Chapter 11: Heart-Fluttering Smile

"We've got everything on the cart that's here on the list except for the ingredients of the cake, mom."

Days have passed after Cara’s heart-to-heart talk with her mother and Christmas Day is just around the corner. Cara and Lillian are grocery shopping for the party at their house on Christmas Eve. Every year, they prepare gifts and a dinner party for their close friends and relatives.

When they finished buying all the things needed, Cara drove her mother back home and unloaded the groceries. They started putting up the christmas decorations. Cara attached garlands with silver and gold glitter stars on the walls of the house. She also hung Christmas socks embroidered with Santa Clause's face and a snowman on the corners of the fireplace, and in between the socks she put a banner with 'Merry Christmas' written in fancy letters printed with tiny reindeers and sleighs. And last but not the least, she helped her mom put up the Christmas tree and hang Christmas balls of red, green, pink, silver and gold then wrapped a metallic pink garland around the tree. They put ornaments in the shape of candy canes, angels, poinsettias and hearts to make it more alive. When Cara put a big golden shining star on top, they stared at the tree in awe.

"Wow" her mother exclaimed.

And Cara agrees "It's perfect."

---

"Oh my gosh Cara! He might be TL!" Mel squealed in utmost excitement.

Wendy had a puzzled look on her face "TL? What's TL?

Cara covered Mel's mouth with her hand "Mel! Lower it down, there are other customers here."

Mel is at Joy Café now and Cara told her and Wendy about the guy she met at the park and also the one who ate ice cream with her near the river.

"TL stands for True Love. I made a code name for Cara's prince charming." Mel giddily answered Wendy’s question.

"Oh, the one that fortune teller saw in your future?"

Cara hesitantly nodded "But I don't know if he really is TL. I don't even know if the fortune teller said was true." She took the empty cups and saucers on the table and tidied up.

"Cara, give it a try anyway. Do you have his number? Do you keep in touch?" Wendy suggested as she rested her head in her clasped hands.

"No, I only know his name. That's all and I don't think I want to be attached to him. What if he'll only break my heart? What if he is not TL?" There goes those ‘what ifs’ that Cara can’t avoid.

"But what if he is?" Mel said in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

"I- I don't know."

Cara was debating with herself in her mind. Here she goes again, doubting the feeling. Yes, she felt happy and safe when she was with him. There was this certain connection that she can’t just brush off. And why would she disregard that? He already saved her two times!

But is she ready for this?

Cara doesn't even know when she will see Dash again.

As if on cue, the door of the café opened, revealing three gentlemen. One has black hair, he seemed shorter than the other two but he's extremely good-looking. He was wearing a striped inner polo and brown coat. The second guy has his hair covering his forehead leaving only a peek of it in the middle, he has a cool aura. He has a bonnet and cross-shaped dangling earrings. He smiled at the three ladies. Oh that eye smile.

"Welco-" Cara started to greet the people entering when she saw the tallest of them, wearing a maroon blazer on top of a black shirt. He met her gaze and she saw that familiar heart-fluttering smile.

Dash.