After eating, Holly Winslow went back to her bedroom and took out her T9 phone. A message popped up from a familiar number.
A smile spread across her lips as she pressed the 'OK' key and opened the message.
Wifey, have you eaten?
She tapped out a quick reply, "Just ate."
Almost immediately, her phone rang with a call from him. When she answered, a boy's husky voice, cracked by puberty, came through. "Wifey, did you eat well?"
"I'm full. What about you?" Worried Wyatt Winslow might hear, Holly Winslow walked over, closed her door, and locked it.
"I'm full too. Wifey, come home and eat some grapes."
Holly Winslow idly tapped the keypad of her phone and whispered, "Hubby, do you miss me?"
"Mhm."
"Hubby, maybe tomorrow. It's too late today."
The moment Holly Winslow finished speaking, there was a knock on the door, followed by Wyatt Winslow's voice. "Holly, open up."
Startled, Holly Winslow quickly called back, "Dad, coming!"
Then she whispered into the phone, "Gotta go, my dad's here."
"Okay. Say hi to my father-in-law for me."
"..."
'If I actually said that, Dad would probably skin me alive.'
Holly Winslow hung up, placed a homework book on her desk, and then went to open the door. Wyatt Winslow was standing there with a glass of milk.
"Dad."
"Drink your milk and go to bed."
Wyatt Winslow handed her the milk and asked, "Did your mom call you?"
"No, it was Anna. She needed to ask me something." Holly Winslow took the milk, feeling a little guilty and avoiding his gaze.
Wyatt Winslow didn't press further. His lips moved as if he wanted to apologize, but he didn't. "I'm heading back to my room. Make sure you close the window before you sleep."
"Okay."
Holly Winslow returned to her room with the warm milk. Instead of calling Mortimer Quincy back, she took out her homework and began working on it.
'Since I've been given a second chance, I have to work hard. No regrets this time.'
On the other end, Mortimer Quincy was studying. He had forgotten most of what he'd learned ten years ago.
...
「The next day」
Holly Winslow ate breakfast, washed the dishes, and came out of the kitchen. She glanced at Wyatt Winslow, who was watching TV on the sofa.
"Dad, I'm going over to Anna's house to do homework in a bit."
"Okay, be back early for lunch." Wyatt Winslow nodded.
Holly Winslow slung her schoolbag on and left the house, heading for Mortimer Quincy's place. When she was almost there, she called him and told him to open the gate.
Mortimer Quincy's family lived in a large, two-story Western-style house with a swimming pool.
Today, Mortimer Quincy was wearing a loose, black, hoodless sweatshirt and light gray pants. Paired with his fluffy, layered hair, he had a lazy, handsome air about him.
'No wonder she'd fallen for him at first sight back then and shamelessly chased him for a whole year.'
"Wifey, why are you just standing there? It's not your first time here." Mortimer Quincy rested a hand on the iron gate, a smile playing on his lips as he sized her up. A white sweater and light blue jeans gave her a rather well-behaved look.
They went inside, and Mortimer Quincy got her a brand-new pair of slippers.
Mercy Willow, who was mopping the living room floor, glanced over and hurried toward them. "Miles, is this your classmate?"
"Yeah. Aunt Willow, could you wash some fruit and bring it upstairs in a bit?" Mortimer Quincy nodded, reaching out to steady Holly Winslow as she wobbled while changing her shoes.
Mercy Willow glanced at the two of them before quickly heading into the kitchen.
Once they were upstairs in his bedroom, Holly Winslow whispered, "Will Aunt Willow tell your parents?"
The "parents" in question were Mortimer Quincy's.
Mortimer Quincy shot her an interested look. "Wifey, you're already calling them 'Mom' and 'Dad.' What's there to be afraid of?"
"That's different. We're students right now," Holly Winslow said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Miles."
"Come in, Aunt Willow," Mortimer Quincy said.
Mercy Willow came in with a platter of fruit, set it on the desk, and quickly left.
Not long after she left, Mortimer Quincy locked the door from the inside.
Seeing this, Holly Winslow knew what he was thinking, and her cheeks suddenly flushed. "This isn't a good idea."
"What isn't a good idea? Hmm?"
The boy stood before her, bent down slightly, cupped her face in his hands, and leaned in to kiss her.
A few minutes later, Mortimer Quincy pulled down her shirt, which had ridden up. Looking into her dazed eyes, he said in a low, husky voice, "You're still young. I won't touch you."
"I'm going to take a shower. You can read for a bit."
He went into the bathroom and stood under a cold shower for several minutes until the heat in his body finally subsided.
He sighed to himself. 'Going vegan after years of eating meat is pure torture.'
When he came back, Holly Winslow was already doing her homework, a faint blush still visible on her fair profile.
He ran a hand through his damp, layered hair and sat down beside her. "Do you know how to do this problem?"
"I don't get this one." Holly Winslow pushed her math homework toward him.
"Give me the pen. Let X be the minimum weight of the goods. From the problem, we know that 10 * 10 + (X - 10) * 6 ≥ 208."
Mortimer Quincy paused, looked at Holly Winslow, and asked, "Do you understand how I set up this inequality?"
Holly Winslow shook her head.
He pointed to the problem and patiently explained, "For goods not exceeding 10 kilograms, the cost is 10 yuan per kilogram..."
...
Around eleven o'clock, Brooke Jarvis and Andre Quincy returned home.
Mercy Willow heard the front door open from the kitchen and hurried out. "Ma'am, Sir." She brought them their slippers.
Brooke Jarvis placed her bag on the shoe cabinet, took off her high heels, and put on her slippers. "Ms. Willow, is Moira home?"
"He is. Miles has a female classmate over," Mercy Willow nodded.
"A female classmate?"
Brooke Jarvis and Andre Quincy exchanged a curious glance. Their son, Mortimer Quincy, had never invited a classmate home before.
The two of them went upstairs. As they neared the bedroom, they heard their son's incredibly patient voice explaining a problem, followed by, "Do you get it now?"
"I get it now." A girl's voice, soft and sweet, replied.
Brooke Jarvis knocked and then opened the door. "Moira."
Mortimer Quincy turned his head. Seeing her in her black business suit, he showed no signs of panic. "Mom."
A second later, Andre Quincy walked in, and he added, "Dad."
The Brooke Jarvis and Andre Quincy of this time were not much different from the versions of them two years in the future. Both looked sharp and capable, but they were good-tempered.
Holly Winslow pushed her stool back and stood up. She had planned to call them "Uncle" and "Auntie," but the words that came out of her mouth were, "Dad... Mom."
'It's a hard habit to break.'
"..."
"..."
Brooke Jarvis and Andre Quincy looked at Mortimer Quincy, who had a smile on his fair, handsome face.
"..."
"..."
'Could it be... puppy love?'
Snapping back to her senses, Holly Winslow quickly waved her hands and corrected herself, "Da— I mean, Uncle, Auntie."
She shot a subtle glance at Mortimer Quincy, signaling for him to help her out.
Brooke Jarvis, ever the capable career woman, recovered from her slight shock with a warm smile. "Don't be nervous. His father and I are both easy to talk to."
"What's your name, dear?"
"I'm Holly Winslow." Having known them for several years, her awkwardness lasted only a moment before she calmed down.
"Holly Winslow, what a lovely name. From now on, I'll call you Holly, if that's alright," Brooke Jarvis said.
They chatted for a while longer. Holly Winslow glanced at her watch and saw it was almost noon, so she said she had to go home.
Mortimer Quincy didn't try to make her stay. He walked her to her apartment building before turning back.
「At the dining table」
Brooke Jarvis placed a piece of meat in Mortimer Quincy's bowl. "Moira, I don't recall there being a Holly Winslow in your class."
Mortimer Quincy grunted in acknowledgment. Knowing what she was getting at, he said bluntly, "She's my girlfriend."