Chapter 112: Don’t Leave Like That Again...

I turned toward the sound.

It was Mrs. Chloe.

She was standing a few steps away, holding a small tray in her hands. The hallway light fell softly across her face as she looked at me with a concerned expression.

"Miss," Mrs. Chloe called. "Is there a problem?"

I shook my head.

"Not at all." I paused for a moment before asking, "Do you know where Sylvia is?"

"Oh." Mrs. Chloe smiled slightly. "Miss Sylvia is outside."

"Outside?" I repeated.

I glanced toward the large windows at the end of the hallway. Beyond them, the evening had already settled over the house, leaving the sky dark and the garden lights glowing softly.

"What is she doing outside?"

Mrs. Chloe shook her head. "I don’t know, Miss."

I looked away, wondering where she could have gone.

Sylvia hadn’t said anything to me before leaving.

I sighed quietly and then looked back at Mrs. Chloe.

"Thanks, Mrs. Chloe."

She nodded before walking away.

I turned toward the stairs.

My footsteps sounded softly against the floor as I made my way down. When I reached the bottom, I walked toward the front door.

I pushed it open, and cool night air immediately touched my face.

I stepped outside and closed the door behind me.

The air was quiet and slightly chilly. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear crickets chirping, while the soft wind moved through the trees around the house.

I looked around.

"Sylvia?"

No answer.

I walked farther into the parking lot, my eyes moving from one parked car to another.

Most of them were dark. Then I noticed a faint light glowing from inside one of the cars.

I stopped and a small smile appeared on my face.

There you are.

I walked toward the car.

As I got closer, I could see the soft glow of a laptop screen through the window.

I leaned down slightly to see who was inside.

Sylvia.

She was sitting comfortably in the driver’s seat with her laptop resting in front of her. Her headphones covered her ears, and her eyes were fixed on the screen.

Her fingers moved quickly over the keyboard.

She looked completely focused and hadn’t noticed me.

I stood there for a few seconds, simply watching her.

The soft light from the laptop illuminated one side of her face, while the rest of the car remained dim.

For some reason, seeing her like that made me smile.

I lifted my hand and knocked on the window.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Sylvia didn’t move.

I frowned slightly.

Maybe she couldn’t hear me because of her headphones.

I knocked again, this time a little louder.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Her fingers finally stopped.

Sylvia slowly turned her head toward the window. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw me standing there.

She pulled one side of her headphones down and stared at me for a second before reaching for the door.

She opened it.

"Babe," she called, a small smile appearing on her lips. "How did you know I was here?"

I didn’t answer. Instead, I leaned down and gently kissed her.

It was a soft kiss.

When I pulled away, I stayed close enough to look directly into her eyes.

"Don’t leave like that again," I said quietly.

Sylvia’s smile faded slightly. She looked at me for a moment, as if she understood exactly what I meant, and then she nodded.

"I won’t."

I smiled.

My eyes moved past her and landed on the laptop.

"What are you doing?"

Sylvia followed my gaze. "I’m writing."

"Your book?" I asked.

"Yes."

I nodded slowly.

I could see the document open on her screen, several lines of text filling the page.

"Oh." I stepped back. "Then I’ll go back inside and give you some space."

I had barely finished speaking when Sylvia reached out and caught my hand.

I looked down at our hands before looking back at her.

"Don’t go. Stay with me."

"But—"

"Babe, stay with me, please." Her voice was softer this time.

I stared at her for a moment.

There was something about the way she looked at me that made it difficult to refuse her.

I let out a quiet breath. "Fine. I’ll stay."

I glanced down at her hand still wrapped around mine. "But let go of my hand first."

Sylvia looked down.

She seemed to realize what she was doing, and a small laugh escaped her before she slowly released my hand.

I walked around to the other side of the car and opened the passenger door.

The cool leather seat brushed against my legs as I climbed inside.

I pulled the door shut behind me.

The sound was quiet, and the car immediately felt warmer and more private than the cold night outside.

Sylvia looked at me with a smile.

I caught her staring and frowned. "Stop looking at me. Concentrate and continue writing."

She laughed quietly. "Yes, Mummy."

I rolled my eyes. "Good."

Sylvia shook her head, still smiling, before putting her headphones back on.

She turned toward her laptop and continued typing.

The soft tapping of the keyboard filled the car.

I leaned back into my seat and watched her for a while.

The faint light from the laptop reflected in her eyes whenever she looked at the screen.

Every now and then, she paused to think, her fingers resting above the keyboard before she started typing again.

Outside, the wind moved gently through the trees.

Inside, everything was quiet.

I reached for her hand and rested it between us.

Sylvia glanced at me and smiled without saying anything.

I simply sat there beside my wife, listening to the quiet sound of her typing.

I didn’t need her attention. Just being beside her was enough.

For a while, I simply watched her write.

Every few minutes, Sylvia would pause and stare at the screen, her brows drawing together as if she were trying to find the right words. Then her fingers would begin moving again, tapping softly against the keyboard.

I found myself smiling.

She looked cute when she was serious.

I shifted in my seat and looked through the windshield.

The parking lot was almost completely quiet now. A few outdoor lights cast pale circles across the ground, while the rest of the compound disappeared into the darkness.

I turned back toward Sylvia.

She was still writing.

I reached and gently squeezed her hand.

She looked at me.

I pointed at her laptop. "How long are you planning to stay here?"

Sylvia glanced at the time on the screen.

"Hmm..." she thought for a moment. "Maybe another thirty minutes.

"Thirty minutes?"

"Yes." She laughed again. "Okay, okay. I’ll really finish this time."

"You better."

She shook her head and returned her attention to the laptop.

I leaned back into the seat, and the silence returned. But this time, it didn’t feel uncomfortable.

It felt peaceful.

I watched the way her fingers moved across the keyboard, the occasional pause when she thought about what to write next.

Then something caught my attention.

A small crease appeared between her brows.

I leaned closer. "What’s wrong?"

"Hmm?"

"You look worried."

Sylvia stopped typing. She looked at me before slowly closing the laptop.

"Nothing is wrong."

I stared at her. "Sylvia."

She sighed. "I just can’t figure out how to finish this Chapter."

"Oh. " I looked at the laptop. "Is that why you’ve been sitting here all alone?"

"Yes."

I reached over and gently touched her arm.

"You could have told me."

Sylvia looked at me. "What would you have done?"

"I don’t know." I shrugged. "Maybe annoy you until you get an idea."

She laughed. "You would definitely annoy me."

"Exactly." I smiled proudly.

Sylvia shook her head. "You are impossible."

"But you love me," I said, tilting my head to one side.

She looked at me for a moment, and then her lips curved into a soft smile.

"Unfortunately."

I gasped dramatically. "Unfortunately?"

Sylvia laughed. "Yes."

I lightly hit her arm. "Take that back."

She caught my hand before I could hit her again. "No."

"Sylvia."

She laughed as she held my hand. "Babe."

I stared at her.

She leaned closer and pressed a gentle kiss against my forehead.

"Of course I love you."

My expression softened. I rested my head against her shoulder.

The warmth of her body seeped through my clothes, and I could hear the faint sound of her breathing.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then Sylvia whispered, "Better?"

I nodded. "Much better."

She smiled and opened her laptop again.

I lifted my head. "Wait."

She looked at me. "What’s wrong?"

"I have an idea."

"For my Chapter?"

"Yes."

She turned slightly toward me. "What is it?"

I smiled. "Maybe you should stop thinking so hard."

Sylvia stared at me, and I burst out laughing.

"That’s your advice?"

"Yes."

She shook her head. "You’re not helping."

I leaned back with a grin. "But at least I’m keeping you company."

Sylvia looked at me for a moment and then smiled.

"Oh yeah. You are."

She turned back to her laptop and started typing again.

This time, the words seemed to come more easily.

I watched her quietly.

Maybe she really didn’t need me to solve her problems.

Maybe she only needed someone beside her.

And if that was all she wanted from me, I was more than happy to stay.