The Day I Kissed An Older Man

"Thanks to you and your friends... If it weren't for you all, I wouldn't know where I'd be right now..." He rubbed his hands together, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Perhaps he would have left behind his wandering life long ago if someone had been willing to lend him a hand from the start.

Rita smiled and said, "Where else could you go? You'd still be stuck at that piece of land of course."

Virgil scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Heh, you're right. But I still have to thank you all."

Rita nodded. "I also have to thank you for trusting me. Alright, I just came to see you. Since you're settling in so quickly, I'll head back now. There's still a lot of work to be done."

Virgil walked a few steps with her, hesitated, and finally said, "I know figuring things out can be tough, but since I've settled down now...you don't have to rush the matter. You can just take things at your own pace."

Rita understood his meaning; achieving this task alone would indeed be very difficult for her. Virgil was also afraid she forced herself into a dead-end.

"Don't worry. I've never been alone on this path, and I won't foolishly attempt the impossible," Rita assured him.

I don't want you to make such a big sacrifice for

drove away, she could still see his diminishing figure

Virgil; there could not possibly

knew that saying these things might come off as pretentious. Others might criticize her for being overly idealistic, but she was driven by a desire to reduce the number

her heart at the warmth in his eyes. She could imagine how much he must have loved his children before this incident, how he lost them, lost his family, and could only watch

of this supposed to be

her destination set for New Capital

happening, with too many tasks waiting for Rita to complete. Even though she had been

was not all

returned to her desk, she found herself face-to-face with Chase. Just as she raised her head she caught him avoiding