Chapter 18: Luck's on my side for once
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The day had begun—and it was already something special.
Down in the kitchen, the scent of breakfast drifted softly through the Whitmore house—freshly toasted bread, lightly scrambled eggs, and just a hint of cinnamon from Sarah's favorite tea.
Sunlight poured in through the windows, casting long golden stripes across the tiled floor.
Sarah moved through the kitchen with practiced grace. She wore a soft cream-colored sweater today, her golden hair tied back loosely.
As she worked at the counter, her expression calm and focused, Emily sat at the dining table, flipping through her phone, already dressed and looking bored.
The quiet sounds of the house were broken by approaching footsteps—Luke and Lily entering together from the hallway.
"Good morning," Luke greeted with a gentle smile.
Sarah looked up. "Good morning, sweetheart," she said, her eyes softening just a little more than usual when they met his.
Emily gave a half-wave. "Hey."
Lily yawned and flopped into a chair. "Mooorning... I smell cinnamon toast. Am I dreaming or is Mom going soft on us?"
Sarah chuckled. "Just trying something new. Sit down, you two. Breakfast's almost ready."
Luke and Lily joined Emily at the table as Sarah brought over plates.
It was Saturday, April 19th, and the rare combination of a perfect morning and a day off hung in the air. No work, no school, no pressure—just time.
They began eating quietly, the clink of cutlery and soft conversation filling the room. Luke kept his eyes mostly on his plate, trying not to let his nervousness show.
Every so often, he glanced at Sarah. She looked relaxed. Warm. Beautiful.
He couldn't believe he was about to go on a date with her.
A real date.
He still wasn't entirely sure how that had happened.
As he poked at his eggs, Lily suddenly looked up.
"Mom," she said between bites, "I told Lima I'd hang out with her today. We're going to that café near the park and then maybe her place after."
Sarah blinked. "Lima? I haven't seen her in a while. What are you girls planning to do?"
"Probably gossip about stupid boys and drink overpriced smoothies," Lily said nonchalantly, then added with a smirk, "And maybe stalk the hot barista."
Sarah gave her a playful look. "Just don't forget your manners while you're stalking."
Emily rolled her eyes. "You two are unbelievable."
Lily stuck her tongue out.
Sarah eventually nodded. "Alright, just be back before dinner."
"Yay! Thanks, Mom!" Lily grinned and stuffed another bite of toast into her mouth.
Luke, meanwhile, tried very hard not to let his relief show.
With Lily gone for the day and Emily likely to stay buried in her room, the coast would be clear.
He and Sarah could spend the whole afternoon together… alone.
He exhaled quietly. Luck's on my side for once.
The conversation drifted to weekend plans and casual chatter. Luke said little, letting the girls talk while he mentally rehearsed every part of his upcoming plan: the walk, the café, the amusement park… the Ferris wheel.
(A\N: Lemon ~(¬‿¬)~)
He still didn't know how the day would go—but he was ready to find out.
And somewhere deep inside him, a quiet hope flickered to life.
After breakfast, the family slowly scattered like petals on a breeze.
Emily returned to her room, muttering something about finishing a novel she'd been procrastinating on.
Lily skipped upstairs to change, already humming a happy tune about her upcoming outing with Lima.
And Sarah stayed in the kitchen for a while longer, quietly cleaning up, a soft smile still lingering on her lips.
Luke walked toward his room with steady steps, heart beating a little faster now. As he closed the door behind him, he leaned against it for a second, letting the quiet of the room settle around him.
This is it.
He turned the lock.
Then moved to his desk and pulled out a small wooden box from the bottom drawer. It was simple—old, even slightly scratched at the edges. But inside… was something he'd been holding onto for this very moment.
He opened the lid.
A ring.
Delicate, silver-toned, with a tiny blue stone embedded in the center—not too flashy, not too plain. Just… right. Not expensive. Not cheap. Honest.
It was a gift from Sani.
Luke let his fingers run across its surface, his mind drifting back.
It had been almost a year ago when Sani, for once in his chaotic life, had fallen hard for a girl in their cram school.
A quiet, artsy girl who wore oversized glasses and carried a sketchbook everywhere. Sani had been smitten—like, anime protagonist meets love-at-first-sight smitten.
And so he did what every hopeless teenager with too much time and not enough experience would do.
He tried to impress her.
He started drawing fanart. Bought scented pens. Even joined the art club just to "accidentally" run into her. But the most extreme thing he did?
He saved up.
Four months.
No school snacks. No game top-ups. No late-night ramen orders. Every coin, every note, straight into a crumpled envelope hidden in his drawer. Just to buy a ring.
Not from a big jewelry store—no, that would've been too expensive. He found it in an old pawn shop near the train station. The kind of place that smelled like dust and forgotten stories.
But he was proud of it. He believed in it.
The day he planned to give it to her, he wore his best shirt, fixed his hair, even sprayed cologne he borrowed from his older cousin.
And when he finally confessed… she looked him up and down and said:
"You're sweet, but… you look like my gay best friend."
Luke winced at the memory—he hadn't even been there, but Sani had told the story so many times it felt personal.
Heartbroken and dramatic, Sani had spiraled into a short-lived depression arc.
But then, one night, after binge-watching a ridiculous shounen anime, he found redemption.
A bold character had screamed from the screen:
"Work hard every day! That's the only way to become strong. Like, seriously strong!"
The next day, Sani began his legendary training routine:
100 push-ups
100 sit-ups
100 squats
10 kilometers of running
Every. Single. Day.
It only lasted about two weeks—until his legs gave out on the stairs and his mom made him stop.
But the ring?
It stayed with him.
And one day, sitting on the rooftop during lunch, he handed it to Luke.
"If you ever find a girl who makes you feel like I felt," he'd said, tossing the ring into Luke's lap, "give her this. It deserves a second chance."
Luke had laughed back then, thinking it was just one of Sani's usual overdramatic gestures.
But now…
Now, it didn't feel like a joke.
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By Ecstasy Crown