章 1: Prologue
20 Years Ago . . .
Kenna sits quietly at the backseat of the car, playing with her tiny fingers as she waits for her mother to appear from the office building her father owns but she had waited for the past thirty-five minutes, her mother had not yet appeared. She knows how well-attached she is to her work.
Just as she's about to let out a deep sigh, a familiar woman with dark brown hair and light blue eyes begin to walk towards the car's direction. Kenna's lips curve up into a smile, eyeing her mother as she enters the car, giving her an apologetic smile.
''I'm sorry, Kenna. Forgive me?'' Her mother says, causing her to nod her head. Even though she's only a six-year-old, she understands quite a lot about her parents' busy career. She had heard enough excuses.
In fact, Kenna has a soft-heart, known by their family chauffeur, Jeffrey. She gets attach to someone easily and she forgives them like a speed of lightning as soon as they seek for forgiveness . . . that's why Jeffrey is fond of her.
''Straight to the kindergarten, ma'am?'' Jeffrey asks, looking up at the rear-view mirror as both of his hands are gripping onto the steering wheel.
Jeffrey has worked for the family ever since he got out of high school. He's around the same age as Kenna's father, if not a couple of years older. Even though, they're not too much years apart, Jeffrey has a visible crease near his eyes and in the middle of his forehead, making him look older than he is supposed to look, somehow.
''Yes, Jeffrey.'' Mother replies, applying another layer of red lipstick onto her lips before closing onto the compact mirror, putting it back insider her leather handbag.
Kenna stares at her mother, eyeing the way she sits with full of grace and poise, defining herself as a woman. Her dark brown hair curls nicely down onto her shoulders, making her look professional yet casual, at the same time. Even as someone who spends more time at the office than at home, she has never asked for a break nor complain.
''Excited, sweetheart? You'll get to meet new people and make friends,'' She says, turning to look at Kenna and see that she has been playing with the hair-tie in her hand. She would always bring it anywhere she goes as it is known as her lucky hair-tie, something not easily achieved.
''What if they hate me? What if I won't make new friends?'' Kenna asks, her voice loud enough to hear yet quite low if her mother was standing further.
Her mother grabs onto her hand, gripping it as a sign of support before smiling down at her. ''Kenna, honey, you are the most wonderful girl in the world. You are smart, beautiful, talented, funny . . . we have to work a little on the funny part but you are capable of everything,'' Both Kenna and her mother chuckle, happy that her mother is boosting her confident level for her to make new friends.
The car comes to a stop, Jeffrey turning to look at them with a smile as soon as his eyes landed on her. Then, Kenna and her mother step out of the car as they walk towards the entrance of the kindergarten, hand-in-hand.
''Hi, you must be Mrs. Roosevelt,'' A woman starts to make her way towards them as they stand in the middle. ''I'm Ms. Cooper. It's a pleasure to finally meet you,'' The woman continues to say as Kenna's mother shake hands with her, leaving Kenna stand with a slight smile.
''Likewise, Ms. Cooper.'' Kenna's mother reassure.
The woman known as 'Ms. Cooper' turns to look at Kenna, her brown eyes glint with amusement. ''You must be Kenna,'' She says, crouching down to Kenna's height. ''There are a couple of kids who are also registering today, Kenna . . . why don't you join them at the playground?'' She turns to point her at the playground which can be seen from the inside through the glass window.
Kenna's eyes meet her mother's as she nods, ''Go on, Kenna. Make some friends,'' Her mother says, causing her to walk straight towards the playground after glancing twice at her mother who is currently talking to Ms. Cooper.
As soon as Kenna steps outside at the playground, she is met with a couple of boys playing near the sandbox while another boy is playing alone near the slides. Kenna is left furrowing her brows as she realises that there are only boys here in the playground . . . leaving her head towards the swing, gripping tightly onto the sides as she gets on.
The swing begins to move back and forth as she looks up at the blue sky, attracting her. Her hands are loosening the grip onto the sides before her lips curved up into a small smile, enjoying the birds chirping on the branches.
''You're on my swing,'' A boy says and before she can turn to react, she is left falling onto the ground as she tries to support herself from hitting her own face. Both of her eyes wander to look at the figure behind her, seeing that a boy with brown hair and light brown eyes staring back at her with a slight frown in between his eyebrows.
''What is wrong with you?'' Kenna asks, her eyes are almost tearing up with tears yet she holds it back. She looks away, wiping her tears as she tries to stand up before eyeing the scratch and cut on her right knee.
''Aidan Gabriel Ashton!'' An unfamiliar woman steps out towards the playground with wide eyes as she makes her way towards them in a hurry. She grabs onto Aidan's arm as she turns to look at Kenna, ''What did you do?'' She asks her son who has just rolled his eyes, simply not caring.
''She was on my swing,'' Aidan replies, quickly crossing his arms.
The woman walks towards Kenna, her eyes showing worry before eyeing down the blood on her knee. Her eyes widen as she turns to her son, ''You do not act like this with or towards any girls, Aidan. What did I tell you . . . '' Just as she was about to speak, Aidan has cut her to it.
''It's very ungentlemanly to hurt a girl and it's also disrespectful to hurt anyone without a reason but never hurt a girl,'' He breathes out, somehow getting bored of saying the same thing for more than once.
''Kenna?'' Kenna's eyes wander to her mother who looks at them three in surprise before making her way towards them. She eyes the scratch on Kenna's knee, ''What happened?'' She asks, worriedly.
Just like that, Kenna sits all by herself in one of the classroom, her eyes wandering around the room and down at her knee which has been plastered with bandage. Her eyebrows furrow at the sound of her mother talking about how she was injured without a reason.
''Right now.'' Someone says before the door closes again, everything goes dead silent, immediately.
Within seconds, Aidan appears near the door which causes Kenna to look up at him, seeing that he's playing with the tip of his fingers but his eyes are looking at her. Then, he takes a seat the opposite from her, ''Hi,''
''Hi . . . '' Kenna replies, slowly.
Kenna and Aidan both stare at one another with an expressionless face but as children, they feel nothing except for the amount of attraction towards one's beauty.
''I'm sorry for pushing you down the swing.'' He says and Kenna looks up at the door, seeing that her mother is standing there with Aidan's mother, staring, as well. She holds onto her own tiny fingers underneath the table before eyeing Aidan again who seems to be thinking of something else before giving her his hand, ''Friends?'' He asks.
As known by Jeffrey, Kenna will always be the one to forgive. She was raised with manners and she will always follow them, ''Friends,'' She breathes out, shaking hands.
''Your eyes are really pretty,'' Aidan says as he tilt his head to the side which causes Kenna to smile.
''Yours, too.'' Kenna replies and they both begin to talk about other things in which Kenna feels comfortable quite, quickly. She has never felt that way before especially with someone who had pushed her down the swing but for some reason, she feels like they'll be friends for a really long time.
Both of their mothers stared at them with a smile on their faces as they get acquainted. None of them knew that, ever since that day . . . they managed to be the best of friends. It was a worthwhile journey and it was their journey.
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