Chapter 66 An Encounter in the Supermarket

They arrived at the restaurant where Vivian had made a reservation. Charles was already there, with his car parked by the side of the road. Vivian couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Charles in the car. His fingers were lightly holding a cigarette, as if smoking. But he never had this habit. Smoking in the car?

Setting down the shopping bag in her hand, she turned to Evelyn and said, "306, it's the one we went to before. You two go up and order. I'll be right there."

Evelyn also noticed Charles and sighed inwardly. Vivian seemed to be too strict. Smoking was not allowed, huh? She held Luis's hand and entered the dining room. "Come on, Luis. Let's enjoy the food."

Vivian approached Charles's car window quietly and snatched the cigarette from his hand. Charles was caught off guard and looked a bit dumbfounded. He opened the car door and got out. "You're here?"

"Darling, is something bothering you? Why are you smoking?" Vivian rarely called Charles "darling". Normally, she just called him by his name. But right now, Vivian saw the anxious look on Charles's face, but she couldn't figure out the reason behind it.

Charles reached out and gently touched her face. "Let's talk about it later. Let's go upstairs and eat. Evelyn and Luis are waiting for us." By looking at Vivian's expression, Charles knew that his plan was one-third successful.

Evelyn ordered the dishes after entering the private dining room. "Take a look and see if we need to add anything else," she said.

Vivian picked up the menu, and Charles walked over to Luis and patted his head. "Luis, you've grown so tall." Well, Vivian heard his voice and wondered why he wasn't this gentle with her usually. But it seems like he really wants a child after all.

Luis looked at Charles and smiled sweetly. Charles smiled even more tenderly. Vivian felt that he was doing it on purpose but didn't show it. She ordered a few dishes and playfully watched Charles entertain the child.

Upon seeing their interaction, Evelyn had a rough idea of what was going on. Well, Charles had helped her a lot, so she decided to speak up slowly. "You two seem to love children so much. When will you have kids?"

Vivian couldn't find words to reply. How come even Evelyn was siding with him? She glared at Evelyn, who appeared unfazed and retorted, "Vivian, you're already 27. If you don't have a child soon, when do you plan to have one?"

Vivian was at a loss for words. Luckily, their server knocked on the door with the food, saving her from the awkward situation. The ride back home was quiet, with no conversation. Evelyn and Luis were dropped off first.

When they arrived at the garage, Charles got out of the car first, walked around to the other side, opened the door, and propped his arm on the car to look at Vivian. She remained silent and sullen inside the car. He leaned forward and unfastened her seatbelt. "We're home."

Vivian looked up at him and stared. "You really want a child?"

"If we don't have one, how do we explain it to our parents?" Charles looked at Vivian, then asked seriously, "What are you afraid of? Do you still think, even after getting married, that in the future—"

Vivian knew exactly what he was trying to express. The most terrifying thing was that she actually had these thoughts deep down in her heart. So, without hesitation, she silenced him by covering his mouth. She didn't want to hear him say it out loud.

Who initiated it didn't matter, but in the end, it was Vivian who was left drained of strength. Holding onto his neck, she said, "It's not necessary. I... I'm actually pregnant."

Charles couldn't believe his ears. Vivian saw the smile on his face. In this moment, she realized that being pregnant wasn't a bad thing. "Well, I took a test today, but I don't know if it's accurate or not."

Vivian touched Charles's ear, her small gesture when she's scared. Charles embraced her without saying anything. At this moment, his embrace was the best explanation.

"Then... accompany me to the hospital tomorrow," Vivian suggested. Charles nodded.

"And no more smoking!" Vivian added. Charles nodded again.

"You can talk to our parents about it," Vivian said. Charles nodded once more.

Vivian felt like she had nothing else to say. She looked at Charles and smiled. Finally, Charles held Vivian's hand and said, "Let's go home!"

Evelyn finished tidying up the beds for the night and settled down with Luis. She told him a story, but he still kept his gaze fixed on her. "What's the matter, Luis?"

"Aunt and Uncle really get along well. Why don't you and Dad have such a good relationship? Would my biological father also want a relationship like Aunt and Uncle's?"

Evelyn was speechless. What kind of messy situation was this? But she still understood the question the child had asked. "Luis, this is something I can't give you. I'm truly sorry."

Luis felt the sadness in Evelyn's voice. He quickly reached out his small hand and touched Evelyn's face. "Mom, don't say that. I've never blamed you. I have two dads, and it's okay if one isn't my biological father. Whoever you like in the future will be my dad."

These words truly touched Evelyn's heart. She realized that enduring a little hardship was nothing compared to the fear of Luis being hurt. Perhaps all parents feel this way. However, there were still many things she couldn't make up for, and it made her feel powerless. She didn't know what to do.

She wanted to say something to Luis, but she realized he had already drifted off to sleep. As she looked at his beautiful face, he seemed to resemble certain people more and more. Returning here suddenly, unprepared, Evelyn didn't really know if it was right or wrong.

It was just a month ago when Luis, upon Vivian's return, curiously asked her, "When can we go to America?"

When asked why he wanted to go to America so badly, he could only mumble incomprehensibly. Luis would repeat this question every day after that. With each repetition, Evelyn felt her heart soften.

How could she bear to refuse such a child? Evelyn didn't even know how long she would stay this time or what problems awaited her upon returning. Everything felt chaotic, and she truly didn't know whether her actions were right or wrong.

Holding Luis, she finally felt that the world wasn't so terrifying. At least, she still had Luis.

The next morning, Evelyn went downstairs to buy breakfast, which woke Luis up. He had inherited her morning grumpiness and remained silent until they finished breakfast. Evelyn said to him, "We're going shopping later, so eat a bit more."

Hearing that they would go out later cheered him up a bit. After they finished breakfast, Evelyn took Luis to the mall. It wasn't a holiday, so the crowd was average, but it still widened Luis's horizons. In Melbourne, where they lived before, it was quiet everywhere, but upon returning to America, everything was different. "There are so many people here!"

Evelyn had written down the things they needed on a piece of paper. She hurriedly weaved through the crowd, holding onto Luis.

Occasionally, she would ask for Luis's opinion. Evelyn believed that she should let the child have some say in the matter.

From an early age, Luis has had his own opinions, which is a good thing. So, overall, he is quite independent. Instead of saying she takes care of the child, it's more accurate to say that he takes care of himself.

"Evelyn, I like this one," Luis said, pointing to a sofa. Evelyn took a glance and saw a simple but elegant sofa. She liked it too and nodded in agreement.

"Luis, why did you suddenly stop calling me mom?" Evelyn was genuinely startled by the sudden utterance.

"I saw you in the news. Aunt told me that you are famous in America, so I think for now, I shouldn't let others know that I am your son. It won't be good for you," Luis analyzed earnestly. Seeing his expression, Evelyn couldn't help but laugh.

Evelyn was very pleased. "Luis, you're so clever. I don't even know what to do. Haha!"

Luis rolled his eyes, as if to say, "Don't make such a big fuss. I will protect you!"

This remark happened to be heard by other customers passing by. They all smiled and looked at the mother and son. Evelyn was deeply moved by his words. She touched his little cheek gently and said, "Let's take care of each other, okay?"

"Okay." Luis looked at some other things again and then ran off to another place. Evelyn paid no attention to him and walked to the shelf displaying bowls and dishes.

Sophie could hardly believe her eyes as she looked at the woman not far away. Was it really Evelyn? Did she really come back? She approached her hesitatingly. "Evelyn?"

Evelyn didn't recognize the voice, but when she turned her head and saw the person standing in front of her, she realized it was that woman. She didn't even know the woman's name. She simply nodded and looked at her.

"I didn't expect it to be you!" Sophie couldn't hide her anxiety. She quickly introduced herself. "I'm Sophie."

"Hello," Evelyn greeted her.

"Étienne was supposed to come with me, but something came up, so he didn't follow," Sophie explained. "If he knew he could meet you, he would definitely come." After finishing her sentence, she observed Evelyn's expression quietly. Thankfully, there was hardly any change. Sophie admitted that she was truly afraid.

Evelyn nodded, still not sure what to say. "Well, okay."

Sophie continued, "Alright then, let's have a meal together some day." Before turning around, she remembered something. "Could you give me your phone number?"

"Sorry, I just got back. I'll let you know once I have a SIM card," Evelyn declined politely.

Sophie nodded and said goodbye before leaving.

Evelyn watched her and felt a dull ache in her heart.