Chapter 36
I knew Hayden meant well, but his words left me feeling uncomfortable. “Hayden, thank you for your concern, but I’m not sure about my feelings right now. Plus, I have Jonas to think about-”
Hayden cut me off, “Jonas needs a stable family environment too. You can’t keep using your child as an excuse to avoid dealing with your own emotions.”
His words stung, but I knew he had a point. I looked at him and said, “Hayden, I know you mean well. Just give me some time, okay? I’ll think it through seriously.”
Hayden patted my shoulder with a satisfied smile, “Good, take your time to think about it. Just remember, happiness won’t come looking for you; you have to pursue it yourself.”
After Hayden left, I sat in my office, lost in thought. While I knew he meant well, matters of the heart were never simple. Shaking off the thoughts, I decided to focus on work for the rest of the day.
As I was leaving the office that evening, I spotted Lorraine waiting for a ride outside the building. She waved when she saw me, smiling brightly. “Done for the day?”
I walked over and nodded. “Yeah. How about you? Just finished up?”
She chuckled. “Yeah. I had to stay late today.”
I checked my watch and noticed that it was almost 7:00 pm. I asked, “Have you eaten yet?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. I was just going to throw something together at home.”
I thought it over and suggested, “Do you want to grab dinner together? There’s a nice spot nearby.”
Lorraine’s face brightened. “I’d love to! I wasn’t looking forward to cooking anyway.”
We strolled to a small, cozy restaurant nearby and ordered a few classic dishes. While waiting for the food, we started chatting about work
“My company just landed a new project,” Lorraine said. “It might mean some overtime for a while.”
I nodded understandingly. “The first few days after a new project kicks off are often the busiest. Just make sure you take care of yourself.”
She smiled. “I will. By the way, how’s Jonas doing?
At the mention of my son, I could not help but soften. “He’s doing great. He’s really into drawing lately and spends every afternoon after school sketching away.
“That’s wonderful,” Lorraine replied. “Art is great for developing creativity. I could teach him
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some techniques if you’d like.”
I looked at her in surprise. “You’re into arts too?”
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Lorraine smiled and nodded. “I studied it in college. I’m not an expert, but I could definitely teach a child the basics.”
“That would be amazing,” I said sincerely. “We should arrange that sometime.”
After dinner, we decided to take a walk to let the meal settle. As the night deepened, the streetlights came on, bathing the city in a warm, golden glow.
“Have you thought about taking Jonas on vacation when he’s a bit older?” Lorraine asked suddenly.
Her question caught me off guard, and I laughed awkwardly. “Honestly, I haven’t. Between work and everything else, I never feel like I have the time.”
She stopped and looked at me, her expression gentle but firm. “Work is important, but so is spending time with family. For kids, those experiences become some of their most cherished memories..”
I was quiet for a moment before nodding. “You’re right. Maybe I should start planning something for us.”
