After turning on the TV, Monica only watched for a moment before heading toward the kitchen.
She couldn't just relax while the two 'kids' were doing all the work.
When she reached the kitchen doorway, she saw Bennett, sleeves rolled up, washing dishes at the sink.
Yvonne stood beside him, playing the part of a supervisor. "Work hard, Mr. Bennett Thompson. If they're not clean, you'll have to do them over, and I'll have to dock your pay."
"And what is my pay?" Bennett asked playfully.
Yvonne hesitated for a second, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.
"Vonnie, stop messing around," Bennett said, subconsciously touching the spot she'd kissed, his eyes a mixture of gentle helplessness and adoration.
Monica stood at the kitchen door, watching the young couple playfully tease each other. For a moment, it was as if she had been transported back to when her daughter was still alive.
Her Yvonne had been just like that, bossing Bennett around like a little queen. And only Bennett would indulge her.
A gentle smile appeared on Monica's face, but when the name 'Vonnie' escaped Bennett's lips, her smile froze.
She frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then walked into the kitchen.
"Mrs. Jones." Bennett turned, saw Monica, and nodded in greeting.
"Mrs. Jones, we can handle this. You've already worked hard enough cooking. Go and rest in the living room and watch TV," Yvonne said.
"Mm," Monica responded vaguely. Then she said to Yvonne, "Yvonne, I remember you used to have a lawbook. I can't find it anywhere. You have younger eyes, could you help me look for it?"
But just now in the kitchen, it had only been the two of them, and Yvonne was joking with him. It had slipped out unintentionally, and he never imagined Monica would overhear.
Bennett didn't know how to explain, so he simply pressed his lips together and said nothing.
Monica sighed deeply and continued.
"Vonnie holds an irreplaceable place in my heart and her father's. I know she was special to you, too. A first love is unforgettable for anyone. But Bennett, life is too long to be spent living in the past."
"Vonnie was Vonnie. And Yvonne is Yvonne. She's a wonderful girl, and she isn't Vonnie's substitute, or anyone else's. Bennett, if you're treating her as a replacement for Vonnie, it's not fair to her."
Hearing this, Bennett instinctively raised a hand to his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
He couldn't explain to Monica that Yvonne was Vonnie. So, he could only nod vaguely and say, "It was a slip of the tongue. It won't happen again."

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Sorry for Your Loss, It's Me, I'm the Loss
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Oh wow, definitely hooked on this. Great story. Thank you....
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