Chapter 489 Good Morning, Sir
Rachel gazed out the window, lost in the falling snow. A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts. She figured it was Nicholas.
Without a second thought, she rushed to open the door.
"Nicholas, the snow..." Her words trailed off when she saw him, and her cheeks flushed.
Nicholas stood there in just a tight tank top, which clung to his still wet torso, showing off his abs. He coughed awkwardly. "My pajamas got wet, so I just threw this on."
His ears turned red too. Even though they'd been more intimate than this before, the bright light above their head made things awkward than ever.
"Do you want me to wash it? Hand it over," Rachel said, snapping out of her daze, her eyes darting everywhere but at him.
"I already washed it. Just need a hanger to dry it," Nicholas replied softly, his voice mellow, warming her up in the chilly winter.
"I'll grab one for you." Rachel hurried past him to get a hanger.
She came back, hung his pajamas on the balcony in her room.
Seeing Nicholas still in his tank top, she quickly said, "Nicholas, you should get back to bed before you catch a cold."
Even though her room had underfloor heating, it wasn't on while she was getting the hanger, so the cold had seeped in.
Nicholas gave her a goofy smile and nodded. "Okay."
He left reluctantly, glancing back every few steps.
Once he was gone, Rachel grabbed the pajamas and ran downstairs to take a shower. Only after that did she crawl into bed. The familiar scent of her blankets made her feel at ease. Thinking about the heavy snow outside, she soon drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Nicholas woke up early.
After a night of heavy snow, the view outside was a pristine white landscape. The courtyard was covered in untouched snow. The faint morning light made it look serene and peaceful.
He changed and went downstairs, drawn by the smell of breakfast. A simple but meticulous spread awaited on the dining table.
As he approached, Esme came out of her room. "Nicholas, you're up. Want some coffee?"
"Thanks, Mrs. Ximena. You must've been up early," he said, realizing Rachel got her hardworking nature from her mom.
"Not too early. I'm old and don't sleep much. I'll fry some steak for you two later. Rachel loves it," Esme said.
Though Esme was a petit woman, Nicholas could see the boundless love and immense strength she had as a mother.
He saw the same strength in Rachel too. How lucky he was to have met her.
"Mrs. Ximena, I'll help you with it later," Nicholas offered.
"Okay, after breakfast, we'll do it together," Esme said with a smile. She went into the kitchen and brought out breakfast for Nicholas: a glass of milk and two sandwiches. The sandwiches were homemade, just the way Rachel liked them, and Esme had prepped them in advance and stored them in the fridge.
Looking at the simple breakfast on the table, Nicholas felt a wave of gratitude for a mother's love for her daughter and for his own luck of being included.
Since he had gotten up early, he finished breakfast while Rachel was still snuggled in her warm bed, reluctant to get up.
The bed was the best place to be in winter, so even Rachel had woken up, she didn't want to get up, thinking there was nothing urgent to do.
Originally, Nicholas was supposed to help Esme make the steak, but the neighbor brought over a little boy. "Mrs. Ximena, I'm sorry to trouble you again. I need to take food to his dad, and he hasn't finished his homework yet. I don't feel comfortable leaving him alone at home..."
"It's no trouble. He can stay here, and I'll keep an eye on his homework," Esme said with a smile.
The neighbor thanked her repeatedly, pushed the little boy inside, and rode off on her bike with a bag.
The little boy, who seemed to be familiar with the place, greeted Esme and Nicholas, "Good morning, Mrs. Ximena. Good morning, sir."
Then, he sat down at the table, took out his homework, and started working on it.
Esme handed him one sandwich. "Sawyer, have the sandwich first. There's plenty of time."
"Thank you, Mrs. Ximena, but I've already had breakfast at home," Sawyer said politely, not taking the sandwich.
Esme insisted. "I made these sandwiches myself. Try them and see if you like them."
After a brief standoff, Sawyer finally took the sandwich and took a bite, smiling and saying, "It's delicious."
Esme patted his head and explained to Nicholas, "They rented our old house. His dad works on a construction site, and his mom has a job too. Sometimes, they leave him with me, and I help keep an eye on him. He's a very well-behaved child."
Nicholas nodded, listening intently to Esme.
They decided to wait until Rachel woke up to make the steak together.
Esme stayed by Sawyer's side, watching him do his homework, while Nicholas went to the yard to build a snowman. He thought Rachel would be happy to see it and started working on it.
Rachel stayed in bed for a while longer before getting up. Seeing the thick snow outside, she quickly changed her clothes and ran downstairs. She stopped abruptly when she saw an extra person in the living room.
Esme noticed Rachel was up and said, "You're such a grown-up, but still so clumsy. Wash your face and brush your teeth, then come have a sandwich and some milk. Your favorite sandwiches."
As she spoke, she went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Rachel.
Rachel and Sawyer stared at each other, and Esme came out to explain the situation to Rachel.
Sawyer, now aware of Rachel's identity, politely said, "Good morning, Rachel."
Nicholas, who was building a snowman outside, heard this and came into the house.
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