Chapter 10: New Beginnings

Twenty Years Later…

A letter came in the mail for me from Luke.

It read:

Dear Bo,

I know your still getting over my dad's death; I know I am. It's hard getting used to him not being there… Anyways, tomorrow's the Starry Night Festival, and I was wondering if you would like to come celebrate with my family and me.

I'm sure Akari would love to see you! I know you have a lot of work, managing the Carpentry Shop. But I really hope that you can come and celebrate with Akari, Ariella and me.

Your Buddy,

Luke

"It's been forever since I've seen Luke." I thought to myself. "Maybe I will go."

***

The next evening, I walked over to Luke and Akari's house.

"I wonder what their daughter's like." I thought to myself.

I had never met her. I hadn't really talked to Luke or Akari since the wedding.

When I knocked on the door, a young girl with auburn hair and brown eyes, who looked about twenty opened the door.

She blushed bright red.

"Oh! Hello Bo! Please Come in!" Akari said as she came to the door. "Luke will be back soon. He went into town to get some groceries."

Akari was as gorgeous as she was the day Luke and I met her.

She was wearing a pearl blue, long sleeved shirt, a long black shirt, and black high heels.

The young girl just sat there, staring at me with her mouth wide open.

"Oh! Ariella. This is Bo." Akari said to her daughter.

Ariella was even more beautiful than her mother.

She was wearing a knee high, long sleeve, pearl pink dress. And she was wearing a silver locket around her neck.

She blushed bright red again. She obviously was not use to men staring at her.

"Hey I'm ba-" Luke said as he walked through the front door.

The moment he saw me he dropped the grocery bags and cried, "Bo!"

He pounced me and caught me in a headlock.

But I broke free this time. I'm stronger than I was then.

I laughed. "Even in your old age, your still strong!" I joked.

It was the first joke I had made in a long time.

"Wow Bo!" Luke said as he looked at me. "You've grown!"

"Did you expect me not to?" I teased.

Luke laughed.

"Maybe." he teased.

We all laughed for a while, even Ariella.

"Okay you two jokesters!" Akari finally said. "Let's cut back on the jokes until we get dinner on the table."

I nodded and began to help Luke put the groceries away.

Ariella quietly helped Akari make dinner.

Luke had a puzzled look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I finally asked him.

"Ariella usually isn't this quiet… She's usually more active and hot-blooded." He answered.

"Like you use to be?" I teased.

"I'm no different now than I was twenty years ago!" Luke said back. "I may be a little slower, but I'm still the same old Luke!"

I laughed.

"Dinner's ready!" Akari said.

"Race ya!" Luke said, even though the table was less than ten feet away.

Luke won, but only because I went easy on him.

Luke sat at the top of the table, Akari sat on the left side, I sat on the right, and Ariella sat at the bottom.

We ate Boiled Spinach, Shining Sashimi, and Mushroom Rice.

We talked so much; I thought my mouth was going to fall off!

For desert, we had Chocolate Cake.

After we finished eating, we all sat on the couch and talked some more.

"Oh my!" Akari cried. "It's already 3:30 in the morning!"

I stretched and then said, "I need to be going anyways."

I got my coat and then prepared to leave.

"I had a great time! Thanks for dinner! It was delicious!" I said as I opened the door.

Ariella put her arm in the door before I could close it.

"Please…" she said. "Promise that you'll come back soon."

"I promise." I said as I put my hand over my heart.

She smiled and then closed the door behind me.

I heard Akari say, "What was that about Ariella?"

"Oh… Nothing." Ariella said back. "I'm gonna go to bed."

I heard her walk off and close a door.

"I think Ariella has a crush on Bo!" Akari said in an exited voice.

Luke laughed and then said, "Good! It'll do them both some good!"

I shook my head and laughed.

Here we go again.