19

19

An eventful dinner at the Sanset-Restaurant resulted in yet another separation. As the newly reunited pair left the Mayers', Paulina concluded she could no longer live with someone she no longer loved, and told her husband about Leon.

The divorce was settled amicably. Stiven moved out, leaving his wife everything, including the wedding ring her father had given her upon hearing of their wedding.

Paulina felt a sense of freedom. Something she had never known, something she could only dream of as a little girl, a young woman, and then a wife. There was always someone standing in the way of her "happiness."

Now truly free, happy, and with a sense of relief, she did everything she could never have afforded before. Together with Mila, the housekeeper to whom she was deeply attached, she began redecorating her large house. Wanting to give it a little life and the love that had long since left its doors.

When the house was finished, Paulina began to see what she had been blind to before. Suddenly, the fact that Kuc had stopped bothering her awakened in her the need to contact him. His words from their last meeting were etched in her memory and haunted her. At times, she thought she was going mad. The red-haired beauty began searching for a way to free herself from the specter of Leon's persistent criticism that haunted her. She decided to call.

"Paulina Mayer, good morning," she said into the headset, waiting for Leon's reaction

. "I'm listening, Kuc," a voice said

. "I'd like to meet you.

" "Why?" Leon asked callously .

"I'm waiting for you at 6:00 PM at the café where we met," Paula said, and hung up, the awkward situation filling her with self-loathing.

"Does this woman think I have nothing better to do?" Leo thought. But as 6:00 PM approached, he was already sitting in the café, wondering what had happened. Paulina arrived thirty minutes early but didn't come in. She entered promptly at 6:00 PM.

"It's good to see you," Kuc said, as befits a gentleman, as soon as he noticed Paula

. "I'm glad too."

After these pleasantries, a delightful exchange of words took place about the weather, politics, and art. When the meeting got to the heart of the matter, Paulina fell silent for a moment to gather her thoughts. Leon, meanwhile, ordered something stronger. He liked this elegant lady, but beyond simple courtesy, he couldn't bring himself to do anything more for her. Leon's heart was filled with emptiness.

The usually warm and effusive Kuc had changed dramatically, Paulina thought. Her thoughts drifted around the name Karina. Paula decided to help Kuc regain his lost love, his joy for life

. "Has anything changed in your relationship with Karina?" Paula asked rather boldly, hoping for a calm answer

. "There's no question of any relationship. Why do you ask?"

"Because I can't look at your sad eyes. I never told you, but you have beautiful eyes, and I'm sorry they're so sad now. Besides, you once blamed me for your failure with Karina," Puala said touchingly, wanting to unburden herself of the aching burden

. "I don't quite understand what you're getting at, but thank you. I don't need help," Leon said more tenderly, pleased that the once-unapproachable, now-strangely transformed red-haired beauty was worried about him

. "Fine. I won't try to persuade you to do anything. You know my phone number. You'll feel like calling," Paulina said and left.

A bit confused by the whole incident, Leon tried to understand what this unpredictable woman was really up to. He even began to wonder how elegantly I drank my coffee and how dignified she was in her every sentence. But after a moment, when he left the café, his mind sank into his daily routine, and his thoughts wandered to Karina.

At home, as usual, in the evening, he busied himself with work. But his mind refused to obey. Leon decided to relax. The same name kept circling in his head, but this time differently, calmer, less obtrusive. Maybe it was time to recover, he thought, and dared to call Karina.

"Hi," Leo began, thinking he was hearing a voice recorded on the answering machine

. "Hello Leon," Karina replied. "I haven't heard from you in a while.

" "Kana?" Leon was surprised, unsure what to say. "Sorry, I haven't heard from you in a while either, hence the surprise. Would you be willing to talk to me for a short chat tomorrow after work?

" "I don't know if that's a good idea. I'll be a bit busy," Karina replied, trying to keep her voice neutral.

"Okay, I won't insist, but," Leon said, but Karina stopped mid-sentence.

"I'll have a moment the day after tomorrow around 4 p.m. Is that okay?

" "Absolutely," Kuc replied, dancing happily by the phone.

"Then we have a deal," Karina said, and hung up.

Both Leon and Karina were preparing for the test their hearts were about to pass. They both wanted to shed this burden and try to stop avoiding each other. Rising to the occasion was incredibly difficult. But they still had one day left to prepare properly.

Shila

was angry at everything and everyone. After her daughter announced she was moving out, every little thing began to irritate her. Even the cat, who had always been a certain favor, was irritating his owner. Herold, wanting to spare his wife tears, began secretly helping his daughter with the move. Today was the last day of Karina's vacation and, therefore, the last day to finalize all the details related to the move.

Her new apartment wasn't large, but it was cozy and had a large terrace. It was also thirty minutes from work. Dad, though not entirely convinced it was the right place for his daughter, didn't object, as Mom was more than happy to oblige. He even paid the down payment and bought some furniture to ensure Karina's comfort and Shila's peace of mind. By the end of the day, everything was ready. Karina gathered the necessary things and unpacked some of them. Exhausted after a tiring day, she set the alarm earlier than usual to have time to tidy up, and went to bed.

The first day back from vacation passed quickly. But despite everything, the thought of meeting Leon didn't leave Karina alone for even a moment. Now, with half an hour left until the meeting, she began to feel nervous.

Kuc had prepared well; his work schedule was flexible, so he could afford it. He even bought flowers, small daisies, so as not to annoy Karina, but to please her.

The time had come for the meeting. Kuc was waiting for Karina in the garage. She knew this, and as usual, she was twenty minutes late. They both decided to go somewhere quiet to talk. The quiet spot turned out to be a restaurant a few kilometers outside of town. On the way to the quiet restaurant, no one spoke, afraid to spoil anything. Karina felt safe and uneasy. Leon simply reveled in the sight of his beautiful woman, who couldn't possibly belong to anyone else. Kuc believed Karina was a miracle of nature, created just for him, he'd always told her that. And now he was at peace with this miracle sitting next to him. This is how it should be now and for the rest of their lives, he thought.

At the restaurant, they ordered their favorite dishes. No one had to make an effort. They both knew what they wanted, having eaten together for three years. When Karina looked into his deep eyes and noticed the adorable dimples on his cheeks, everything fell into place. She no longer had to worry about anything. They spoke warmly and lightly. Every word was like music to their hearts. They needed nothing and no one else. They simply chatted about nothing, enjoying the sight of each other. Late in the evening, they realized it was time to head back. No one needed to point out that time had flown by; it always did when they were together. Leon gave Karina, who hadn't mentioned a change of address, a ride to her parents' house. She got out of the car, kissed Leon on the cheek goodbye, waited until he drove away, and called a taxi.

Lying in bed, she began to reflect on the day's events. She didn't see anything disturbing; quite the opposite, in fact. Karina realized she had to accept the fact that Leon existed. She decided not to deepen anything but to leave everything as it was. The meeting was a success, and another item on her agenda could be crossed off her list. Little by little, she resolved to rebuild the friendship between her and Leon.

After a month, Karina succeeded. A friendly relationship with Leon was established. Regardless of the moment he learned about her new apartment, Kuc didn't impose himself. Afraid of spoiling anything, he slowly acclimated to the new situation. Sometimes, when Karina left or someone of the opposite sex was around, he would become jealous, but he pretended to be indifferent. Karina, on the other hand, enjoyed the role of friend so much that she began to treat Leon almost like a brother. She even told him about the men she'd met at conferences. Kuc, struggling to adjust to his new situation, sometimes struggled to control his emotions. But the outbursts weren't serious, as he preferred to keep an eye on her. There were also moments they spent together in the bedroom, but they weren't the same as before. Slowly, Leon realized that Karina was growing up. She had transformed from a young girl into a beautiful, intelligent woman who knew what she wanted. He decided to step aside and give her more freedom.

To make it relatively painless, he planned a two-week vacation somewhere far away. Since Paulina was the only woman besides Karina with whom he could enjoy himself, he proposed a joint vacation. Paulina agreed, but on her own terms. She chose the time and place. Her idea was to be as far away from the hustle and bustle as possible, to experience even a little of untouched nature.

The

old but sturdy wooden cottage in the middle of the mountain seemed terrifying to Leon. But when they entered, his opinion changed. The antique furniture added to the charm. The fireplace was genuine. Even a bearskin pelt lay on the wooden floor. With each step, he became more and more convinced that Paula had been right in taking him to the mountains.

The first day was spent unpacking and sorting through food supplies, as the nearest store was a long way away. In the evening, they organized a small bonfire, which attracted a few neighbors from nowhere. After getting to know each other, it turned out that Paulina knew these people, as the wooden cottage had belonged to her for many years. Tipsy and excited by the new atmosphere, Leon went to bed, for the first time not thinking about Karina.

In the morning, rested and calm, he went outside. The morning mountain air pleasantly caressed Leon, half-dressed. Despite the autumn weather, he decided to go for a run and explore the surrounding area. The tiring run uphill, downhill, and uphill again whetted his appetite not only for food but also for life. Like a typical city dweller, he enjoyed every tree, bush, bird, and the simply golden-brown beauty of nature. When he returned, Paula was preparing breakfast. He was in such a good mood that he took her in his arms. She inadvertently cried out and completely surrendered to his warm, masculine embrace. Then something happened that neither of them had planned. Without leaving the kitchen, without any inhibitions, they began to make passionate love. They did what they had longed to do. So after finishing, in good spirits, as if nothing had happened, they ate breakfast calmly, gathering their strength for the rest of the day.

The week passed in an unearthly romantic way. Paulina even began to have thoughts of falling in love. For a long time, she had subconsciously longed to give herself to someone she could truly love without limits. And not in the same way her mother had taught her, the stereotypical composure, the lack of emotion. Despite the autumn, spring reigned in her heart. A new feeling sustained her vital energy, giving her a wealth of strength and ideas. Transformed, she rejoiced in each new day. Afraid of missing out on what she had long since lost,

Leon surrendered completely to the wave of passion. The magnetism of the transformed red-haired beauty drew him closer with each passing day. Even the memories of Karina proved pleasant. He could talk about her freely with Paulina, who listened to his lengthy pronouncements with understanding and without a hint of jealousy. By the end of

the second week, a bond had formed between Paulina and Leon, one that would bind them together for many years to come. While Leon reveled in this pleasant adventure, Karina worked, paying no attention to anything that might distract her. Thanks to this, she paid off her mortgage, upgraded her car, and inevitably moved closer to fulfilling the final step of her carefully laid plan. Now her inner needs and desires were satisfied. While still encountering tiny obstacles, she rejoiced in overcoming something she'd been afraid to even dream of. Leon began to act as an older brother, supporting her in every endeavor, fueled by old sentimental feelings. Karina, however, lacked the strength to make friends with Paulia, who often appeared with Leon at various parties. She couldn't, didn't want to, or didn't see the need. Life finally took on a new dimension, and the world opened up before her. Only occasionally, when sentimental memories came flooding back, would Karina call Tina and party until dawn, reminiscing about old times.