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The next day, Zayn woke up with a knot in his stomach. Despite his calm demeanor in front of everyone, his heart was racing with nervousness. This was the first time he was going on a date after everything. After Elior. After Ari. And it wasn’t just any casual meeting it was arranged by his parents, with the hope that he would consider settling down.

As the evening approached, Zayn dressed up simply but neatly. He didn’t want to overdo it, but he couldn’t show up looking careless either. When he finally arrived at the cafe, his eyes scanned the room. That’s when he heard someone call his name.

"Zayn?"

He turned to see a man approaching him with a friendly smile. He looked around Zayn’s age, perhaps a year or two older. He had soft brown eyes and wore a cream sweater that somehow made him look even more approachable.with a white specks.

"Hi, I’m Alex," the man said, extending his hand.

Zayn shook it gently. "Hi."

"Please, have a seat," Alex gestured toward the table.

Zayn sat down, his fingers slightly trembling. He felt uneasy, like the world was watching him make this huge decision. Somehow, Alex noticed.

"You look nervous," Alex said, then smiled. "Don’t worry. I am too."

Zayn couldn’t help but chuckle at his honesty. That broke a bit of the tension.

Alex continued, "I heard you're working at your own company, right? As an employee, I mean."

Zayn nodded, still finding his footing in the conversation. "Yeah, actually. I didn't feel I was capable enough to manage everything, so I decided to start from scratch."

"That’s humble," Alex replied. "And impressive, to be honest. Not everyone can do that."

Zayn offered a faint smile.

Alex leaned in just slightly. "Also, I know you have a son. Ari, right?"

Zayn looked up, surprised. "Yeah... how do you....."

"Come on," Alex chuckled. "I was meeting someone potentially serious. I had to do a bit of background research. But don’t worry, nothing creepy."

Zayn laughed softly. "No, it’s fine."

They placed their dinner orders and eased into casual conversation. Zayn found himself loosening up. The anxiety began to fade.

Alex sipped his drink. "It must be hard, raising a child at your age."

"It is," Zayn admitted. "But I have my brother and my best friend. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been able to manage it all without them."

"Sounds like you have a good support system," Alex said.

"I do. They’ve been there through everything."

They continued eating in silence for a while, the soft music of the restaurant playing in the background. After they were done, Alex stood up and asked, "Would you like to take a walk?"

Zayn hesitated for a second before nodding. "Sure."

They strolled down a nearby lane, the evening air crisp but calming. The world felt a little quieter out here.

Alex broke the silence. "You didn’t ask me anything. About myself."

Zayn looked over, a little sheepish. "I didn’t know what to ask."

Alex chuckled. "Then let me tell you. I’m Alex. I’m 25. I know how to cook, I love painting, and I absolutely cannot survive without sleep."

Zayn let out a genuine laugh. “Sounds like you have your priorities in order.”

"I try," Alex grinned. "Also, I love kids. The moment I found out you had a son, I was like, yep, definitely meeting him."

Zayn was taken aback. "You don’t find that odd? I mean..."

Alex stopped and looked at him. "Why would I? He’s your son. It’s part of your life. And if someone wants to be part of your life, they accept all of it."

Zayn nodded slowly. "I appreciate that. Really. It means a lot."

Alex smiled softly. "Look, Zayn. I don’t know what the future holds for us. But I’ve always believed that everyone has a past. I have mine too. And I can’t expect a partner to be perfect or untouched by life. That’s unrealistic."

Zayn looked at him more closely now. There was sincerity in his voice, in his eyes.

"Coz You don’t have a child," Zayn added.

"Unfortunately. But I’ve always wanted one."Alex said.

"Ari is six," Zayn said. "And very loud."

Alex grinned. "Perfect. I like kids with personality. What does he like?"

"Drawing. He loves it."

Alex’s eyes lit up. "Oh my god, no way. I love drawing too. We’re going to get along so well!"

Zayn chuckled. For the first time in a while, he felt a small sense of ease with someone new.

After some time, Zayn checked his watch. "I think I should get back."

"Of course," Alex nodded.

They walked back toward the cafe where they had parked. At the door, they shook hands again.

"It was nice meeting you," Zayn said sincerely.

"You too," Alex replied.

Zayn began to walk away, but then Alex called out, "Zayn!"

Zayn turned back. "Yeah?"

Alex smiled warmly. "Your smile is really pretty. You should do it more often. It suits you."

Zayn felt his cheeks warm. "Thanks."

And with that, he turned and walked off into the night, his steps lighter than they had been in a long time.

-----

Zayn was driving, but his mind wasn’t calm. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel, eyes occasionally flicking to the rearview mirror though the road ahead was mostly empty. His thoughts were a mess too much had happened today.

Just then, his phone rang. It was Rhys.

Zayn quickly accepted the call, placing the phone on speaker mode.

“Hey, Rhys.”

“So, how did the meeting go?” Rhys asked immediately, his tone curious.

Zayn sighed, a soft smile tugging at his lips despite the chaos in his head. “It went... well. I mean, he’s really nice. Actually, he's really good.”

“Oh-ho! Then what does that mean, huh?” Rhys teased, clearly enjoying this.

Zayn rolled his eyes even though Rhys couldn’t see it. “Shut up, Rhys. You can’t judge someone from just one meeting. But still... I can say this he’s genuine. The way he talked, the way he carried himself... it was impressive. Comforting, even.”

“That’s actually great to hear,” Rhys said genuinely. “So, what now?”

“I don’t know yet,” Zayn admitted, his voice dropping slightly. “I need some time to think. It’s not that easy, Rhys. I wasn’t even planning for something like this so soon... but I’ll think about it. I’ll see where it leads.”

Rhys didn’t interrupt. He let Zayn take a pause.

“Just don’t overthink it, okay?” Rhys finally said. “You deserve to be happy too. It’s okay to start over.”

“I know,” Zayn murmured. “I just... need to take it slow.”

---

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