Chapter 107

Cairo International Airport

"Samanta a n drade, calm down once a n d for all," demanded Charlie, whose nerves were o n edge, watching her friend walk from one side t o the other.

"What if h e gets scared when h e sees me?" My face i s not the same. These scars...

"You're still beautiful," Carlos said. You don't have t o worry about that. Aháva adores you a n d doesn't care what you look like —he added —Although seeing it from a n other perspective, they give you a sensual air, almost like a pirate —Carlos joked, letting out a laugh.

"I think what you're worried about i s what someone else might think, right?" Charlie commented with some mischief.

"Dominik i s the least interested in how you look, I'm telling you." Carlos winked at her.

Carlos a n d Charlotte got Samantha t o relax a bit.

People were coming a n d going in all directions, but Sam was staring at the landing gate. a n xiety grew within her being with each passing second. Almost half a n  hour had passed since the plane from Munich landed a n d Samantha couldn't understand why it was taking so long.

***

-Good afternoon sir. Welcome t o Cairo. Come this way,” a uniformed gentleman motioned t o Dominik, who was walking holding his daughter's hand. They had had t o disembark through a n other door, since the one through which passengers normally entered was undergoing maintenance.

After the tedious procedures of rigor, Dominik a n d Aháva were a few seconds away from crossing the door that separated them from Samantha.

"Mom i s going t o be very happy t o see me," the girl said.

They walked a few more meters, looking in all directions, but there was no sign of a n yone they knew. They stopped.

“Wait a minute, babe. Let m e look for the cell phone in the bag. I'll call your aunt t o tell them we're here a n d find out where they are.

Dominik reached down t o look for his phone, but found something else. Something that h e had been treasuring for many years.

"Okay, daddy. I'll sit over there," the little girl said, pointing t o some seats that were about five meters away a n d moved away from her father t o sit for a while while she waited.

As soon as Dominik sat up, someone bumped into him, knocking him face-first t o the ground.

***

"I can't wait a n y longer," Samantha said, jumping up from her seat a n d running t o the terminal door where her daughter a n d Dominik must have entered several minutes ago.

—Samantha. Wait…” Charlie yelled.

-Leave her. You've already waited a long time,” Carlos said a n d hugged his fiancée.

Samantha walked, almost at a trot, through the airport, looking in that sea of ​​faces for the faces of those two very special people who made her life make sense again.

He walked, ran, a n d ran again, but h e couldn't see them a n ywhere. h e fixed his gaze o n a little girl with brown hair, who was sitting in some armchairs that were about five meters away, a n d recognized her. It was her baby.

Suddenly, someone's figure emerged in front of her, a n d she couldn't avoid the collision.

They both fell t o the ground.

***

"Sorry!" Dominik said. I didn't see it coming.” When h e looked up, h e was speechless. A pair of very bright eyes watched him.

Samantha felt her heart skipping a beat as she met those blue eyes that drove her crazy. Thousands of memories passed through his mind, as if it were a movie.

A childish laugh brought her back t o reality.

Turning around, h e saw his little daughter, who was laughing out loud at the sight of her parents lying o n the ground.

Dominik got up as fast as h e could a n d reached out his hand t o Samantha, t o help her up.

Aháva ran out a n d hugged her mother as tightly as her small frame would allow.

"I think this belongs t o you," Dominik said.

Samantha gasped at what she saw.

-What? How?

"It's been my way of always keeping you in mind."

"I thought I lost it."

-Well no. It has been with m e all this time.

Dominik held out his hand a n d handed her a violet-colored gadget with a cat sticker a n d adorned with Swarovski. It was a n  old iPod that belonged t o Samantha.

—Samantha a n drade. You never change,” Dominik said, smiling. How long has it been since you took someone in front of you?

"If you remember correctly, that time, it wasn't my fault...

"Eight years, two months a n d twenty-three days," h e interrupted her.

-As you say?

"Eight years, two months, a n d twenty-three days," h e repeated. h e kept count. It i s the exact time. Eight years, two months a n d twenty-three days ago, we met.

 —Wow! You remember it perfectly.” Samantha was surprised.

-How t o forget it? Dominik looked at her with bright eyes. If h e could have expressed everything h e felt, in one look, h e would have. It was the day our story began.