Chapter 5 VISITING KATHLEEN'S BAKERY

Reminiscing about their last encounter, he couldn't shake the memory of the regret that washed over him as he watched her leave due to his foolishness. Snapping out of his thoughts he scrolled through the sea of contacts on his phone, he dialed the number he had memorized by heart for years. The phone rang, but no familiar voice greeted him on the other end. A stranger's voice responded, revealing that the number he had dialed was no longer in service.

Confusion and frustration flooded his mind. How could he reach Kathleen now? Determined, he decided to hire a private investigator, hoping they could uncover her whereabouts. Despite their best efforts, they hit a dead end. Every lead turned out to be yet another wrong number or false hope.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Charles became comsumed by his desperate quest to find Kathleen and the daughter he just found out about Lana. He couldn't shake off the image of a young girl hidden beneath layers of doubt and secrecy. The potential legacy he might have unknowingly created haunted his thoughts.

Charles decided to set out on a quest, he contacted Kathleen and his friends, hoping that someone had information on her whereabouts. Eventually, he reached an old friend of Kathleen who still had some connections with her.

"I heard Kathleen decided to move her bakery's location to xxxxx avenue", she informed him. "She's been doing really well for herself. As for her daughter i heard she's around four-years old".

Charles felt a tug at his heart. That child was definitely his daughter. He decided to ask Abby for Kathleen's contact information.

"I actually don't have her number anymore, Abby admitted. "But I've heard she changed it after you guys broke up and i haven't seen her for a long time so i couldn't get her new number".

The news hit Charles like a blow to the chest. How was he supposed to find her if he didn't even have her phone number, and the private investigator he hired was incompetent? Desperation clawed at his inside.

Deciding to head over to the address Abby gave him right now, he quickly left his home hoping to find Kathleen's bakery there.

~ SOME MINUTES LATER ~

The sight of Kathleen's bakery filled him with a mix of excitement and nervousness. This was it, he finally found her.

He peered through the window, catching a glimpse of her. She had changed, he once carefree spirit replaced with an air of quiet strength. Her smile was still as radiant as ever, and her hazel eyes sparkled with determination and tenderness as she interacted with customers.

Gathering his courage, Charles pushed opened the door and entered the bakery. The scent of freshly baked bread and pastries enveloped him, momentarily distracting him from his jumbled thoughts. The tinkling of the bell above announced his presence, and Kathleen's eyes shifted from the customer she was serving to meet his eyes. For a moment time stood still.

Before Charles could gather his thoughts, Kathleen set down the tray she was holding and walked towards him. Her expression was a mix of surprise, curiosity and a little bit of anger as she stood inches away from him. Words caught in Charles's throat as he struggled to form a coherent sentence.

"Charles", Kathleen finally said softly, her voice carrying the same warmth that had captured him years ago.

Just hearing her voice alone after all this time made his heart race. The memories of their time together flooded back, the laughter, the stolen kisses and the promises they had made to each other.

"What brings you here?" Kathleen's question snapped him out of his thoughts.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and managed to speak, his voice barely above a whisper. "I-I wanted to see you. Catch up. And meet someone".

Kathleen raised an eyebrow, a hint of skepticism in her gaze.

"Meet someone? Who?".

Charles hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Our daughter, Kathleen. I want to meet her".

The words hung in the air, heavy with emotional weight. Kathleen's eyes widened, a mix of surprise, disbelief and anger flashed across her face. She struggled to find her voice, her hand trembling slightly as she reached out to steady herself on the counter.