With school in session, Locke had departed early, his absence keenly felt throughout the house.
When Joy awoke to find her cousin missing, she erupted into tears and protests. Hadley spent nearly an hour soothing her daughter’s disappointment. By afternoon, Joy stubbornly refused to nap in her bed. Clutching the Minnie Mouse doll—Locke’s gift—against her chest, she demanded to sleep beside her mother in the sitting room.
While Joy slumbered, Hadley thumbed through a wedding planning booklet, visions of her upcoming celebration dancing in her mind. The rhythmic patter of rain against glass created a soundtrack to her contentment, filling her heart with tranquil joy.
Eventually, her vision blurred from studying elaborate cake designs and floral arrangements. She placed the booklet aside and turned toward the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The plush sofa directly faced a wall of sliding glass doors, framing the rain-drenched garden like a living watercolor painting.
A memory flashed through Hadley’s mind. She massaged her stiff neck, carefully rose to avoid waking Joy, and padded upstairs.
Minutes later, she descended the stairs, a mysterious bag clutched in her hands.
Inside the bag lay several skeins of auspicious red yarn and a half-finished sweater, its needles still waiting patiently where she’d left them.
A nostalgic smile played across her lips as memories washed over her. Months ago, she’d purchased the yarn with grand intentions—a matching sweater for both Joy and Eric, symbols of her affection. For more chapters visit find?novel.net
Joy’s sweater had been completed ages ago, though her daughter had sprouted so quickly this year that the garment would soon become a keepsake rather than clothing.
Eric’s sweater, however, told the turbulent story of their relationship—started, abandoned, and resumed countless times, yet still incomplete.
gα?ησν?s?c? brings imagination alive
With peaceful hours stretching before her and her heart finally at ease, Hadley could at last complete what she’d begun.
The front door clicked open just as the rain intensified. Eric stepped inside, shaking droplets from his coat while Joy continued to dream undisturbed. The sitting room remained a sanctuary of quiet, broken only by the soft click of Hadley’s knitting needles. Eric crossed the room and sank into the cushion beside her.
“You’re home earlier than usual,” she observed without looking up.
Hadley had memorized his patterns by now. “Another evening meeting ahead?” she asked, her fingers never pausing their rhythmic work.
“Yeah.” He sighed, loosening his tie.
The answer came as no surprise.
These brief afternoon appearances had become his ritual, ensuring Joy never spent a full day without glimpsing her father, regardless of his packed schedule. Eric’s gaze drifted to Joy, her cheeks flushed with dreams.
“Why the sitting room nap today?”
“She refused to rest anywhere else, determined to ambush Locke the moment he returns,” Hadley explained with a tender smile. “That boy has completely captured Joy’s heart.”
.
.
.