PATRICK

The news of the false positive hit us both, but in different ways. I felt a wave of relief, followed by a pang of disappointment. I had already pictured a future with Elisa and a child. I had already started planning our life together. But I knew it was for the best. We had so much to talk about, so much to figure out. The false positive was a wake-up call, a reminder that we were not ready yet, but it was also a sign that we were meant to be.

"I'm sorry, Ricky," Elisa said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Don't be, El. This is a good thing. We can take our time. We can get to know each other again," I said, pulling her into a tight hug. "We can do this. Together."

I knew she needed to hear those words. She was still recovering from the trauma of that night, and the false positive was just another reminder of how close we had come to disaster.

We spent the next few months getting to know each other. We went on dates, we talked for hours on end, and we shared our deepest fears and our biggest dreams. It was a slow-burning romance, a love story that had been brewing for years, but was only now starting to ignite.

One day, as we were walking in the park, I saw a familiar face from the corner of my eye. It was Lucy, the stray black cat I had been feeding. She looked at me and meowed, as if she was happy to see me.

"Hey, Lucy," I said, a smile on my face.

Elisa looked at me, a confused expression on her face. "You know that cat?"

"Yeah. I used to talk to her about you," I said, a blush creeping up my cheeks. "I would ask her if I had a chance with you. She was my only confidante."

Elisa laughed, a beautiful, melodious sound that filled my heart with joy. "You're crazy, Ricky."

"Maybe. But I'm crazy for you," I said, and I meant it.

I took her hand in mine, and we continued to walk, our hands intertwined. I knew that our love story was just beginning. It was not a story of a whirlwind romance, but a story of a slow-burning love that had been waiting for the right moment to ignite.