Since the day she''d replied to Thorne''s message, several days had gone by without a single word from him.


    Jasmine, on the other hand, had reached out to her twice.


    On Friday night, Charlene took Jasmine out for some fun.


    After dinner and a round of their favorite scavenger hunt, Jasmine announced she wanted some bubble tea. Charlene was just about to hand her the cup when she spotted Thorne not far off.


    He was walking straight toward them.


    Charlene froze for a moment.


    Thorne, noticing her attention, offered a faint, handsome smile.


    Jasmine caught sight of him too, but there was no surprise on her face. It was as


    if she''d expected him to show up all along.


    She waved enthusiastically. "Dad, over here!"


    When Thorne reached them, Jasmine shook her cup of bubble tea. "Dad, do you want some?"


    He ruffled her hair with a big hand. "I''m not thirsty."


    Jasmine chirped, "Okay!" and happily sipped her drink.


    Thorne''s gaze shifted back to Charlene. "Just got off a flight."


    Charlene blinked.


    She hadn''t asked, had she?


    Still, since Jasmine was there, she replied with a neutral, "Oh."


    She avoided Thorne''s eyes and leaned down to Jasmine. "Minnie, it''s gettingte. Maybe we should "


    But Jasmine''s attention had already been caught by something else.


    "Mom, look! There''s a drum set performance over there!"<fnfd10> Discover more novels at find{n}ovel</fnfd10>


    Before Charlene could stop her, Jasmine darted off toward the crowd gathering nearby.


    The "drum set performance" turned out to be a local music studio promoting their drum lessons. They wheeled the instruments out to the za and were inviting kids to get up and y, hoping to attract new students.  s


    Kids these days were bold-one after another, children about Jasmine''s age took the stage each with enough skill to impress the crowd. The lively, upbeat music and confident performances quickly drew a circle of onlookers.  s


    Jasmine, who''d never yed the drums before, was captivated. Seeing other kids


    her age up there, she squeezed into the crowd to watch, her eyes bright with excitement.


    Worried she might get lost, Charlene hurried after her.


    Thorne, meanwhile, was in no rush. He watched them go, then strolled after Charlene, eventuallying to stand quietly at her side.


    Charlene noticed his nearness but said nothing.


    Jasmine, spotting her mother, grabbed her hand and watched the show with eager anticipation.


    Charlene found herself enjoying it too. The little ones performed fearlessly in front of the crowd, and the infectious music made the whole scene surprisingly delightful.


    A momentter, a child bumped into Charlene, sending her off bnce. Just as she was about to fall, Thorne''s arm slipped around her, steadying her.


    She let out a relieved breath. After regaining her footing, she looked at Thorne. "...Thank you."


    He smiled but didn''t say anything. Before she could say more, he released her waist.


    Charlene still had a touch of bubble tea on her hand. Thorne noticed and offered her a handkerchief.


    "...Thanks, but it''s okay," she said, pulling out her own napkin.


    With a shrug, Thorne tucked the handkerchief away.


    "Have you been busy these past few days?" he asked.


    "...Not too bad," she replied.


    Just then, Leah wasing out of the movie theater upstairs. ncing at the time, she decided to grab


    some tea before heading home set


    While she waited in line, she nced around and spotted Therme and Charlene standing side by side in the crowd.  s