She couldn’t fathom what he found so entertaining about the situation. Mortified by her slip and irritated by his amusement, Elissa called out with forced authority, “Dinner is served! Come eat, both of you!”

Locke pointed a small, accusing finger toward his father. “Daddy upset Miss Holland!”

Ernest shook his head with mock severity. “You’re the one causing all the mischief around here.”

“Are you two planning to join me, or shall I eat this meal entirely by myself?” Elissa retorted.

“We’re coming, Miss Holland!” Locke shouted cheerfully.

“Right behind you!” Ernest added.

After Locke had drifted into peaceful slumber, Ernest drove Elissa back to Lion Bay.

During the ride, Elissa retrieved her phone and held the screen up to him. “I’ve been working on this wedding dress… What’s your opinion?”

“Hmm.” Ernest studied it carefully. “It’s lovely, very beautiful.”

“Then I’ll show it to your grandma. Do you think she’ll like it?”

“Of course she will.” Ernest leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’ve got a great eye—Grandma’s going to love it.”

“Let’s hope she does.” Elissa smiled, slipping her phone back into her bag, briefly debating whether to ask about Linda.

How often did he visit her these days?

But she silenced the questions before they could reach her lips—an instinct honed over time.

Some doors, she reminded herself, were better left unopened.

Early that morning, Ernest left Lion Bay while Elissa was still asleep.

Discover updates g?lησνs?com

As his car rolled out of the quiet neighborhood, his phone rang. It was the sanatorium.

“Hello?”

“Ernest.” It was Linda. Her voice was calm, but there was a weight to her tone. “It’s me. I’ve made up my mind… I’ll go through with your plan.”

Was she agreeing to the surgery?

Ernest blinked, caught off guard. He hadn’t expected her to decide so soon. Still, he was relieved.

“That’s the right choice,” he said.

“But…” Linda hesitated, then sighed. “I have one request. Before the surgery… I want to see my home again.”

Home?

Ernest paused. Did she mean the Flynn Mansion?

“I’ve been sick for so long,” Linda continued, her voice cracking. “Since I woke up, I’ve only seen hospitals. The only things I remember clearly are you, Eric, and the Flynn Mansion. Ernest, I want to see the place where we lived… one more time. If I don’t make it through the surgery, at least I’ll have no regrets.”

Ernest sat with the request, thinking it over. She had a point. If something went wrong, this could be her last chance.

.

.

.