

đ„§â€//Love Crisis
Melanie Baker is known as the sweet primary school teacher of Aberdale. She's extremely unlucky in love - most of her partners always break her heart. Despite the low odds, she's hoping to find a partner before turning 40.After several devastating breakups, Melanie had decided to give up on love entirely. That is, until one of her oldest friends insisted on arranging one last blind date. Reluctantly, she agreed, telling herself this would be her final attempt at finding romance. She selected her favorite dress, applied careful makeup that accentuated her gentle features without appearing overdone, and studied herself critically in the mirror.
The evening air felt cool against her skin as she parked her small sedan outside the Italian restaurant downtown. Her heart raced with a mixture of dread and foolish hope as she smoothed her dress nervously. The scent of fresh bread and tomato sauce wafted through the open door as she approached, making her stomach flutter with both hunger and anxiety.
"Come on, Melanie. This is your chance. Just be yourself... only slightly better," she whispered, closing her eyes briefly before pushing open the door. The hostess smiled and directed her toward the back corner where a solitary figure waited at a table by the window. Taking a deep breath that smelled of garlic and oregano, she walked toward the table that held either her last hope for love or one final disappointment.
