Chapter 102: A Little Longer

Third Person POV

Helen turned toward Chris and stared at him for a moment. “You really want to ask me that after everything we just talked about?” Chris nodded without hesitation, making her shake her head. “Honestly, where did the Chris who was being so careful about Gwen’s feelings go? You were giving me such reasonable explanations for why you hadn’t answered her yet, and now you’re asking whether I was jealous of my own daughter.”

Chris raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have to sneak insults into your answer, Helen.” She gave him a look. “I’m not insulting you. I’m reminding you of what we just discussed.” Chris shrugged before answering, “I know. But I already told you that I wouldn’t like seeing you with another man. I just wanted to know whether you felt the same way.”

Helen looked at him for a moment before turning her attention toward the park. She could have avoided answering, but after everything she’d admitted today, there wasn’t much point in pretending anymore. “Yes, Chris. I was jealous when you told me Gwen kissed you. Happy now?” When she looked back at him, she found a rather sly smile on his face. “Very,” he answered, making her shake her head again.

She wanted to scold him for looking so pleased, but this time, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. After all, she’d just admitted something she wouldn’t have imagined saying a few months ago. Even now, she wasn’t entirely sure when her feelings toward Chris had started changing. She’d always cared about him, especially considering how close their families had been, but somewhere along the way, that affection had become something different.

It was a strange feeling, and one she hadn’t expected to experience again. After her husband’s death, Helen had spent most of her time taking care of Gwen and managing her responsibilities. There had been difficult days, especially in the beginning, but she’d eventually settled into a routine. She had her daughter, her work, and enough things to keep herself occupied. Whenever she felt lonely, she usually found something else to do rather than think about it.

She hadn’t exactly decided that she would never fall in love again. It was simply something she’d stopped expecting. Yet here she was, sitting beside Chris, feeling strangely happy because he’d asked whether she was jealous. It was almost embarrassing when she thought about it. She was old enough to know better than to let herself get carried away, especially when Gwen was involved. But knowing that didn’t make the feelings disappear.

Chris noticed that she’d become quiet and asked, “Helen, are you okay?” She looked toward him before answering, “I’m fine. Just thinking about something.” He seemed curious but didn’t press her. Helen appreciated that. There were things she was still trying to understand herself, and she wasn’t sure she could explain them properly even if he asked.

After another moment, she decided to change the subject. “By the way, what’s so important that you need to get home?” Chris looked at her in surprise. “How do you know I need to get back?” Helen raised an eyebrow. “Chris, you wanted to go home right after your meeting. If I hadn’t asked you to spend the afternoon with me, you would’ve probably been on your way already.”

Chris considered that before nodding. “That’s true. There’s something I need to tell Sara and Emily today, as Gwen already knows about it.” Helen looked at him more carefully. “Is something wrong?” He hesitated before glancing toward the people passing nearby. “It’s something important, but this isn’t a safe place to discuss it. I’ll explain everything when we get home. You can listen when I tell them.”

Helen could tell from his expression that he wasn’t simply making an excuse. Whatever he needed to discuss was serious enough that he didn’t want anyone overhearing. She considered asking another question but eventually nodded. “All right. I’ll wait until we get home.” Chris looked relieved that she hadn’t pushed him for an explanation, and Helen decided to leave the matter there for now.

For a while, neither of them spoke. Helen leaned back against the bench and watched a family walking along the path. Two children were running ahead of their parents, occasionally stopping to argue about which direction they wanted to go. Their mother called them back, and Helen found herself remembering when Gwen had been that young.

So much had changed since then. Helen glanced toward Chris, who was sitting quietly beside her. He had responsibilities that most adults would struggle to manage, yet today she’d seen him become genuinely interested in things as ordinary as watching a movie and eating ice cream. She’d wanted him to enjoy a normal afternoon, but somewhere along the way, she’d started enjoying it just as much herself.

And perhaps that was what surprised her most. There had been no expensive restaurant, no elaborate arrangements, and nothing particularly special about the places they’d visited. They hadn’t even finished the movie they’d paid to watch. Yet Helen couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed an afternoon quite like this.

She looked down at Chris’s hand resting beside hers. After hesitating for a moment, she reached over and gently took it. Chris turned toward her, but before he could say anything, Helen moved her fingers between his. He understood what she wanted and adjusted his hand until their fingers were comfortably interlocked. Helen looked at their joined hands for a moment before settling back against the bench.

For some reason, that small gesture made her feel more emotional than she’d expected. It had been years since she’d sat beside someone like this, without needing to discuss work, worry about Gwen, or think about what she needed to do next. She had almost forgotten how comforting it could be to simply have someone beside her.

“Chris,” she said quietly after a while, making him turn toward her. “Thank you for coming with me today.” He looked surprised by that. “Shouldn’t I be thanking you? You’re the one who arranged everything.” Helen shook her head. “Maybe. But I enjoyed myself more than I expected.”

Chris looked at her for a moment before answering, “So did I.” Helen could tell he meant it, and that made her happy. She gave his hand a small squeeze before returning her attention to the path ahead.

She still wasn’t sure what would happen between them in the future. There was Gwen to consider, and Chris wasn’t even eighteen yet. She had no intention of ignoring those things simply because she liked spending time with him. But for the moment, she didn’t want to worry about what might happen months or years from now.

She just wanted to enjoy sitting beside him. They remained there for nearly twenty minutes, their fingers still interlocked. Occasionally, Chris would glance toward her, and Helen would return his look before turning her attention toward the park again. Neither felt the need to start another conversation. The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable, and as the minutes passed, Helen found herself wishing they could stay a little longer.

Eventually, however, she remembered that Chris still had something important to do. She glanced at the time before reluctantly releasing his hand. “All right, Chris. We should get going.” He nodded and stood up beside her. Helen took one last look around the park before they started walking back toward the shopping complex.

…

As I mentioned earlier, I was planning to take a break, but I managed to push through and make some time to write, so here I am with another chapter!

Honestly, when I was reading fanfics myself, I always hated waiting too long for updates, so I didn’t want to leave you all waiting either. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

As always, thank you for reading!

Anyway, I guess that’s all for now. Have a good day or night, wherever you are!