“Alright, I will!”

Returning to Olisvale Bay, Eric remembered what Hadley had told him, so he took his medication without hesitation and went straight to the shower to get ready for bed.

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Standing before the mirror, towel in hand, Eric paused mid-motion while drying his hair. Hadley’s words echoed in his mind. She had confessed earlier that his good looks had caught her eye when they were younger.

“Was it really my looks?” Eric set the towel aside, leaned in closer, and gave his reflection a careful once-over. Talking to himself, he said, “Guess I’m still kind of handsome, right?”

His smile faded as reality set in. Years had passed, and he had started to notice signs of aging. A frown creased his brow as he ran a hand over his face, feeling the roughness on his skin. A small wave of panic crept in.

He recalled Hadley’s evening routines when she still lived here. She would sometimes put on facial masks, and he wondered if she had taken every last one when she moved out.

Muttering quietly, Eric tried to remember. “Now, where did she usually stash them?”

Determined to find them, he began digging through the drawers. “There they are!” Inside the storage cabinet, he discovered the leftover facial masks she once used. He took one and pressed it gently to his skin.

With the mask on, he hoped keeping his looks sharp might win Hadley’s heart back again.

Unfortunately, things did not turn out as planned.

Morning arrived, and Hadley woke early, heading for the hospital. She found Eric waiting in the parking lot. But there was something odd about his appearance.

“Is something the matter?” Hadley studied him, unable to hide her confusion. There was no red carpet event, the sunrise barely glimmered, and the air felt mild. Still, Eric had thrown on sunglasses and a mask, covering almost every inch of his face.

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Puzzled, Hadley asked, “Why are you dressed like that? What’s going on?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Eric said with an awkward smile, clearly trying to change the subject.

“It’s time. Let’s get my blood test done,” he added, steering the conversation in another direction.

“Okay.” Hadley followed him inside, but she kept glancing at him, narrowing her eyes. Something felt off.

“Why are you hiding your face?” she asked. “What’s going on?”

Eric stopped in his tracks. He swallowed hard, his throat moving as he laughed weakly. “I’m not hiding anything.”

“Really?” Hadley raised an eyebrow. “You expect me to believe that?”

His face was practically buried under sunglasses and a mask. He looked stiff, like he’d been caught doing something suspicious.

“I want to see your face,” she insisted. Standing on tiptoe, she reached for his sunglasses.

“Hadley!” Eric flinched, grabbing her wrist.

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