"When are we telling her?" Evelyn asked.
A faint frown appeared on Axel’s forehead, subtle but unmistakable.
Evelyn caught it imdiately. A few months of loving him had trained her to notice the slightest changes in his expression.
Without saying a word, she gently squeezed his hand, her thumb brushing over his knuckles in quiet reassurance.
"Axel," she asked softly, careful not to sound demanding, "is it impossible for them to et soon?"
He sighed, the weight of reality settling between them.
"Actually... Ethan was in an accident," he admitted. "He’s injured. They can’t et right now. If Aunty Martha finds out, I’m afraid she’ll only beco more worried and even sadder."
Evelyn inhaled slowly. "Ah... you’re right."
The last thing she wanted was to hurt Aunty Martha again. The woman had already endured too much grief in one lifeti. First, her son was missing and was declared dead. Then her husband passed away, leaving her alone with mories and unanswered prayers. Evelyn’s chest tightened at the thought.
Silence settled between them, thick but not uncomfortable.
Evelyn’s gaze drifted to the far wall as her thoughts wandered.
Axel noticed imdiately. He lifted a hand and gently smoothed her hair, his fingers combing through the soft strands.
"What is my wife thinking this ti?" he asked lightly, a teasing warmth in his voice.
She looked up at him, her eyes reflective. "Actually... Aunty Martha plans to visit us at the end of the year," she said. "Noah’s birthday is December thirty-first. She wants to celebrate it here."
Axel’s eyes softened. He nodded slowly. "By then, Ethan should be healed," he said. "That would be the perfect ti for them to et."
Evelyn’s face brightened instantly, her earlier worry lting away. "That sounds perfect, Axel."
"You look thrilled," he observed, amused by how her mood had flipped so quickly.
"Of course I am," she replied without hesitation. "I already consider Aunty Martha as my biological family, even though she isn’t. And I think Oliver does too. He thought she was his real grandmother for a while."
Axel chuckled. "Yeah. That I rember. He once asked why Grandma Martha didn’t live with us."
Evelyn laughed softly. "Exactly. So for ... Noah is my brother, too. And I’m excited to et him..."
Axel pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in a firm, protective embrace.
"He is our family," he said. "And I’ll take you to et him in a few days. He’ll be happy to see you."
Her eyes widened. She pulled back slightly to look at him. "Really? Can I et him soon?"
"Yes," Axel replied imdiately. Then his voice softened. "But don’t ask about his condition... I an about his injury."
"I promise," she said quickly. "I won’t ask anything. I’ll just... look at him."
Axel smiled. "That’s all he needs right now."
Their conversation drifted naturally from there, bouncing between light jokes and quiet excitent.
Evelyn teased Axel about how strange it was that her aunt’s son turned out to be his brother-in-arms.
Axel countered by saying fate clearly had an obsession with entangling their lives.
"So basically," Evelyn said thoughtfully, "our family tree is no longer a tree. It’s a maze."
Axel laughed. "A dangerous one."
"Very dangerous," she agreed solemnly. "Especially during family dinners."
They both laughed, the tension easing as comfort wrapped around them.
Eventually, however, Evelyn’s eyelids began to feel utterly heavy.
Axel noticed that the mont her head leaned against his shoulder, her breathing slowed and beca relaxed.
"Tired already?" he murmured.
"Mmm... just a little," she replied drowsily. "Today was... emotionally intense."
He smiled and shifted slightly so she could rest more comfortably. "Go to sleep. I’ll carry you to bed."
"No," she protested weakly. "I can walk..."
"Sure," he said calmly. "When you arrive, it is almost dawn..."
She made a quiet sound of defeat as her eyes closed. "Alright, carry ..."
Axel carefully lifted her into his arms, carrying her toward the bed.
As he lay her down, he tucked the blanket around her and brushed a kiss against her forehead.
"You’re too soft," she murmured sleepily.
"And you love it," he replied.
She smiled faintly before drifting off completely.
Axel stayed beside her for a mont longer, watching her peaceful face.
His thoughts returned to Ethan and Aunty Martha, and for that, he was unable to sleep now. He needs to talk to Collins and arrange his wife’s visit to the Green Farm.
...
The next day.
The day passed faster than Evelyn expected, her attention drifting between docunts she barely read and the clock on the corner table she checked far too often.
By the ti late afternoon arrived, the guest she had been waiting for finally ca.
A soft knock echoed from the office door.
"Yes, co on in," Evelyn called.
The door opened to reveal Jimmy, ever composed as usual.
At the sa ti, Oscar peeked out from behind him like a mischievous child caught sneaking into trouble.
"Hi, Oscar! You’re finally here," Evelyn said warmly, her face lighting up.
Oscar stepped inside with exaggerated confidence and gave a slight bow.
"Once my Queen Sis summons , of course, I run here as fast as humanly possible."
Evelyn laughed, and even Jimmy failed to hide his smile.
"Madam, do you need anything?" Jimmy asked politely.
"No, Jimmy. I just missed talking to this guy," she replied lightly. "Please don’t let anyone disturb us."
"Understood," Jimmy said, closing the door quietly behind him.
The mont the door shut, Evelyn turned around, only to see Oscar already standing in front of the coffee machine, sleeves rolled up, operating it like he owned the place.
"Do you want an ice or a warm latte, Eve?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Not too hot, please, but not lukewarm either," she replied as she walked to the sofa. "And make it sweet. I need sothing to overco today’s bitterness."
"Say no more," Oscar said smugly. "Your personal barista is at your service."
Monts later, he joined her, handing her a cup before taking a long sip of his own coffee. He studied her face over the rim.
"So," he said slowly, "I can see that you didn’t summon here just to admire my handso face or my excellent barista skills. What’s going on?"
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