Morning light spilled softly through the curtains, painting the room in pale gold. Anna stood before her open wardrobe, a towel wrapped loosely around her damp hair, her brows furrowed in quiet concentration as she sifted through hangers.
After a few minutes of indecision, she finally dressed and moved to the vanity. Her reflection greeted her with calm determination. She brushed on a light layer of makeup, fastened her earrings, and adjusted her necklace until everything looked just right.
She was so absorbed in her routine that she didn't notice when Xavier quietly stepped into the room.
"Where are you heading today?" Xavier's voice cut through, calm yet inquisitive.
Without looking up, Anna replied, "I'm visiting my nephew. It's been a long time since I last saw him."
Xavier leaned against the doorframe, folding his arms. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Last time didn't exactly go well."
Anna paused, the makeup brush still in her hand. "Maybe not," she said softly, meeting his reflection in the mirror. "But what else can I do except try? My family hurt him deeply, but she's my sister's only child. I can't just abandon him. This... this is the least I can do for my sister."
Xavier sighed, stepping closer. "I understand. Just let me know if there's anything I can do to help your nephew."
Anna's expression softened. "Have you talked to Dylan yet? It's been nearly a month since he left his apartment."
"Let him be," Xavier said, a faint edge creeping into his tone. "He made his choice. He'll come back when he realizes he was wrong."
"He's still young, Xavier," Anna said gently. "Try to be more patient with him. He just needs to be understood."
Xavier nodded slowly, his gaze lingering on her. "Don't worry about him. I'll handle it. You just focus on winning your nephew's trust back."
He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her.
---
Flynn had no plans for the day. He was nearly bored out of his mind in his room. It was the weekend, and he had already finished almost all of his assignments. Dylan, on the other hand, was out with Stephanie.
Flynn didn't know why, but for the first time in a while, he felt an unusual restlessness. He was used to being alone, yet today the silence of his room seemed almost oppressive.
A memory of Dylan teasing him on weekends—making noise just to annoy him—flashed in his mind, but he shook it off with a sigh.
He let out a long, exasperated breath and stood up. After a quick change of clothes, he grabbed his things and headed toward the door.
"Where are you going, son?" Lucas asked, still busy tinkering with his tools.
"I'm just going to Nathan's place," Flynn replied.
"Alright, but be back before dinner. Your Aunt Mary is coming over to cook," Lucas reminded him.
"Dad, she's been coming over a lot lately. Don't you think it's a little... excessive, just to cook?" Flynn said, his tone carrying more than a hint of something unsaid.
"It's nothing. She just wants to visit. And honestly, it's better this way—we get to eat proper meals," Lucas explained with a small smile.
Flynn just shook his head, muttering under his breath, and left the house.
As Flynn walked toward Nathan's place, a car suddenly pulled up beside him. A familiar woman stepped out, walking toward him with purpose.
Flynn's expression darkened, and his brows furrowed the moment he recognized her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone sharp, eyebrows knitting together.
"Can we talk?" Anna said, a small smile breaking through, betraying her delight at seeing her only nephew.
"Are you serious? I told you before—I don't want to see you, didn't I?" Flynn snapped, irritation flashing in his eyes.
Anna's face fell, the hurt clear in her eyes at her nephew's words. "I know... but please, just give me a chance this time. I only want to talk to you. Maybe it's better if we do it inside the car," she suggested, stepping back toward the vehicle.
Flynn let out a long, reluctant sigh before following her into the car.
As they settled into the car, Anna couldn't hold back and hugged her nephew tightly. Flynn did nothing but let her, though his expression betrayed his discomfort.
"I missed you, Flynn," Anna whispered after releasing him from the embrace.
"I won't stay long. Just tell me what you want to say," Flynn replied, his tone curt.
"You're about to graduate high school, and soon you'll be in college. As your aunt, I want to help you with your studies. I was planning to—"
"Not necessary," Flynn cut her off before she could finish.
"Flynn, this is for your future. Don't you want it? You could study at a good school abroad, and it'll open up so many opportunities for you."
"My life is fine as it is. I'm content with what I have, and I know I can manage even if I only study at a public university," Flynn said firmly.
"Flynn, I know you're still angry with us. But we are family too."
"Family? When mom was alive, did you ever treat us like family? When she was sick and couldn't afford treatment, where were you? You didn't even help, did you?" Flynn snapped, anger flaring.
"That's why we want to make it right now, Flynn. We know we failed when your mother needed us most. But please understand, we didn't know what was happening to her at the time. By the time we found out, it was already too late," Anna explained gently.
"If only she hadn't married your completely incompetent father, her life wouldn't have been miserable," Anna added, frustration creeping into her voice.
"Don't speak ill of my father. You don't know what it took for him to raise us," Flynn shot back sharply.
Anna reached for Flynn's hand. "Flynn, you're still young. I don't want your future ruined. You're the only memory of my sister left, and this is the only way we can try to make it up to her—and to you."
Flynn pulled his hand away from hers. "I'm telling you now—never show up again. No matter what, I will never forgive you or accept you as family." With that, he opened the door and walked out.
"Flynn! Wait! Flynn!" Anna called after him, but he didn't stop. She remained in the car, tears streaming down her face, helpless and heartbroken.
After his conversation with Anna, Flynn lost his mood entirely and headed straight home.
"You're back so quickly. I thought you were going to Nathan's?" Lucas asked, surprised.
Flynn ignored his father and went straight to his room without a word.
"What's his problem now?" Lucas muttered to himself, a mix of confusion and concern in his voice.
---
It was already late in the evening when Dylan and Stephanie returned home after a whole day of shopping and wandering around. The moment they entered the room, Dylan threw himself onto the bed with a heavy sigh.
"Babe, let's watch a movie," Stephanie suggested eagerly.
"Aren't you tired yet? We've been walking and shopping all day. I'm exhausted," Dylan replied, his voice muffled by the pillow.
Stephanie pouted at his response. "This is the only time we've had together after so long, and I'm going home tomorrow."
Dylan groaned softly, then sat up and leaned against the headboard. "Alright, fine. You pick the movie."
A smile instantly lit up Stephanie's face. "Thank you, babe. You can never say no to me." She planted a quick kiss on his cheek before grabbing the remote to look for something to watch.
As the movie played, Stephanie couldn't help glancing around Dylan's small apartment. Ever since they arrived yesterday, she hadn't been able to shake off her discomfort.
"Babe, are you really okay living here?" she asked, frowning slightly. "The place is so tiny... the house looks old, there's no shower heater, and this bed— it's small and hard. Why don't you just rent somewhere better?"
Dylan chuckled faintly. "This is fine. I'm not picky. I've gotten used to it. It's better this way— no one here knows anything about my background. Besides, this is all I can afford right now."
Stephanie sighed softly. "Alright... but if you ever need help, just tell me, okay?"
"Thank you, babe." Dylan smiled and kissed her gently on the forehead.
They lingered in that moment, his hand brushing along her arm, her fingers tracing the line of his shoulder. The air between them felt electric, warm, almost too close to touch, yet irresistible.
Their breaths mingled, and a shiver ran through both of them as the silence stretched, charged and intimate, until one look became a touch, a touch became a pull, and the night slowly melted into something private, something only they could share.