Renata rose from the sofa.
"It’s getting late. Go get so rest—you have to be up early for work tomorrow."
"Mm."
Catherine agreed and was about to head back to her room when Renata called out to her again.
"Invite Bert over for dinner soti. After what happened tonight, he did help you in the end. No matter what his motives were, we should still thank him properly."
Catherine was a little surprised.
"Invite him over... to our place?"
To Catherine, having Renata host Bert at ho felt almost like a formal eting with the parents. Although Renata had already t Bert and even had a al with him before, back then his identity had rely been Lilian’s brother.
This ti would be different. If they sat down to eat together again, his identity would be her boyfriend. The thought made Catherine inexplicably nervous.
Renata glanced at her.
"Wouldn’t it be expensive to invite him out instead? Let him know in advance—this dinner is purely to thank him for helping you tonight, not for him to formally visit our ho as your boyfriend."
Renata saw right through Catherine’s thoughts and deliberately emphasized her point. She had no intention of playing the role of a future mother-in-law so soon. She would need to observe him to her satisfaction before acknowledging his status.
Catherine: "..."
After saying that, Renata returned to her room. Catherine smiled helplessly and went back to her own room as well.
For the first ti in her life, she and Renata differed in opinion over sothing. Still, she understood her mother’s feelings and knew Renata ant well. Love—especially marriage—was a lifelong matter. As a mother, it was only natural for Renata to be cautious.
Back in her room, Catherine noticed two crumpled sheets of paper spread out on her desk. They were the sketches she had thrown away earlier, only to retrieve them from the trash.
Thinking back on everything that had happened tonight, Catherine couldn’t help but curve her lips into a faint smile.
There had been fear and shock—but even more than that, there was gratitude.
And sweetness.
The kind of sweetness that ca from officially confirming her relationship with Bert, the sweetness of a woman falling in love. She had once been afraid of this relationship, but now that she had faced it head-on and accepted it with courage, the sweetness outweighed everything else.
Being so carefully cherished by a man like him—how could she not feel sweet?
She walked over and sat down at her desk, picked up a pen, and began carefully refining the sketches, adding details to the edges and corners, then casually filling in colors as she worked.
What had once been rely a wedding in her dreams now took shape on paper. Though ti was limited and she had only managed to add so details and color, the outline was already beginning to erge.
She wondered if one day, soone might truly recreate the wedding she had imagined and marry her in a ceremony exactly like the one in her drawings.
If such a dream wedding ever ca true, it would be happiness beyond asure.
After Bert got ho, he called her to let her know he had arrived safely. Catherine took the opportunity to tell him about Renata’s invitation.
"My mom said that to thank you for helping tonight, she’d like to invite you over to our place for dinner soti. Let know which day works for you so we can prepare in advance."
Then, rembering Renata’s instructions, Catherine hesitated before adding awkwardly,
"But she also said that this is just to thank you—not a formal visit as my boyfriend..."
The implication was clear: Renata had not yet acknowledged him as her boyfriend. Catherine felt it might hurt his feelings, but since it was Renata’s request, she had no choice but to say it.
Bert chuckled softly on the other end.
"Sounds like your mom isn’t very satisfied with ."
Bert, perceptive and sharp as he was, imdiately understood what lay beneath her words.
But he wasn’t upset in the slightest, nor did he feel hurt. In fact, if Renata had imdiately given her full approval of Catherine dating him, that would have been far more concerning.
As a mother—and as a mother who took responsibility for her child—Renata’s reaction was entirely understandable.
Catherine spoke up to explain on her mother’s behalf.
"I went through a failed relationship before, so she’s only being cautious for my sake. I hope you can understand."
"Of course I understand."
Bert gave her an unhesitating answer, then added thoughtfully,
"If I ever have a daughter in the future and she starts dating, I’d probably observe her boyfriend for at least three to five years. Compared to that, your mom is being pretty rciful."
Catherine felt his words were a bit exaggerated.
"Three to five years? By then, even if soone really liked your daughter, you’d probably scare all their feelings away with your ’observation.’"
Bert didn’t seem to care in the slightest.
"That has nothing to do with . My job would just be to observe."
Catherine: "..."
Alright then. Let’s hope his future child isn’t a daughter—otherwise so poor guy would suffer years down the line.
Dropping the topic, Catherine said instead,
"Since you’re ho already, get so rest."
"Catherine."
She was about to hang up when he suddenly called her na. Catherine paused and listened carefully as his calm, steady voice ca through the line.
"From this mont on, we’re officially in a relationship. No more avoiding . You don’t have any reason to avoid anymore—understood?"
The words officially in a relationship made Catherine’s cheeks flush and her heart race.
"Understood."
She replied quickly, then hurriedly hung up the phone.
Even after the call ended, Catherine couldn’t calm her emotions for a long ti.
In a relationship.
Those words echoed over and over in her mind, imprinting the reality of their relationship deeper and deeper.
Logically speaking, Catherine had been in a relationship with Gerald before, so those words shouldn’t have made her heart pound like this. Yet for so reason, her emotions soared. Just thinking of those four words filled her with sweetness and happiness.
Not long after, Bert sent her another ssage:
Turn off your phone before you go to sleep, so you won’t be disturbed.
Catherine didn’t ask why. Her instincts told her it must have sothing to do with tonight’s incident. Before going to bed, she followed his advice, turned off her phone, and drifted peacefully into sleep.
That night, Catherine slept deeply and contentedly. Though she had experienced a fright earlier, the happiness and tenderness Bert brought afterward washed it all away. In her dreams, only sweetness remained.
But while Catherine slept soundly, soone else lay awake all night.
That person was Lucca.
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