pursue it.
At this moment, I was free to do all the things I loved.
Business was not booming, but it was enough to support both Lucas and myself.
Our days drifted by peacefully.
Most of my customers were neighbors, and I gradually had some regulars.
Lucas had made some good friends at school, and he got close to a girl. She would come by my shop every day after school.
Her dad would always pick her up and get a pink rose from my shop before leaving.
One day, I casually asked if it was for his wife.
He paused for a moment before he nodded slightly.
“You seem to have a great relationship with your wife, I really envy that,” I joked, but he suddenly teared up.
“It’s not for my wife.”
Seeing my surprise, he felt embarrassed.
“It’s for my sister. Ivy’s my niece.
“My sister and brother–in–law got into an accident two years ago.”
His voice cracked, and I felt sorry for him.
“There was no one else to take care of Ivy, so I took her in.”
The two children who had been busy playing suddenly gathered around us.
They exchanged mischievous smirks and playfully nudged us together.
My cheeks turned red, and 1 pretended to be annoyed as I lightly smacked Lucas on the behind.
When I looked up, my eyes met the man’s intense gaze. It left me feeling incredibly shy.
As time passed, we got to know each other better.
His name was Ryan Evans, and he owned a company with decent revenue.
Most importantly, he was still single.
I was not entirely ready for a new relationship, and I was still healing from my past.
So, I remained clear–headed in the face of his advances. While I remained open, I did not rush into anything
One day, I was shopping at the supermarket with Lucas.
We only realized that it was pouring when we stepped out.
We waited anxiously at the entrance with two heavy bags of groceries.
Unfortunately, the rain intensified, and the passing cabs were all occupied.
Even the e–hailing app displayed a long queue of nearly a hundred waiting passengers.
I was growing desperate because I remembered leaving the stove on at home. I wanted to slow–cook the chicken soup.
Just when I was feeling overwhelmed, Ryan pulled up before us in his car.
+15 BON
He jumped out and rushed toward ime without
an umbrella. He just shielded himself from the rain with his hands as he quickly
