That's a Dream?

Lily and Noah were spending time eating together, their bond slowly strengthening with each shared moment. Noah noticed Lily opening up, and he felt a sense of happiness and relief seeing her smile more freely. However, his phone rang, interrupting their peaceful meal.

"Excuse me for a moment," Noah said gently to Lily, who looked at him with concern as he moved to a corner to take the call.

"Where are you?" Jack's voice was demanding on the other end of the line.

Noah frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb, buddy. I know you are here, and I understand that you lied to the manager. That's not like you, buddy. If you had given a better lie, I might not have caught on."

Noah sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I will explain everything, but this is not the time."

There was a pause before Jack spoke again, his tone softening, "Okay, I'll trust you. But if there's any problem, just don't hesitate to say. Do you hear me?"

Noah smiled, feeling grateful for his friend's understanding. "Okay, buddy," he said and hung up.

Returning to the table, he saw Lily's anxious eyes on him. "It was just a call from my friend who was worried," Noah explained, trying to reassure her. Lily nodded, but he could see the worry still lingering in her eyes.

As the night drew on, they settled down to sleep. Noah made sure Lily was comfortable, tucking her in gently before lying down himself. However, sleep eluded him. He felt restless, and after a while, he realized why. It had been two days since he had smoked a cigarette. The familiar craving gnawed at him, making him uneasy.

He decided then and there that he needed to leave that addiction behind. He thought about buying some Nicotex to help with the cravings. Determined to make a positive change, he tried to push the discomfort aside and focus on the present.

Noah took a deep breath and looked over at Lily, who was now peacefully asleep. He felt a sense of responsibility and warmth, knowing that she relied on him. With that comforting thought, he finally drifted off to sleep, hoping for a better tomorrow for both of them.

A nurse buzzed them in the morning, signaling their discharge. Relief washed over Noah as he helped Lily pack their meager belongings. He slipped into his teal suit, a semblance of normalcy returning to his life.

By then, they were ready. A young nurse with a gentle smile entered. "Dr. Sap would like to see you both," she announced.

Noah exchanged a nervous glance with Lily. They followed the nurse down the sterile hallway, a knot of unease tightening in his stomach.

Dr. Sap's office was a stark contrast to the sterile white walls of the hospital. A colorful painting hung on the wall, and a potted plant sat on her desk, adding a touch of life. She looked up from her paperwork as they entered, a smile gracing her lips.

"So, finally discharged, are we?" she said, her voice warm and welcoming.

"Yes," Noah replied, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

Lily, bowed her head slightly. "Thank you, ma'am," she murmured.

Ava's smile softened even further. She rose from her chair and walked around the desk, her movements betraying a hint of nervous energy. She knelt before Lily, taking her hand gently.

"You are such a sweet girl, Lily," Ava said, her voice surprisingly tender. A flicker of something akin to fear crossed Lily's eyes, and a bead of sweat trickled down Noah's temple. Ava seemed to sense their apprehension. Clearing her throat, she straightened and adopted a more professional tone.

"I called you in because..." she began, reaching into a drawer. She pulled out a small pouch of tablets and placed it in Noah's hand. "These are some painkillers for Lily. Just one a day, okay? She might experience some discomfort."

Noah nodded, his grip tightening on the pouch. Ava continued, her voice businesslike. "Starting tomorrow, I'll need to schedule her follow-up appointments. Call my office to confirm the time and location, alright?"

"Of course," Noah assured her.

Ava offered a tight smile. "Take good care of her, Noah."

"I will," he promised, his voice firm.

A shadow seemed to flicker across Ava's face as she met his gaze. She hesitated for a moment, then forced a brighter smile. "Oh, and about the lawyer for the adoption. He should be here any moment."

The unexpected kindness towards him struck Noah deeply. He looked at Lily, feeling something stir within him, but he didn't want to acknowledge it just yet. Lily held his hand tightly, and Noah broke from his thoughts, giving her an assuring smile. After a moment, they heard a knock, and Ava said, "Come in."

A man in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, with spiky brown hair and black eyes, entered with a smile. "Good to see you, Ava, after a long time," he said.

Ava responded warmly, "Yeah, it's been a long time."

Noah, observing their interaction, nodded in acknowledgment. Ava then turned to him and said, "Noah, meet Levi Oliver. He's the lawyer I was talking about."

Noah extended his hand for a handshake. "I am Noah Madden, nice to meet you."

Levi smiled and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you. So, you're the one adopting this child?"

Noah nodded. Levi looked at Lily, who shyly hid behind Noah's legs. Levi smiled kindly and said, "No need to be scared. I'm here to help." Lily nodded but remained shy, bowing slightly.

Levi suggested, "Let's sit and get on with the paperwork." Noah, Ava, and Levi sat down. Levi took some documents from his bag and began to write. He then paused and asked, "What is your age?"

"I'm 24," Noah replied.

Levi nodded and continued writing. He then handed the document to Noah, saying, "Fill in your details and occupation, Lily's name, and other details."

Noah nodded and began to fill out the form. Lily watched the paper and then looked at Noah. After completing the form, Levi handed it back and said, "At last, give your signature."

Noah nodded and signed the document. Then Levi looked at Lily with a smile and said, "Now you will sign here, okay?"

Lily shyly nodded, and Noah gave her a pen. She signed the document with careful strokes. Afterward, Noah handed the document to Levi, who smiled and said, "Okay, now it's done. I will take my leave."

Noah inquired, "Sir, the fees?"

Levi paused and said, "Ah, yes, I almost forgot." Ava facepalmed, and Noah sweatdropped. Levi continued, "$25,000."

Noah was taken aback, "Isn't it too much?"

Levi explained, "It is because you are adopting the child from the hospital, which isn't the usual legal route. However, this hospital has contacted a licensed adoption agency to streamline the process."

Noah glanced at Ava, who smiled and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "To adopt a child is not easy. You've done so much, so I just helped you," she said.

Noah, filled with gratitude, bowed slightly. "Thank you, Ava. Thank you so much. How can I repay your kindness?"

Ava smiled warmly, "Don't worry. You can repay me by completing the project early."

Noah chuckled, "Okay, I will." Ava smiled back.

Levi interjected, "So, ahm..."

Noah quickly responded, "Ah, yes, I have a card." Levi pulled out a POS machine, and Noah paid the fee.

Levi said, "Okay, then I will take my leave now. Congratulations."

Noah smiled, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. Lily, smiling, hugged his legs. Noah picked her up in his arms, feeling a sense of joy and responsibility. Ava watched them with a smile.

Noah turned to Lily and said, "Let's go, Lily, to our home."

Lily whispered, "Yes," her voice filled with a mix of relief and happiness.

Lily felt a moment of happiness with Noah, but the alarm abruptly pulled her back to reality. She stopped the alarm, stood up, and made a sad smile while wiping away a few tears. After stretching her arms, she surveyed the large room around her. She had black hair, ruby eyes, and a well-toned body. Dressed in a red gown, she glanced at the clock—it was about 6 am. Seeing a photo, she made a sad face before heading to brush her teeth.

After getting ready, she went to the gym and worked out for an hour, leaving her covered in sweat. She freshened up with a bath, and as she finished, a notification pinged. It was from her manager:

"Mam, today is your interview with Steve Brown and Alexandra Smith at 3 pm. But first, you need to come to the set for the commercial at 10 am."

Lily replied, "Okay, I will be there."

She noticed it was around 8 am and headed downstairs. In the kitchen, someone was making breakfast. She approached, hugged the woman, and said, "Good morning, Mom."

Her mom smiled warmly, "Good morning, dear. So, what's on your schedule today?"

Lily broke the hug and sat at the dining table. "At 10 o'clock, I have a commercial to shoot, and then I have an interview with Steve Brown and Alexandra Smith."

Her mom's smile widened. "Wow, that's great. Your dad would be very proud of the beautiful and successful lady you've become."

With a sad smile, Lily responded, "Yeah, he would." Her mom served breakfast—two whole eggs with bread, two slices of salmon, and a glass of milk. Lily smiled and began to eat.

A boy around 19, with black hair and ocean-blue eyes, about 5'10" tall and resembling Noah, entered the room. He saw his mom and sister and smiled, "Good morning, everyone."

Lily smiled back, "Hello, Jimmy. Good morning." She noted his little blue shirt, black pants, and his bag. "Ready for university?"

He nodded. Their mom added, "He's in the same field as his father."

With a frown, Jimmy said, "Yes, Mom," while ruffling his hair.

"You make him proud, dear," Lily said.

He smiled. "Sister, I heard you're going to be interviewed by Steve and Alexandra. They're the best."

Lily grinned. "Yeah, they invited me. They want to know about me—the sudden superstar."

Their mom looked worried. "They will ask everything."

Lily gave her an assuring smile. "Yeah, they will, and I will tell them."

Jimmy, looking concerned, asked, "Do you have to?"

Lily patted him. "Yeah, it's okay. Because of Dad, I recovered fast, so I can do it."

Their mom joked, "And Eminem as well."

Lily and Jimmy laughed. Jimmy said, "I just heard Eminem is hospitalized."

Lily nodded. "Yeah, he's 74 now, but I hope he recovers."

Noticing the time, Lily shouted, "Ahh, it's late! I have to leave." She looked at Jimmy. "Come, I will drop you."

Jimmy sighed, "Just cover your face; there will be a huge crowd."

Lily laughed. "Okay, come on," and they all headed out together.

While leaving, Lily looked at her mom and said, "Bye, Mom," and Jimmy echoed, "Bye, Mom."

Their mom waved and said, "Have fun," as they both left.

Lily headed to the garage and got into her BMW M8 coupe. Jimmy sat beside her and said, "Let's go," and they drove off.

On the way, Jimmy asked, "Which commercial are you going to shoot?"

Lily replied, "It's for Elipitic Motors."

Jimmy nodded, "Ah, the new brand in the market. They say they make the best electric cars."

"Yes," Lily confirmed. "They asked me to be in their ad and become their brand ambassador."

"Wow, that's great! All the best, sister," Jimmy said.

Lily smiled, "Thank you, Jimmy. How's college? Made any girlfriends?"

Jimmy sighed, "Nah, I haven't."

Lily chuckled, "You can share if you want."

Jimmy sighed again, "I'm not seeing anyone."

Lily teased, "Then what about that girl, Sadie?"

"She's just my friend, sister. There's nothing between us," Jimmy insisted.

"Okay then," Lily said. "Ah, here we are at your destination."

Jimmy got out of the car, walked to her side, and said, "Bye, sister. All the best!"

She smiled, "Okay, bye," and drove off. Jimmy turned and walked towards his friends, seeing Sadie standing there.

"Hey, Jimmy, your sister came here?" Sadie asked.

Jimmy sighed and nodded. "It's been about a month since I told you to get me a signature, but you didn't do it."

Jimmy sighed, "She's very busy."

Their friend Isaac, who was standing nearby, said, "Okay, Sadie, that's enough now." He looked at Jimmy and said, "I heard she's going to be interviewed by Steve and Alexandra."

Jimmy's eyes widened, "How do you know?"

Sadie replied, "Seriously?" She opened Alexandra's Instagram and showed him the post. "It's going to be live on YouTube and the TV channel TalkArc."

Jimmy said, "I didn't know that."

Sadie sighed, "It will start at 3:30 pm, so we'll bunk the last lecture and watch it, okay?"

Isaac agreed, "Okay, I'm in."

Jimmy protested, "We don't have to bunk the lecture."

Sadie teased, "You nerd! Now come on, we have to go. The first lecture is on web development."

They all nodded and left together for their class.

While driving, she felt a little nervous about the interview. She thought to herself, "I can do it, I will do it, but I am still nervous." To calm herself, she played some music, and Eminem's song "Temporary" started playing. When she heard the line:

When a heart breaks, it ain't broken forever

The pieces will grow back together

And in time, I'll be fine

The tears are temporary

The bad days will start to get better

Then we'll be laughin' together

And tonight, when I cry

The tears are temporary

She couldn't help but cry and whispered, "How can I ever forget you, Dad?" After a while, she reached her destination, turned off the song, wiped her tears with some tissue paper, did some makeup, smiled at the mirror, and then got out of the car. She walked to the studio where many people were waiting for her. From afar, her manager approached and said, "Ma'am, you are right on time as expected." Lily smiled and said, "Thank you for the reminder." The manager blushed and replied, "Thank you, ma'am."

The manager then said, "Ma'am, let me introduce you to the owner," and Lily nodded and followed. They entered a room that contained two sofas with a table in the middle. An older gentleman with white hair and a beard was sitting there with a cup of coffee, waiting for her. Lily looked at him and said, "Sorry I'm late." The old man in the suit smiled and said, "No, I just got here." She sat in front of him, and they began discussing the brand.

He started, "Hello, ma'am. I am Felix Williams, the CEO of Ecliptic Motors. As you already know, we want you to be our brand ambassador. We have launched a new vehicle and need a commercial for it. We want you to act in it." Lily smiled and said, "Of course, I know, and I am ready." He smiled and said, "Okay, I have given the script to your manager." Her manager handed her the script, and Felix said, "It's very simple for you, right?" She replied, "Yes, it's good." Then he said, "We will start at 12, okay?" She smiled and said, "Okay."

After he left, she read the script and looked at her watch. It was 11:45. She said, "Oh, okay," and began to memorize the script. A girl came in and said, "Ma'am, may I come in?" Lily said, "Yes," and saw that the girl had a makeup box. The girl said, "Ma'am, I'm here for your makeup." Lily smiled and said, "Okay," and the girl started doing her touch-up. After that, her manager said, "Ma'am, it's time now." She nodded, and as they came out, she saw the vehicle and thought, "So this is the Ecliptic Aurora; it looks so good." People around were admiring her, saying, "Oh, she looks so beautiful," and "Yeah, you know she was Oscar-nominated but didn't win." Another said, "Yeah, I know, her role was so natural."

The director came and said, "Hello, ma'am. I am Knox Hall, the director here." She shook his hand and smiled. The director said, "I am honored to meet you, ma'am," and she replied, "Thank you." He explained, "Okay, then, let's start. I'll explain what you have to do. Just get in the car, drive in, come out, and deliver your lines, okay?" Lily nodded and said, "Done."

The director called out, "Lights, camera, action!" She did exactly as the director instructed. As she stepped outside, she began her dialogue while walking:

"Introducing the ElectraZen Aurora—where elegance meets innovation. With a 500-mile range and fast charging that gives you 250 miles in just 15 minutes, the future of driving is here. Experience unparalleled luxury with sustainable materials, a 17-inch OLED touchscreen, and an augmented reality head-up display. The Aurora doesn't just drive—it transforms your journey. Feel the power of 900 horsepower, going from 0-60 in just 2.6 seconds. Safety and connectivity are at the core, with Level 4 autonomous driving and 5G integration. ElectraZen Aurora—elegance redefined, innovation perfected. Ready to elevate your drive?"

There was silence, then the director shouted, "Cut!" Everyone started clapping and said, "Amazing, ma'am, you did it in one go. Great job!" The director added, "Your improvisation was perfect." She smiled and said, "Thank you." Felix, clapping, said, "I knew I made the right choice." She smiled and nodded. Felix then said, "Shall we complete our paperwork?" She nodded, and the manager showed them the way to the office. They sat on the sofa, and after reading the document to her satisfaction, she signed it and extended her hand, saying, "It will be a great business ahead." Felix shook her hand and said, "It's my pleasure."

After he left, she sat down and said to her manager, Millie, "I am hungry now. Let's go to a restaurant." Millie replied, "Okay, ma'am, I will arrange the vehicle." Lily said, "Don't worry about it, I have mine." Millie retorted, "No, ma'am, that's no good." Lily insisted, "It will be fine. Let's just go."

When they arrived at Pizza Hut, Lily thought that eating inside might not be a good idea, so she decided to order through the drive-thru. She ordered two large pizzas and asked Millie what she wanted to eat. Millie replied, "Whatever you order, ma'am." Lily then placed the order for two large pepperoni pizzas and a cola.

After a 10-minute wait, their order arrived. Lily paid for it, and they parked in the lot to eat. Millie looked at her and said, "Ma'am, you know, I have always wanted to work with you. When I saw how you acted in that movie as a side character, I knew I wanted to work with you. When you posted on social media that you were looking for a manager and that you would be making the decision by yourself, and if interested, to send a resume or CV to your email, I was working towards my MBA because I was very poor and wanted to support my family. Just to try my luck, I sent my resume to you, and you selected me for the final interview. I was so happy when I made it to the interview round. I arrived in dull clothes and saw about 20 people, all looking beautiful. I felt less confident, but when my turn came, I looked at you and was stunned. When you appointed me, even though I was a fresher and there were many people with 6-7 years of experience, I knew that you believed in me."

Lily replied, "oh my it's a lot you know." Millie blushed and Lily laughed and replied, "You don't have to be so formal, just eat, Millie." Millie smiled and said, "Okay, ma'am." Lily then said to her, "How many times have I told you to call me Lily?" Millie replied, "It's because I'm used to it." Lily smiled and said, "It's okay."

While they were eating, Lily said, "I need to change for the interview." Millie responded, "Okay, ma'am." Millie continued, "Ma'am, I'm so excited about the interview. I've worked with you for around 3 years, but I never really got to know your story." Lily frowned, and Millie, realizing she may have upset her, said, "I'm sorry, ma'am, if you don't like it." Lily reassured her, "No, no, it's all right. That's why I'm nervous. I don't know what people will think about me." Millie asked, "What do you mean?" Lily gave her a sad smile and said, "You'll know soon."