The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Zane's voice was unclear. "I really admire you, you know. You always keep a clear head and know what you want. You never second-guess yourself."noveldrama

I got what he meant right away. He was talking about how he was always worrying about Willow and how she had a way of softening him.

I answered, "First, you need to figure out what you really want. If you're counting on Willow to take over the company someday, you've got to start training her for that from the start.

"But if you want her to carve her own path, you've got to let her make her own choices from the beginning. When she's older and chooses a different direction, you can back her up then. Once you're clear about what you want, the answer will be right before you."

Zane chuckled. "You're right. I wanted you, and I held on for so long. And now, here you are."

Sherry led Sasha and Eric into a diner and found them a table to settle at. The place was open around the clock.

After they'd ordered drinks and food, Sasha turned to Sherry, her eyes alight with curiosity. "So, how did you and Gavin meet?"

The question caught Sherry off guard. She hesitated for a moment as if the memory had slipped into the back of her mind. It struck her then how many things she thought she'd always remember were fading away.

Without thinking, she reached for her glass of water. Seeing this, Sasha quickly filled it up for her.

Sherry took a small sip before she responded casually, "It was during school, I think."

Sasha's eyes went wide. "Wait, you two were in the same class?"

"No," Sherry replied, carefully choosing her words. "We weren't in the same class but were in the same school and were studying the same grade.

"I ran into him once when I was hanging out with some friends. He was good-looking and seemed nice enough, so I figured, why not say hi?"

Sasha fixed her eyes on Sherry. "I see. So, did you have a thing for him back then?"

Sherry couldn't suppress a smile.

"It's not as easy as it seems to fall for someone. I saw a lot of people around me getting into relationships, and it ended up messing with their studies and futures. Seeing that made me decide not to get involved with anyone while still in school."

Eric, who had been silent until then, finally spoke up. "So, you didn't start dating Gavin until after graduation?"

Sherry nodded. "That's right."

Sasha's eyes widened in surprise. "That long?"

It hadn't felt like a long time for Sherry. When she saw the eager, gossip-hungry looks on their faces she smiled and said, "At first, I just thought he was good-looking. But there are plenty of attractive people around.

"He wasn't the only one. So, why would I have fallen for him?" "So, what made you and Gavin end up together?" Sasha asked.

Sherry spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully. "After graduation, we had a lot of friends in common so it was natural that we'd grow closer when we hung out. But then, one of our friends started making things difficult for me.

"I couldn't figure out why. We'd always gotten along fine, but suddenly, she seemed to be coming after me. She even started stirring up trouble behind my back."

As she reached that part of the story, the light in her eyes dimmed, turning colder and more distant. "It was Gavin who noticed what was happening and pointed it out. That's when I saw that he was a good guy."

"And that's when you started falling for him?" Eric asked.