoke, and reminisced about past moments they had lived together. Philipp was also part of the family for her, since he had been together with her sister, her better half and soul mate for so many years. Emma watched Zoe and Philipp interacting and felt an enormous joy for the two of them, but deep down, deep down, also a slight melancholy, reflecting on her own hopes and dreams. When would it be his turn? Why was she as incapable of building a romantic life as the others? It should be possible to work well and find love at the same time.

By the end of the night, Emma was tired from both the morning run and dancing and singing with the two of them almost all night. She ordered a taxi home and said goodbye to the two of them, then followed the many steps that seemed to move before her eyes to the ground floor. Zoe and Philipp continued to listen to music, but after Emma's departure, they switched to romantic songs and danced close to each other, dispelling the love they had for each other, which was so great that it had come to life. That night their bodies connected to each other later, and as in a meeting of souls, they made love.

Emma woke up to the sun dazzling her eyes through the window and the first thing she thought as soon as her eyes opened was that she would have dinner with Niklas that very day. A formal meeting with him this time, it seemed. Not like the last time she tried to convince herself that this was a meeting of colleagues and made sure not to go overboard with her outfit choice. She was sure that this time he would also take it more seriously by the tone he wrote in the message, besides, he had made a reservation at Le Jardin de l'Oiseau, a critically acclaimed restaurant in the city. Emma had never been there, had never had the opportunity, but she had heard of it. I was anxious, but I really didn't really know what to expect. She would be surprised by the restaurant's fame.

With a leap she rose from her bed and ate her usual breakfast, a bowl of porridge with assorted fruits, always depending on the ones she had available at the moment. Emma's life was regimented and not very spontaneous, and as you might expect, on Sunday morning she went out for a few miles in her neighborhood. He took a different route than the day before and today he ran in front of the café where he was with Zoe yesterday. The place had a considerable queue today, Sunday was always the day it was the busiest, as families loved to go and eat there. Trying to get past the life blocking the sidewalk, Emma seemed to recognize someone.

"Emma! She heard that familiar voice speak her name." What a surprise you here.

"Oh, Mr. Julian! What do you do here?" she answered, dead of embarrassment.

That wasn't the state Emma would want to meet anyone with, least of all her boss. She was all sweaty, with sports clothes glued to her body and a few strands of sweat-soaked hair stuck to her forehead. Her face is pink and wet from the effort made by her body in the race. Julian was standing in front of her with the elegance that suited him even without his usual attire. She rarely saw him wearing jeans like she does today, but well, she also rarely saw him outside of work. Her hair, however, was neat as usual.

"I came with the family to have breakfast. Sarah loves this place."

Emma then saw the whole family, a little disguised behind him in line, and she turned even redder. Niklas was there too and she didn't know what to say, where to look, what to do.

"Good morning, Mrs. Pauline. How are you?"

Niklas, for his part, preferred to ignore the presence, just as she tried to do. But I couldn't help but find it strange that she treated her parents so formally. What if one day she became your girlfriend? He didn't like to think about what his parents would say if they knew about such a relationship.

"All great, Emma. What about you? What a nice surprise to see you, it's been so long. Always taking care of your health... Very good to see you like this."

"Hi Aunt Emma! Remember me?" Sarah said in her tender, almost childlike voice.

Emma definitely didn't remember her ever being that big, the memory of her still seeing a child, which she had already ceased to be.

"How you've grown, Sarah! And beautiful as always." Emma said amicably, looking at the girl.

"Niklas, stop being rude. Put down that phone and say hi to Emma." Said Julian.

To tell you the truth, Emma didn't want to be greeted by him, that would only make the situation more awkward. They would see each other later anyway. The less he looked at her in that sweaty state, the better and the less she would have to talk to him pretending that nothing had previously happened between the two of them.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Emma. Niklas lives on that phone, he has a date today and hasn't heard a word anyone speaks to him since he woke up."

"Dad, what is the need?" Niklas spoke with fervent eyes and snorted, the words rising up his throat. He was tired of being treated like a boy.

"Oh, now you answer?" Julian laughed at his son's immediate reaction as soon as something of his interest came up. "Emma is family, my son. By the way, she was the one who found that object under the seat of my car. Do you have something to say?"

This sentence came as a blow to the belly of the two, who were speechless. Family? His thoughts about her definitely didn't involve things he would do with someone in the family. Niklas and Emma looked at each other with unspoken confessions in their eyes, as if talking in their thoughts and the two agreed non-verbally not to say anything and pretend it wasn't happening.

However, Emma couldn't help but notice how Julian treated Niklas like a boy and how his father's behavior affected the way the young man dealt with it. It was clear at the first meeting that he wanted to clarify that he was already a grown man and would not like to be compared to his father. Seeing the way Julian spoke to him, she understood where such behavior was coming from, clearly a reflection of the treatment he received.

"I'm leaving, Mr. Julian. I have a few things to attend to today. See you tomorrow, I wish you all a good breakfast.

Niklas watched Emma slowly return to her running time until she turned the corner, but all he could do was pay attention to her ass so well outlined by her gym pants. Her body was not lush or different from many others, but it was in her eyes irresistible.

Emma still heard his father start a sermon, but when she turned the corner she could no longer understand anything else and found herself in another environment, more comfortable and without social anxieties that made her nervous.