My life never gets better than a walk in the park.

Unless it was rainy or snowy, I used to do this circle tour almost every week when I'd come here in Central Park. Strolling the pathway that runs along sheep meadow, bordered by oaks, elms and maple trees, marveling at those pretty flowers on the sides that flourish in the springtime infusing their aroma everywhere before I finally cross the perimeter of the meadow and settle in my usual spot.

My favorite part of the season was when those little cherry blossoms pop like bits of cotton candy hanging atop the trees. When you find the ground carpeted with pretty petals loosened by the spring breeze. Showers of pink fluffy petals sprinkled all over the place with each waft of air, painting everything below with my favorite color. I'd just live there forever if I could, making them my eternal bed.

In the middle of a long walkway lined by marvelous lilac shrubs in various shades of purples and pinks , I halted, inhaling the fragrance in the air mixed with the dewy smell of recently cut grass, and continued walking toward the fringe of the meadow.

This place was definitely worth my wait all week and I really missed it so much. The peace. The colors. The scents. everything. Even the people here seemed different. Happier. Carefree. More human.

With a careful pace, I stepped from the paved walkway into my meadow. A wide spread carpet. Green, enormous and never crowded. No matter how many people came to picnic or simply take naps on the lawn while their dogs enjoyed freedom in the sunshine, I still could feel the space and the isolation. This bench in a secluded corner, under a huge elm tree was my favorite spot to nestle with my book. Here I could be far enough to read in peace without being too far from sight, in case anything happened. Which made it a fairly safe place for me.

Panting lightly, I hurried to sit down after the long walk, removing my bag to hang it on the backrest of the bench, pushing it towards the back to face the trunk of the tree, just out of habit. You can't be too careful when it comes to personal belongings. Not that I owned much though.

The air was still cool and crisp. A few minutes passed idly as I sat admiring the view and just breathing in.

Watching people was my second favorite activity in here and in this early hour there were only a few moms with their kids, flying kites or playing with Frisbees around the wide grass field.

A cute little boy with his skin the color of milk chocolate was bumbling around trying to find a place to hide. His young mom covered her eyes with her hands, propping her elbow over a tree and it actually looked like she was cheating.

A smile played on my lips.

Kids looked so happy down here, playing childish games with their parents and siblings. Their excited little voices reached me from the distance adding to the mood of carefree joy that defined this place for me. It looked great to have a family. I wished from the bottom of my heart to be like them but... I guess I didn't deserve it.

I reached to take out the newly borrowed book from my handbag and went through the summary written on the back cover then I checked the number of pages. I always check how many pages in my read, trying to estimate the time it would take me to finish it. When the book's to my liking, it makes me feel a wee bit down when I'm reading the last chapter. Almost like saying goodbye to a dear friend.

A Bestseller sign was engraved with golden letters on the top corner of the paperback along with my favorite author's name that was printed down at the bottom. Severna Rogers wrote the sweetest romance novels and the story seemed to be the right mix of romance and mystery which captivated me from the first chapter. I just hoped nobody paid attention to the unruly changes of my expressions as I read. They can get out of hand that I forget I was in a public place. People might think I was crazy but I still couldn't control the twisting and turning of my facial muscles when I get affected by the progress of the plot.

Did I forget to bring tissues? This could get embarrassing.

I turned to pull my bag, unzipped it, and sighed in relief picking up a few tissue papers and stuffed them into the pocket of my jeans. They'd come in handy soon enough. I was a mushy tear bomb

An hour or so later, I put down the book to stretch my arms and unroll my spine. I gave my eyes a recess as I let myself take in the beauty of nature and the energetic motions of the people wandering the earth.

Until I had a glimpse of a sight that made my pulse quicken like butterfly wings.

At first, there was doubt, then disbelief, then the surprise made me freeze in my spot.

I gawked like a fool for a full minute.

Considering the workings of logic and reason along with my famous luck, it seemed highly unlikely that I would come across him at the exact spot I happen to be every weekend. But then I riveted my eyes on his face and I was certain.

It was him!

I would know him anywhere. I mean, What are the odds that he was someone else who looked exactly like him?!

The mysterious Mr. Kent was there a few yards away, stretched out on a blanket under a nearby tree , holding a book that rested on his chest as he supported it casually with his hands. His long legs were crossed at the ankles, extending out of the edge of the blanket onto the grass. He wore a royal blue shirt, with the sleeves folded up, showing his toned sun-kissed arms that contrasted with the faded jeans, a loose fit but still looked perfect on him.

He was the picture of ease as he relaxed so comfortably on the ground, his side facing me as the soft wind tousled his smooth hair.

A smile crept up to my lips as I recalled Asha and her superman obsession. She was going to be pleased with the color of that shirt even without the diamond shaped Superman emblem.

My heartbeat picked up.

My stare lingered against my will. It was really hard to take my eyes off him.

Feeling embarrassed with myself, I bit my bottom lip and tried to turn my gaze down to continue reading, trying to engage with the story plot once more. But my eyes kept sneaking peeks at him every now and then. Possibly, every now and now. He was extremely distracting and there were no café orders to keep me busy.

He still seemed locked up into this unapproachable bubble of his. Oblivious to everyone and everything around him. As if he owned the meadow. He looked like a crowned prince surrounded by commoners.

The mental image in my head suited him more than I wanted to admit. I was just one of the commoners. A peasant. A timid unattractive peasant to be exact.

Goodness, he looked so good in the open with the natural light surrounding him instead of the dull lighting inside the café. Even from a distance he looked so clean-cut and gorgeous that my heart trotted inside my chest with each glance. It was wrong to ogle, I know, but he complemented the beautiful scenery so well that I couldn't stop myself.

More kids and their parents arrived when it got closer to the middle of the day. Lunch time was the favorite picnic time for families during weekends, some were spreading their blankets on the lawn having snacks or chatting while their children played around within eyeshot. Others were sunbathing with earbuds wired to their ears.

Only the two of us were reading.

The thought brought me unbelievable joy. Although, I had to confess, I couldn't do much reading in the last couple of hours.

Superman was still there but now he was sitting cross legged on the blanket with a thermal mug in front of him, chewing a candy bar and bending over his book with concentration that made me painfully itching to know its content.

My attention kept going back and forth between him and the hero of my novel, distracted by his mundane motions that seemed to have especially interesting effect on the rhythm of my heart.

It was somewhere near the end of chapter ten when I heard the heart- wrenching wails.

*****

OK. So I gave up trying to figure out how to dedicate this chapter to the beautiful readers who shower me with their support but I'm going to do this here any way.

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