She turned her head and met his gaze, deep and sincere, and her heart skipped a beat, instinctively wanting to run.


    The night Roseanne had her ident, Corley couldn''t sit still as he watched her walk up the steps alongside Owen Reynolds.


    He wasn''t known for his patience.


    But for Roseanne, he''d waited six long years, enduring her split with Murray, and then it took another year to maintain their rtionship at the level of just friends.


    But he couldn''t remain just friends forever.


    That night, he realized that waiting was futile. It was time to take a leap of faith. For today''s confession, he''d been preparing for quite a while.


    He was done with the waiting game, the quiet longing. He wanted to rightfully stand by her side, to openly hold her in his arms and kiss her with abandon.


    He wanted her.


    -That was as clear as day!


    As the fireworks faded, leaving a faint scent of spent gunpowder in the air, Corley kept his eyes on her, focused and determined. "Roseanne, I lo—"


    A sudden ringtone shattered the moment, breaking the perfectly orchestrated atmosphere.


    The air seemed to freeze.


    Corley frowned, pulling out his phone to silence it, but paused when he saw "Grandma" shing on the screen.


    His grandmother rarely called him unless it was something truly urgent.


    Thest time she called thiste, she''d been struggling to breathe, copsing to the floor, on the brink of losing consciousness.


    Realizing the gravity of the situation, Corley immediately answered, "Sorry, I need to take this."


    Roseanne felt an immense relief, her taut nerves suddenly rxing. "Of course, go ahead, it''s important."


    Hopefully, this call wouldst long enough for him to forget the words that were left unsaid, the actions upleted...


    "Hello, Grandma, what''s going on?"


    "Corley, Corley!" Her voice was shaky,ced with sobs and heavy breaths.


    His stomach dropped, tension rising as he


    you feed, "What happened?!/


    you feeling okay? Is Grandpa with you? Where''s the nurse?" belongs to


    His barrage of questions was met with quiet sobbing and gasps.


    Then it came, louder and more intense, until it erupted into full-blown sobs. "Corley... Corley..."


    Corley was near panic. "Please, take it easy! Stay calm! I''ll call an ambnce right away!"


    "No... no... She kept repeating,


    "We''ve found her, we''ve finally found her.. Oh, thank heavens, t


    us mercy..." Contentiet


    Belongs


    Corley was baffled. "Found who? What are you talking about?"


    "Let me speak, let me exin..." Neely Rodriguez''s voice came through the line.


    Corley immediately recognized the tremor in his grandfather''s voice, the barely contained excitement.


    He rxed slightly, knowing Grandpa was there, which meant Grandma''s health wasn''t in immediate danger.


    But then...


    What could possibly cause such an emotional upheaval for them?


    "Corley."


    "Grandpa, I''m listening. What is it?"


    Neely struggled to keep his emotions in check. "We''ve found your aunt! Nearly thirty years, three decades... Finally, our perseverance has paid off, and we''ve found her!"


    IMS


    Corley was stunned for a moment, then overwhelmed with joy.


    "Really found her? Are you sure?"


    "Yes! Your grandma and I are certain it''s her! She''s right here in Pinehollow!"