The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman) novel Chapter 694

At the baby shower, a big deal for sure, Herman and Anastasia made sure to invite Jason. Since splitting with Monica, Jason hadn't reached out, but he kept an eye on her through Facebook, staying in the loop about her life.

When their eyes met, it was all kinds of awkward. You could tell they both wanted to be close but were scared to make the first move.

"Hey Anastasia, this is for the little one," Jason said, handing over the gift he'd brought. "I've got work later, so I can't stick around too long."

"Thanks," Anastasia replied with a smile as she accepted it. "Stay as long as you can. I'll go grab the baby so you can see. Meanwhile, you two have a chat."

Anastasia made her exit, giving them some space to talk.

Once she left, Jason sat across from Monica on the couch, hesitating a bit before asking, "So, how have you been?"

"I've been good," Monica said, tucking her hair behind her ear and forcing a smile. "How about you? How's everything with Alisa? Any wedding plans?"

"Work's been crazy," Jason replied, dodging the Alisa topic.

"Oh." Monica nodded, not sure what else to say. She called over a waiter for a glass of wine and offered Jason a juice, knowing he had things to do later. "Fruit juice for you, then?"

"Sure."

Their small talk was awkward, and Anastasia, watching from a distance, was getting a bit anxious about their lack of progress.

"What are you staring at?" Herman suddenly appeared behind Anastasia, giving her a start.