Veronica hadn't seen Cecelia for quite so ti, and the young girl had clearly missed her.
As she entered the upscale restaurant and made her way toward the reserved private lounge, Veronica spotted Cecelia rushing toward her with unmistakable excitent.
"Ms. Veronica!" Cecelia exclaid, her face lighting up with joy.
Veronica welcod her with open arms, embracing her warmly. "It's been too long, Cecelia," she said with genuine affection.
This particular restaurant was new to Veronica, but as each dish arrived at their table, she found herself pleasantly surprised. Every flavor seed perfectly calibrated to her palate, as if the chef had sohow intuited her preferences.
After their satisfying lunch, they proceeded directly to the cinema where Marco had already purchased tickets for an early afternoon showing. Before entering the theater, Cecelia tugged on Marco's sleeve.
"Can we get popcorn?" she asked hopefully.
Marco nodded, already moving toward the concession stand. "Large or small?" he inquired.
"Definitely large!" Cecelia declared. "We can all share it—you, , and Ms. Veronica."
"Sounds good," Marco replied with an easy smile, though sothing in his expression seed slightly hesitant.
Inside the theater, Cecelia positioned herself between the two adults, balancing the oversized bucket of popcorn on her lap. She imdiately grabbed a piece and popped it into her mouth before turning to Veronica, offering her so as well. Veronica smiled and took a piece, savoring the buttery taste. Cecelia then nudged Marco, insisting he partake in the snack too.
Marco had selected a newly released animated feature, assuming it would appeal to Cecelia's youthful sensibilities. Despite being marketed primarily for children, the film proved surprisingly engaging, with clever humor and touching monts that captured even Veronica's attention. The three sat comfortably together, sharing popcorn and enjoying the story unfolding on screen.
Midway through the film, as Veronica absently reached for more popcorn, Marco's hand inadvertently moved toward the bucket at the sa mont. His fingers accidentally brushed against hers, and for an instant, they closed around her hand.
Veronica froze, startled by the unexpected contact. Marco likewise went still, seemingly caught off guard by their touch.
To Veronica, though, it was rely an accidental mont—hardly worth dwelling on. As this thought crossed her mind, Marco withdrew his hand and murmured a quiet apology.
"It's fine," she responded softly, dismissively.
Cecelia remained completely absorbed in the movie, utterly oblivious to the brief interaction between the adults beside her.
Noticing only a few pieces of popcorn remained in the bucket, Veronica decided against reaching for more. Marco observed her hesitation but misinterpreted it as intentional distance-keeping. He lowered his gaze and similarly refrained from taking any more popcorn.
Shortly thereafter, Cecelia fidgeted in her seat, having consud too much soda. She needed a bathroom break, so Veronica stood up to accompany her—so things Marco simply couldn't help with, after all.
"Thanks," he said appreciatively.
"No problem," Veronica replied with a casual shrug.
As they exited the won's restroom together, a young boy was just stepping out of the n's room. He glanced at Veronica and Cecelia briefly, his expression unreadable.
They quickly blended into the bustling crowd and made their way back to continue watching the film.
"Mom," the boy called out as he approached Aila, who stood waiting nearby. "I'm finished. Let's go."
Aila responded with a distracted hum of acknowledgnt.
The boy was none other than Louis, Aila's son. He'd spotted Veronica but deliberately pretended not to see her as they passed each other.
Aila herself had been preoccupied with a phone call and hadn't noticed Veronica's presence at all.
After so ti, growing bored with their activities, Louis finally ntioned, "Mom, I saw Aunt Veronica earlier."
Aila barely reacted to this information. "Oh, did you?" she replied, her tone flat.
"Yeah, she had a kid with her, but it wasn't Sa," Louis added.
Still uninterested, Aila rely responded, "Oh, really?"
Her lackluster reaction demonstrated her general indifference toward Veronica. When her son ntioned the sighting, she simply assud Veronica was with so relative from the Murray family and dismissed it without further thought.
They departed the cinema and headed directly to Dennis Estate. Upon arrival, they found Watson already there, entertaining guests alongside Cullen.
Louis, still sowhat intimidated by Cullen's presence, greeted both n with careful politeness. Nearby, Sabrina was deeply engrossed in solving a puzzle.
After exchanging pleasantries with the adults, Aila instructed Louis to join Sabrina in her activities.
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