Chapter <b>249 </b>
“Oh, you know how rtionships <b>go </b>nothing’s ever set in stone,” Xena said with an easyugh, then turned and waved toward the little boy ying blocks with Jodie across the room.
“Hey<b>, </b>Caleb,e here,”
The boy set down his blocks and trotted over,
Nena reached into the fruit tray and grabbed a handful of candy, cing it in Caleb’s hands with a smile, “How’d your finals go, huh? What’s your rank in ss?”
Caleb was the youngest son of the curly–haired aunt and wasnown to be a bit of a rascal. He was in sixth grade and regrly in trouble at school. His grades were usually near the bottom of the ss, and parent–teacher meetings were a frequent urrence.
As soon as Xena asked about his grades<b>, </b>the chatty aunt’s nonstop talking came to an abrupt halt. Her face froze in an awkward smile.
Caleb didn’t care in the least. He answered honestly, “Aunt Xena, I got forty–five in math, thirty–six innguage arts, and fifty–one in English. My ss rankis”
“Okay, that’s enough! You might not be embarrassed, but I am,” the aunt cut in sharply.
“Why be embarrassed? I’ve improved!” Caleb defended himself, “Last semester I was third from the bottom. This time I moved up to fifth from the bottom.”
A burst ofughter rippled through the room.
“Kids really do say the funniest things.”
The curly–haired aunt pulled Caleb back toward her and red at him. “I told you to stay and y with Jodie. Why’d youe over here and humiliate yourself?”
Xena said nothing more, but the smile on her face said it all–mission aplished.
Desmond shot a worried look at Charlotte. She gave him a sinall smile and a slight shake of her head to say she was fine.
After lunch, Chariotte stepped out for a walk in the nearby garden and, out of nowhere, ran into Sean.
The wind whipped through the trees, cold enough to sting. They stood facing each other in silence, frozen <b>in </b>ce by more than just the chill in the air.
Charlotte was the first to break the stillness. <b>“</b>What are the odds.”
“Happy holidays<b>,</b><b>” </b>Sean said softly. It was <b>the </b>first <b>thing </b>he had said to her in a long time.
Charlotte’s eyes immediately welled <b>with </b>tears.
She lowered her gaze<b>, </b>blinking quickly. Her eyesnded on the watch on Sean’s <b>wrist</b>, and her breath caught,
“You….” She wanted to ask <b>why </b>he was still wearing the watch she gave him. The words hovered at the edge of her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself <b>to </b><b>say </b>then. Even <b>her </b>voice wavered
Sean followed her gaze and looked down at the <b>watch</b>. A dull <b>ache </b><b>bloomed </b><b>in </b><b>his </b>chest.
<b>It </b><b>was </b><b>the </b><b>very </b>first gift she ever <b>gave </b><b>him</b>. It hadn’t been particrly extravagant–<b>around </b><b>sixty </b>gind—but he had worn it ever since. Even after the breakup, he never look it off.
Whenever he knew she would <b>be </b>around, <b>he </b>would make sure to keep the watch out of sigh. He had done so on New Year’s Eve and again at the golf course in South City
But today, he hade out for <b>a </b>quiet walk <b>on </b>his own. He <b>hadn’t </b>expected to run into her like this.
And now the watch <b>was </b>right there in in view,
He knew exactly what she wanted to ask
He wanted to tell her he missed her. That he couldn’t bring himself to take it off. That he still cared.
<b>But </b>after a long pause<b>, </b><b>all </b>he could manage was a strained, “Oh.. 1 forgot to take <b>it </b>off.”