“RELAX, DEAR. Your dad and Cade will be alright,” she heard her mother say.
Her cheeks flushed, and she stepped away from the window before sitting beside her mother on the bed. Her mother looked happy while doing her favorite activity—knitting. Since she could no longer do vigorous physical activities, she had grown fond of knitting and cross-stitching.
“It looks like they’re comfortable with each other,” she said.
A look of confusion formed on her mother’s face. “Who?”
“Dad and Cade,” she answered. “I didn’t realize they were close.”
The scene she had witnessed outside the window replayed several times in her mind. The two of them had been talking happily, and her father had gently patted Cade on the back. The pat turned into an arm draped over his shoulder as they continued their conversation.
“Oh? Didn’t your dad or Cade tell you? He had been visiting us almost every week ever since he came back.” That was new information to her, and she couldn’t stop her brows from knitting together.
“I didn’t know that,” she admitted.
“Oh.” Her mother nodded. “Maybe Cade didn’t tell you, but he’s been checking up on my condition regularly. I think that’s why he and your father have grown really close,” she said with a smile.
“Does he come here because of our debt?” she asked curiously.
Her mother laughed. “No. If I remember correctly, Cade only mentioned it once—and that was when he assured us he would take care of it, and that we shouldn’t worry anymore.”
“Oh.” That was all she could say.
Then her mother reached for her hand and squeezed it.
“I think he just wants to make amends for the damage he caused when he left you. And he also asked for permission to make things right with his marriage to you.”
Her cheeks flushed. “W-What is that supposed to mean? He’ll file for an annulment after a year.”
She laughed softly and then shrugged. “You don’t know that. We don’t know what will happen between the two of you within a year. Who knows, it might last forever. I really think he wants to make everything right with you.”
“Did he say that, or is that just your guess, Mom?” she asked.
Her mother laughed again. “Call it a mother’s instinct.”
Yumika shook her head, forcing herself not to dwell on it. It might only make her hope for more again. Instead, she changed the subject and asked about what her mother was doing.
At that moment, the door opened, and her father and Cade walked back into the room. Their amused laughter echoed inside as they entered. Yumika fought the urge to grin. Ever since her mother had been diagnosed, she hadn’t heard her father laugh like that. She hadn’t realized how much she missed that sound—until now.
And it turned out that Cade was the one who brought it back.
She looked at Cade, and her heart swelled with overwhelming emotion. God, how was it possible to fall even more in love with him?
When Cade looked at her and their eyes met, she quickly looked away. Heat flooded her cheeks. She suddenly remembered that her off-shoulder dress left her neck exposed. She immediately stood up and turned her back on him before he could notice the blush spreading across her skin.
“Mom, I think it’s time for us to go home,” she said.
“I think so too, dear. It looks like heavy rain is coming, so it’s better if you leave now before you get caught in it on the road,” her mother replied. Yumika nodded. “Oh? What happened to your neck? Why is it red?”
Without thinking, Yumika reached up to touch it. So much for trying to hide it from Cade!
She felt goosebumps rise on her skin when she heard Cade laugh behind her. He had only come closer to say goodbye to her mother. He kissed her mother on the forehead, and Yumika did the same. After saying their goodbyes, they left.
Dark clouds hung overhead as they drove home. It looked like it was going to rain hard. For the first few minutes, silence filled the car. But eventually, she broke it and asked him a question.
“Cade? I didn’t know you’ve been visiting Mom and Dad regularly since you came back.”
He smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you might take it the wrong way. Especially at that time, when I was forcing you to live in the same house with me.”
She laughed softly. “Hmm, you’re not wrong. I might have taken it the wrong way,” she said, and noticed him trying not to smile too much.
Then he sighed before continuing. “Your parents helped a lot when my dad died. They never left Mom’s side.” His eyes looked sad as he glanced at her again. She remembered those days. Aunt Fiona had been so heartbroken that she stopped eating. Her parents had stayed with her through everything. Even her own mother, who wasn’t supposed to stay up late, was always there for her best friend.
“I should have been there when it all happened. I failed as a son,” he continued. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white.
In response, Yumika reached for his other hand resting on the gear stick and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You arrived before your dad was buried. You were there for your mom during the last vigil. You weren’t late. You came right on time. Don’t be too hard on yourself, Cade,” she said. He squeezed her hand in return.
To her amazement, he lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed it. She was startled by what he did, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull her hand away.
“You really know how to make me feel at peace. Thank you,” he said, and her heart pounded wildly. At that moment, she didn’t trust her voice, so she simply smiled. She was grateful when he continued speaking.
“I was thinking of taking a week off work, and maybe we could spend the whole week together somewhere.”
“What?” she asked, startled. She wasn’t sure she had heard him correctly.
He beamed. “I said, let’s spend a week together somewhere else.”
“Uh, is it like some kind of one-week honeymoon?” As soon as the word came out of her mouth, she regretted it. She could feel her face turning a hundred shades of red. “I-I mean vacation… yes, that’s what I mean. Vacation.”
Cade tried not to grin too much but failed. He could see her dimple—the one that only appeared once in a blue moon, and only when she smiled widely. “Yeah, you could say that,” he said.
She blinked. “Vacation?”
“Honeymoon,” he corrected, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Her hands automatically went to her neck as she avoided looking at him. Much to her embarrassment, Cade’s laughter filled the car.
“W-Why one week?” she asked instead, turning her gaze toward the window.
“I just want to be away for a while. And besides, you deserve to have a break from stress. I know you’re still preoccupied with your family’s debt. You’ve been working overtime at both Coffee n’ Books and the inn for the past two weeks. And you haven’t been eating properly either. Every time I look at you, you seem to be spacing out. I know you’ve been feeling burdened lately. I just want you to have something that will cheer you up, even just a little.”
At that moment, she turned her gaze back to him. His face was serious as he looked at her.
Her heart burst at the thought that he would be willing to do that for her. She herself hadn’t even thought of putting her own needs first. Yes, she had been working too much lately, and she didn’t realize Cade had been observing her. Her heart swelled, knowing that he cared.
“So, what do you say?” he asked.
She smiled and nodded eagerly. “Deal.”
Cade smiled back, the excitement evident in his eyes.