The Bench
Mason arrived at the park and noticed that the gardener was not around. He passed by the fountain. He was just a few minutes away from where he was supposed to meet the duo. He walked so fast, despite his crutches, that he was almost running!? He was almost there.
He headed towards the bench, looking into the distance… and saw the woman and her son sitting on it?! Was it really them?? Was he on time or was it another mistake?? He looked over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t being followed and when he saw nothing, he approached them.
Is it them?!
There they were: a woman, looking exactly like his wife, and a little boy on her lap, who was the spitting image of his son?! It was indeed them. Mason couldn’t believe it: he was on time?! His skepticism lasted only a moment, as the woman and her son seemed troubled. He greeted them, but received no reaction. What was happening?? He asked if something was wrong.
Then, the mother replied, “We were terribly worried. You were so late. We thought it was a trap or something. But now you also seem worried. Is everything okay, my dear Mason??” He was relieved to learn that she had been worried about him because he understood that she was sincere. Then, they finally revealed who they were.
Destiny
As Mason already knew, they were not his son and his wife. However, they were also involved in an accident three years ago. They had survived, but the husband and father of the little boy had lost his life.
The fact that Mason and this woman and her son had met was nothing but a coincidence… or maybe it was destiny. They became close friends and Mason left retirement a few weeks later.