Chapter 9 Dahlia could feel her heart pounding fiercely again.
Was this a panic attack?
Heart attack?
What was happening,
She thought.
She had been experiencing these intense rushes of energy through her heart chakra for the past three days,
Randomly,
With no pattern that she could see yet.
Is it the excitement of New Year's and the festivities being planned?
No,
That didn't feel like the reason.
She hadn't felt like this in previous New Year's celebrations.
It was similar to that feeling of anticipation she was starting to enjoy when an exciting event was ahead on her calendar.
Maybe it was the New Year coming,
The new calendar year ahead,
She thought.
Yeah,
No,
That's not it either.
Pausing for a moment to sit down,
She focused her attention on her feet and visualized the earth,
Steady,
Underneath where she was sitting.
She practiced her breath count that always helped her stabilize her system and felt her muscles starting to relax.
Okay,
That is helping,
She thought,
With a big yawn as energy started to move and her heartbeat slowly regulated.
Dahlia,
Are you okay,
She heard from behind her,
As one of her co-workers put a hand on her shoulder.
She smiled up at her friend's concerned face,
Looking down at her.
Yes,
Just a moment of anxiety,
But it is moving,
She said out loud.
Okay,
You just looked pale and I was worried.
With a squeeze on her shoulder,
Her co-worker walked off.
Dahlia looked up and around the restaurant.
This was busy season with the holiday and the restaurant was filling up quickly.
You could feel the joy radiating through the guests and the staff,
Supported by the sunshine and the fresh breeze coming in through the open windows.
Only a block away from the beach,
This was one of the most popular restaurants,
Well-known for its fresh,
Creative dishes and friendly,
High-vibe staff.
Dahlia took a deep breath in,
Exhaled and stood up,
Yawning again.
As she walked towards the kitchen to get herself a glass of water,
A flash of light caught her attention on the left.
She looked over at the entrance to the restaurant and saw a group of five guys about her age,
Laughing and jostling each other as they stood in front of the hostess stand.
As she was taking in the scene,
The one in the center looked over her way and their eyes met.
Instantly,
Dahlia could feel her whole body flush and tears form in her eyes.
Her heart started racing faster than any of the three previous day's episodes and her breath caught in her throat.
It was as classic a moment as any you might see in the movies in a love story.
Time stood still.
Worlds collapsed and were rebuilt.
Every emotion possible raced through Dahlia's body.
She could feel the tears starting to run down her face,
But she was frozen in position and didn't know which way to move.
Should she run to the back and hide?
Or should she run over and jump in his arms?
What to do?
As she stood there staring with her whole body in a swirl of emotion,
She realized he was walking towards her.
Only a few tables away,
And yet it felt like he was walking across portals of time,
Dissolving all of the years that she knew she had been waiting for his arrival in her life.
His eyes still locked on hers,
She could feel his hand touch her arm.
Instantly,
She could feel her breathing slow down and her body steady.
Are you okay?
She heard him ask her.
His voice.
She smiled,
Hearing his voice for the first time.
It sounded so strange,
But so familiar.
Deeper,
Perhaps,
Than she would have expected for his height and size.
He was maybe only six or seven inches taller than her.
She found herself looking up slightly at him.
Are you okay?
He asked again,
A concerned look on his face.
Oh,
Oh,
Yes,
I am.
I'm sorry.
She stumbled over her words,
Trying to find logical sounds and thoughts that could be expressed in this moment where everything was reorienting.
You seem upset or startled,
He said.
Yes,
I had a memory,
She heard herself saying,
And then paused to just be in this moment.
Is there anything I can do for you?
Or do you need to sit down?
He said.
As he was speaking,
She could feel that people were starting to look at him.
His friends had stopped laughing and were watching to see what had happened.
Oh,
No,
Dahlia said.
I'm so sorry.
I didn't mean to make a scene.
I wasn't feeling well,
And I'm going to go get some water,
But thank you for checking on me.
She haltingly responded in a rush of words.
Okay,
He said,
Smiling.
Her whole body melted.
His smile directed at her.
This was magic.
She found herself smiling back,
Not knowing what to do.
He took his hand off her arm,
And they stood for another brief moment,
Just looking at each other.
Okay,
She said.
Thank you for coming to check on me.
Enjoy your meal.
I will see you,
And she turned and quickly went off into the kitchen.
Leaning against the sink,
She focused intently on her breath.
I am calm,
All is well.
I am calm,
All is well,
She heard herself repeating,
Softly out loud.
Tio,
The cook,
Came over and put his hand on her arm,
The same arm that that man had just touched.
Yet nothing.
She didn't feel anything,
Like she just had a moment ago.
Dahlia?
Dahlia,
Talk to me.
Are you okay?
She heard Tio's voice making its way through the swirl of thoughts that were moving through her awareness.
Yes,
I'm fine,
She said.
Just had a moment,
But I am fine.
Okay,
She could feel his squeeze on her arm.
Drink some water.
As he turned back to the pile of plates ready to be completed and sent out to their customers.
Okay,
Get it together.
Breathe.
You have customers to take care of and work to do.
There is no time for this emotional rollercoaster.
While her mind was giving her a stern dissertation on how to behave and what to do next,
Her heart was already urging her to go back into the dining room to see the man again.
She couldn't call him a guy.
After that moment together,
He was a man.
The man.
The one she knew she had been waiting for her whole life.
She had dreamed of this moment,
Not knowing where or when it would happen,
But knowing with absolute certainty that the moment would be as incredibly powerful as it just was.
How do I just go on as if my whole world hasn't shifted,
She thought with a laugh.
And yet,
That was exactly what she knew needed to happen.
So she filled a glass with water and slowly took a few sips,
Breathing,
Focusing on her feet and repeating her mantra in her mind.
Okay,
She thought,
I am ready.
Washing her hands and drying them off,
She smiled at Tijo,
Who was still keeping an eye on her,
And she walked back out into the dining room.
Immediately,
Her attention went to the left side of the entrance,
The table by the window,
Where the man and his group were seated,
Looking at the menus on their phones.
Instantly,
The one looked up,
Almost as if he had been waiting for her to return into his sight.
They both smiled at the same time at each other and Dalia knew this was the beginning of the rest of her life.
This was the moment she had been waiting for as long as she could remember.
The reunion with this one would forever alter the course of her journey.
Still smiling,
But more gently and inwardly to herself,
She made her way over to their table to take their order.
Hello,
Gentlemen,
She said as they all turned to look at her.
Welcome to our home in paradise.
What can I get for you?
