Chapter 146: Time to Think About Being With Someone Else

That night, Celine got dressed to go for dinner.

“That Julian guy is really persistent, he actually stood outside waiting for you to agree to a date.” Natalia remarked.

“It’s not a date, it’s more like a family dinner. Aunt Miranda was very close to my Mom, I’m only going with him to see her again, that’s all.” Celine replied.

“Or you’re going with him to rekindle the promised engagement from the past.” Natalia joked laughingly and Celine rolled her eyes.

“Look Celine, it’s high time you decide what you want to do. That man out there might be no Tristan Grayson, but definitely fits the mark of ideal boyfriend material. I’m saying you could give this a chance since he really likes you. If nothing is happening with you and Mr Grayson, then you’re allowed to move on.”

Celine sighed, “There’s nothing to move on from. There’s just me and the kids, I can take care of them perfectly well on my own.”

“Until when?” Natalia queried and this question seemed to make Celine pause, “Until your own kids start to question you about why they have an incomplete family? What if these children actually want a father but they’ll never tell you just so they won’t break your heart?”

Celine said nothing, looking lost in thought. “Let’s think about your future, and the kids.” Natalia added softly.

Seeing Celine remain unmoving for a long time, Natalia sighed audibly and pushed at her shoulders.

“Alright, time to leave. Now make sure you have fun.”

Celine walked slowly, her eyes distant with the thoughts in her mind.

Was she being selfish? Why couldn’t she bring herself to think about being with someone else?

The kids wanted a father…why couldn’t she give them that?

“Wow!”

She didn’t realize when she reached outside until she heard Julian’s stunned voice. She broke out of her thoughts and looked up at him.

“You look… gorgeous.” He complimented and she managed a polite smile.

The dress she wore wasn’t too loose nor too tight either, it fit nicely with her figure, curling around her body beautifully.

“Shall we?” Julian beckoned as he opened the back seat to his car. Nodding, Celine got in, pushing all the thoughts to the back of her mind.

Maybe Natalia was right, maybe she did need to move on.

The car drove into a stately mansion, with a lovely vintage theme. Without a doubt this was aunt Miranda’s home.

The vintage vases that adorned every corner, the artwork and decorations all reminded Celine of the past when this woman used to spend a lot of time with her mother. Aunt Miranda’s tastes had somewhat influenced her own mother’s taste back then.

“Oh my dear, Celine!” A woman exclaimed walking down the staircase. There was elegance in each step she took. She smiled brightly as she unhesitatingly pulled Celine into a hug.

“My, you’re beautiful! I always knew you would become so dazzling! I saw you on the screens and I knew Elle would be so proud of you. But then I couldn’t find you anymore and there were these nasty rumors. I’m so happy to see you again.” Aunt Miranda hugged her again.

“Have you been well Aunt Miranda?” Celine asked feeling the warmth of the woman’s hug remind her of the past, of her own mother.

“I’ve been wonderful dear. Now come, there’s a lot of catching up to do.”

Celine enjoyed every meal with relish, some of the dishes had been her mother’s own recipe and tasting them again brought back memories.

“Here, have more of this.” The woman placed more dishes on her plate causing a strange warmth she didn’t know she still craved for to well up in her heart.

“Thank you, aunt.”

“You still call me aunt? I think it might be high time that changed sometime soon.” The woman said with a knowing twinkle in her eyes as she looked from her son who was sitting across Celine then back to Celine herself.

“Mom, you’ve been doing more talking and a lot less eating.” Julian skillfully cut off his mother when he noticed she was going to say something else.

He knew how excited she was at the thought of him and Celine and that excitement seemed to have soared even more the moment she saw Celine walk into their home tonight, he couldn’t blame his mother, the young woman was stunning and she had a pleasant personality that would make anyone instantly drawn to her.

He knew she had a past that was still somewhat unresolved yet but Julian didn’t care much about that if she would allow him be a part of her present.

He had made a promise to himself, back then when her laughter used to make him stop in his tracks, and the witty girl would make fun of his nickname.

’Someday, I will make you mine.’

Julian smiled at that memory and the strong conviction in his mind back then. He wondered how she would react if she knew he’d done all this for her.

Started a corporation named Eclipse because of the unforgettable day of the solar eclipse, the very day their mothers had decided their children would be together in the future.

Eclipse estates hadn’t done well for him, but Eclipse Kitchen soared into great heights. And he wished to share all of these things with her… someday.

He didn’t mind all that much that she had kids, in fact he was glad that despite having kids she was still single, whoever the dumb headed man who left her might be, Julian will send him a quick thanks and spend the rest of his life making her happy.

Later, after dinner, Celine excused herself a bit, standing out on the balcony to stare down at some blooming flowers in the garden. She felt a warm hand rest on her shoulder and it caused her to turn around. She smiled seeing aunt Miranda standing there with an unfinished wine glass in her hand which she sipped from occasionally.

“What are you thinking about my dear?” She asked softly, standing shoulder to shoulder with Celine.

“I’m thinking about Mom, is she happy right now?” Celine wondered looking up at the stars as if she could see her mother somewhere up there.

“Your Mom is always happy, when you are.” Celine smiled remembering that. Her mother would always smile when she did and whenever she cried, she would glimpse a tear in her mother’s eyes as well. “Are you happy Celine?”

This question caused the smile on her face to falter a little bit, but when she thought about Leah and Leo’s happiness, her smile bloomed once more. “I am happy. My children are everything I’ve ever wanted and more, there’s nothing more I could ask for.”

“And love?” The woman asked with a knowing glint in her eyes. “A woman’s heart never withers away my dear, somewhere inside every woman craves the sweetness of love.”

Celine hesitated for quite a while before she answered, “Love isn’t… something I’m thinking about right now.”

Aunt Miranda nodded in understanding. “Your children, Julian tells me that they’re lovely and quite smart for their age. Whenever you are free bring them over to the house, I’ve missed seeing the mischief of little kids. And this home is quite frankly empty and boring.”

“Yes aunt, I’ll bring them over sometime.”

Silence reigned between them for a moment before the woman suddenly said. “You know, I think some things in life are meant to be, just like you and Julian met again after all these years. I’m choosing to believe it’s destiny and it will lead to something beautiful between us, like us becoming family forever. I’m old enough to be called grandma, and I would happily take your lovely little angels as mine, I think Julian feels the same way too.”

Celine looked up at the woman in surprise.

She wasn’t even sure if her children’s father would accept them, but here she was being told that someone else was willing to accept them as his own?

Aunt Miranda chuckled at her expression before saying, “Don’t be surprised, you know he has always liked you even back then don’t you?”

Celine showed a clueless expression. Julian… liked her?

“You didn’t know. Actually, you’re the very reason he’s still single till now. He might have still been holding onto that little promise your mother and I made. He hasn’t had a girlfriend before so he doesn’t exactly know how to woo a woman but he still likes you.”

Celine said nothing to those words, she quite frankly didn’t know what to say.

Aunt Miranda smoothened her hair lovingly, “I’d love to have you as my daughter in law.” She left those words before quietly excusing herself leaving Celine to think on her own.

’…think about your future Celine.’ Natalia’s voice rang in her head.

’…can we get a new Daddy?’ Leah’s voice also replayed in her head.

Was it really time for her to think about being with someone else? If not for herself then for her children.

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