Alex considered it for a moment but then hesitated. He had been seeing Sarah more often lately and didn’t want to be too clingy. Instead, he asked, “What about Aunt Linda? I still—”
Arnold cut him off, his voice firm. “Aunt Linda has work tomorrow. Don’t bother her.”
Something in his tone made Alex drop the subject. He pressed his lips together before sighing, “Fine. I’ll just ask Mom.”
Arnold hummed in response, distracted.
Alex picked up his phone and dialed Sarah’s number.
---
Sarah had just stepped through her apartment door when her phone started ringing. She glanced at the screen, saw Alex’s name, and hesitated.
After a moment, she put the phone down without answering.
She walked straight into the bathroom, letting the cool water from the shower wash away the day’s exhaustion. By the time she came out, the phone had stopped ringing.
Back at Lancelot Manor, Alex put his phone down with a small sigh. “Mom’s probably busy,” he muttered. “She’s been working a lot.”
Harrison, who had been lounging nearby, overheard. “I’m free tomorrow,” he offered. “Want to hang out?”
Alex’s face lit up. “Really?”
Harrison grinned. “Yeah. We can do whatever you want.”
Alex beamed, already making plans in his head.
---
The Next Day :
By noon, Sarah was on her way to meet Abby. It had been a while since they last spent time together, and Abby had been excited for days.
As soon as Sarah stepped into the restaurant, Abby spotted her and ran over with wide, gleaming eyes.
“Aunt Sarah!” she squealed, flinging her arms around her.
Sarah laughed and hugged her back. “Abby, long time no see.”
Cole, who had been watching from the side, smiled at the interaction. He had already booked movie tickets for them at 1:00 PM. After a relaxed meal, the three of them made their way to the theater.
Before checking their tickets, Abby tugged on Cole’s sleeve. “Uncle Cole, can we get popcorn?”
“Of course,” Cole said. “Big or small?”
Abby didn’t hesitate. “Big! I’ll share it with both of you.”
Cole chuckled. “Alright. Big it is.”
Once inside the theater, Abby happily plopped down between them, clutching the oversized popcorn bucket like a treasure. She took a handful, popping some into her mouth before eagerly offering it to Sarah.
Sarah smiled and took one.
Then Abby turned to Cole, urging him to eat as well.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Crippled Luna's Farewell: Half A Life Without My Alpha's Deadly Deception