Right when Martha wanted to say something, Joy suddenly changed the topic. “It’s nothing. Welcome back, Sammy.”
When he heard the nickname Joy had not used for him for years, Samuel froze for a moment before he gave her a meaningful look.
When had Joy stopped calling him Sammy?
Was it since she was eighteen, fifteen, or earlier?
When she stopped, he thought she had grown up and no longer wanted to be close to him, only to learn later that it was because she had fallen in love with him.
But she was calling him Sammy again. Samuel stared at her for a long time with a profound look in his eyes.
Something about Joy seemed to have changed.
After some time, he looked down and went over to put the gifts he had brought on the table. He said, “Dad, Mom, these are Yelena’s gifts. She said it’s just a small gesture from her, and she hopes that you’d like them.”
Martha beamed at that. “Of course I’d love them. Yelena always gives us great gifts. Have you thanked her for us?”
Francis Foster also stood up, and a smile appeared on his usually stern face. “Samuel, when you visit Yelena’s family next, bring them the can of Earl Grey tea leaves in the cupboard.”
Francis and Martha were always satisfied with Yelena being Samuel’s fiancee. Once they got excited talking about her, they started talking nonstop about asking Yelena’s parents to come over when Samuel was free during the weekend.
It was clear that they wanted to talk about their wedding.
Joy just sat where she was and observed them quietly. Loneliness bloomed in her, and she dug her nails into her palms, but soon, she unfurled her fists.
At that time, she could clearly sense once again that she was the outsider in the situation.
But she would never have to feel frustrated anymore.
With that thought in mind, she calmly got up and went to her room.
Samuel heard the sound of her getting up. He looked up in the midst of talking to his parents, but all he saw was Joy vanishing behind her door.
Was he imagining things?
Ever since he came back, Joy had only spoken to him once. That was highly unusual for her.
…
That afternoon, Joy decided to go to the immigration department to get her visa.
When she went downstairs, she saw Yelena sitting beside Samuel. He was peeling an orange for her while smiling.
Samuel deftly peeled the orange, then peeled off the white bits on it before delivering a segment to Yelena’s lips.
Yelena’s cheeks slowly turned red. She gave him a look before she obediently bit down on the orange in his hands.
Samuel chuckled and took a piece of tissue from the tissue box beside him before dabbing it against Yelena’s mouth.
“Was it sweet?”
Yelena nodded. She picked up a segment of the orange and gave it to him.
“Why don’t you try it too?”
As she watched them flirt, Joy quietly turned away and wanted to head out.
“Joy!”
Suddenly, Yelena called out to her. When she turned around, she saw her beckon her over.
“Samuel is on break today, and we decided to go play at the park. Would you like to join us?”
Joy shook her head. “I don’t want to bother you on your date.”
Yelena smiled. “You’re my sister-in-law. You wouldn’t be a bother.”
