I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 244

Luke handed the menu to Zoe.

"I told you this is my treat to thank you for saving the day. You order. Don't worry, I just got my bonus."

Zoe slid the menu right back to him.

Once the food arrived, the two of them chatted easily as they ate.

Zoe noticed Luke eating the sea urchin and smiled. "Did you go all the way to St. Moritz specifically to eat at The Sapphire Sea Urchin?"

"You saw me at that restaurant?" Luke looked up at her in surprise.

Zoe nodded with a smile. "I went there because I saw it in a travel guide. I'd actually never eaten sea urchin before. I was watching this TV show, and the male lead loved it, so I wanted to try it. That's when I saw you there."

"No." Luke paused for a brief moment before continuing. "I went there to find some lost memories."

"Oh." Zoe didn't pry any further, intuitively guessing it had something to do with a past relationship. There was no need to rub salt in someone else's wounds.

"As for me, I love exploring places I've never been and eating food I've never tried. You always have to keep moving forward in life."

Luke smiled, appreciating her gentle attempt to comfort him.

"Let me tell you about my dad. When I was in high school, my mom was diagnosed with stomach cancer. The first surgery was a huge success, and she recovered beautifully. We all thought she was in the clear and would live a normal life. But during my freshman year of college, the cancer spread to her lymph nodes. She went through multiple surgeries, but she passed away two years later. When she was going, the person she was most worried about wasn't me—it was my dad."

Zoe held back the tears gathering in her eyes and managed a smile. "My dad was a literature teacher, loved writing poetry, a very emotional guy. After my mom passed, he'd play the cello alone every night, completely heartbroken. He wouldn't even shave unless I reminded him. Thankfully, I went to college in Seattle, so I could take care of him."

"When it came time for grad school, I purposefully applied out of state. I needed him to learn how to take care of himself, to adapt to a life without my mom, and without me constantly there. In the second year after she passed, my dad finally started living normally again. By the seventh year, he remarried. They're very happy together now."

"I don't think my mom would blame him. Before she left, she told us both to keep living, to live happily. No matter how hard the past is to let go of, life always pushes us forward."

"Thank you."

Zoe chuckled. "You're welcome."

After dinner, Luke drove Zoe home.

"Before this, I always assumed you were someone who grew up completely sheltered, like you had a perfect life. You always look so happy every time I see you."

"Everyone has their own struggles. When life gives me lemons, I make lemonade. If it wants me to cry, I'll smile right back at it instead."

Zoe said with a radiant grin.

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