Chapter 28: Signs and Whispers

The morning was serene, painted with hues of soft lavender and gold as the sun slowly rose over the distant snow-capped mountains. The air was crisp and cool, carrying with it the faint aroma of blooming flowers from the meadow below. Gray sat quietly on the balcony of their hotel room, her hands wrapped around a warm mug of coffee. The tranquil scenery stretched endlessly before her, the perfect reflection of the stillness she craved.

Louise was unusually quiet, perched on the chair beside her with her own mug. Gray could feel her friend's gaze on her, filled with unspoken concern. Gray chuckled softly, breaking the silence. "You're going to burn a hole through my head if you keep staring like that, Lou."

Louise blinked and flushed slightly, caught off guard. "I wasn't staring," she muttered defensively, taking a sip of her coffee to hide her expression.

Gray turned to her, her amber eyes shimmering with warmth. "You've barely said a word since we sat here. That's not like you." She tilted her head, studying her friend's face. "I'm fine, Lou. Really. I've thought about yesterday... a lot, actually. If she's my Mom, she would And I've made peace with it."

Louise's brows furrowed. "Have you, though? You were so shaken yesterday, Gray. I'm not convinced this is something you can just shrug off."

"I'm not shrugging it off," Gray assured her, her tone soft but steady. She placed her mug on the table and folded her hands in her lap. "I won't lie to you, Lou. It was… overwhelming. Seeing someone who looked so much like my mother—someone I've spent years mourning—it hit me harder than I ever thought it would. For a moment, I thought I was losing my mind."

Louise reached out, placing a comforting hand on Gray's arm. "That's understandable. Anyone would feel the same. If not for the difference in their eye color" Or maybe she was wearing contact lenses? Nah, let's not go there, Lou.

Gray nodded, her gaze drifting to the horizon. "But after a lot of reflection last night, I realized something important. I can't let this consume me. I have a responsibility back home, Lou. My job involves saving lives, and the last thing I want is to jeopardize someone's wellbeing because I'm distracted or lost in my own thoughts. I need to focus."

Louise hesitated before asking, "So… what does that mean for you? For what you saw?"

Gray exhaled slowly, her breath visible in the chilly morning air. "It means I'll leave it to fate. I've asked God for a sign. If we're meant to meet again, if she truly is who I think she might be, then it'll happen. But until then, I can't dwell on it. I need to let go—for now."

Louise studied her friend's face, noting the calm resolve in her expression. "You're a stronger person than I am," she said with a small smile. "If it were me, I'd be driving myself crazy with 'what-ifs.'"

Gray returned the smile, a hint of gratitude in her eyes. "I won't lie and say it's easy. But I trust that things will work out the way they're meant to. Besides, I've contacted the team to do a background check of the woman."

They fell into a comfortable silence after that, both sipping their coffee as they soaked in the breathtaking view. The gentle rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of birds filled the air, offering a soothing symphony to accompany their thoughts.

---

Meanwhile, across town, Catherine sat at the breakfast table with her husband, William, the remnants of their meal spread before them. But her appetite was absent, her mind preoccupied with the vivid dream that had haunted her sleep.

"It felt so real," Catherine murmured, her voice tinged with unease. She stared at her coffee, her hands wrapped around the warm cup. "There was this woman… she looked exactly like me, William. She was cradling a child—our child, I think. And then, there was that woman we met at the restaurant yesterday. The beautiful one with the amber eyes. She was there too."

William leaned forward, his expression thoughtful. "Do you think it might be a memory? Something from before…"

"Before the accident," Catherine finished for him, her tone hesitant. She had lived with amnesia for over fifteen years, the details of her past shrouded in darkness. "Maybe. I don't know. But it felt so real, William. Too real to be just a dream."

William placed a comforting hand over hers. "When I think about it, she did resemble you. Especially those eyes. Do you think she might be… family?"

Catherine frowned, the idea both intriguing and unsettling. "It's possible, I suppose. But if she is, why wouldn't I remember her? And why was her reaction to me so… strange?"

"Maybe she knows more about your past than we do," William suggested. "Perhaps it's worth looking into. Let's schedule an appointment with Dr. Muller and see if he can help us make sense of this."

Catherine nodded slowly, a flicker of hope in her heart. "Alright. Let's do that."

---

Back in Vaeloris, Queen Amara sighed in relief as she ended the call with Gray. Her heart had been heavy with worry after failing to reach the young doctor the day before, but now that she knew Gray and Louise were safe and en route to the airport, she could finally breathe again.

"Thank goodness," Amara muttered to herself, placing her phone on the table. But her relief was short-lived as Gray's parting words echoed in her mind: "Can we have a private talk when I arrive?"

What could Gray want to discuss in private? Amara's intuition told her it was serious, but she decided not to dwell on it until they spoke in person.

As she sat in quiet contemplation, her son, Dale, walked into the room. His sharp eyes immediately noticed the tension in his mother's posture and the faint trace of concern on her face.

"Who were you speaking with?" he asked, his tone casual but laced with curiosity.

Amara glanced up at him, a small smile gracing her lips. "Gray."

Dale froze for a fraction of a second, his expression carefully neutral. "Gray?" he repeated, as if testing the name on his tongue. "What did she want?"

"She called to let me know she and Louise are on their way back," Amara explained, her tone light. "She apologized for being out of reach yesterday—apparently, she left her phone at the hotel. But she also asked if we could have a private talk when she arrives."

Dale's brow furrowed slightly, though he masked his interest behind a stoic façade. "Any idea what it's about?"

Amara shook her head. "None. But whatever it is, it seems important."

Dale's mind raced, though he kept his thoughts to himself. Gray… what are you planning to tell my mother? 

---

As Gray and Louise prepared to board their flight, the echoes of the past few days lingered in their minds. For Gray, the encounter with Catherine had stirred something deep within her—a longing she thought she had buried, and questions she wasn't sure she was ready to answer. But as the plane ascended into the sky, leaving Switzerland behind, she felt a quiet determination settle in her heart. Whatever lay ahead, she would face it with courage and grace.

And somewhere, Catherine sat in a doctor's office, the pieces of a long-buried puzzle beginning to surface. For the following months, she continued to have dreams that felt like real life experiences.