42. Chapter 42
LUNA
Oliver kept to his word and didn’t reappear until hours later, after the kids were getting ready for bed and I was preparing to leave. He offered to drive me home, and I couldn’t refuse because of how tightly Theo gripped my hand on our way out of the care home.
I didn’t say anything when he held the door open for me as Theo and I slipped into the back seat. Theo burst into conversation, telling Oliver what we did today, including the sneaky trip he and I took to buy ice cream for everyone after dinner.
Apart from that and the constant smile Oliver directed towards me through the rear-view mirror, he did not attempt to force me into conversation. By the time we reached LJ he wants to touch me.
To embrace me the very same way I did with Theo earlier, and as much as I want that too, I just can’t.
The lingering thought of letting Oliver back into my heart, only for him to leave again, is too much to bear and comes out as a shaky breath.
That is when, for the second time today, Oliver reaches down and presses his lips against my forehead and then my temple, then takes a step back, allowing me to wiggle out of his grip and up towards the front door.
I scramble for my key and look over my shoulder the moment I have it in the door. Oliver is leaning against his car with a sad smile; the sight of his yearning stature only hurt my heart further.
I opened the door and stepped in when I just about heard the words “Goodnight, Luna,” before closing the door as quickly as I could, pressing my back against it until the sound of his car hummed to life and disappeared down the road.
****
The next day, I’m grateful for the extra hour of sleep as Macy gave me the night off from baby duties.
The moment we made eye contact when I came home last night.
As my sister/best friend knew exactly what the look on my face meant, LJ took over Leo’s nighttime routine and let Macy and me retreat to my bedroom, where she let me sit in my delayed shock of what happened today and wiped off my makeup.
Then she and I got into my bed and drank wine until I was ready to talk; that’s the last thing I remember.
When I woke up, Leo was missing from his cot, and LJ and Macy were also missing.
No doubt gone on a walk and coffee run. It was my turn to get up, despite the headache of drinking wine till early hours of the morning, begging me to stay in bed.
But I flung my legs over the edge and planted them into the soft baby blue carpet.
Then I went to brush my teeth and shower, and the next step was my hair.
I went with letting my curls hang free again and the same earrings as yesterday.
I repeated yesterday’s makeup and was surprisingly quick.
For today’s outfit, I went with a pastel pink cable-knitted turtleneck and paired it with a black high-waisted wool-blend skirt, a pair of tights underneath and topped it off with my white platform trainers.
Lastly, I grabbed my coat but decided not to button it at the sight of the sun peeking through the front door’s stained-glass windows.
I sent a text to Gran on my way to the station, letting her know I won’t be able to help prepare for Sunday dinner today, but I will be there at 5 pm sharp.
Given it was a Sunday, I was able to score a seat on the underground, and I reached my stop with a lot less weight than yesterday.
This time, as I approached the care home, I took a better look at the building next to it.
Now four times bigger than it used to be, it looked well-furnished inside, the outside laid with light grey coloured bricks, a set of welcoming white double door and wide windows that’ll let beautiful light in once they were uncovered by the black cloth keeping the outside from looking in and a big white cover, hovering over the newly placed sign that I’m aware wasn’t there yesterday.
I still can’t help but wish the council had opted out of building yet another block of flats, and instead gone for something more child-friendly, or maybe a new GP surgery.
That would come in handy when the kids all got sick at once, and would save Tracy from having to haul all the kids into the van and drive half an hour away to the nearest one.
Though I have to say the building looked nice and modern.
Such a posh set of flats really stuck out in this neighbourhood.
If I had a ladder, I’d climb up and try to catch a peek underneath the cloth to read the sign, or if I could get over the fence, I could take a peek at what looks like a statue by the entrance.
There wasn’t a single sign or advertisement of when this place was going to be open to the public, but all my detective theories were interrupted by someone calling my name and a brown bundle of curls running towards me.
I bent down in time to scoop Theo into my arms and hugged him tight, while Oliver stood outside the care home.
“There’s my favourite guy,” I grin, kissing his cheeks as he holds my face in his hands. “Wow, Luna, you look so pretty,” he grins back as I walk the two of us over to Oliver.
“Well, if you say it, then it must be true,” I laugh, watching the way he beams at me. By the time we reach Oliver, I put Theo back on the ground.
“I’m going to get the others.” Theo blurts, running off up the stairs and into the care home before I can ask him what he meant.
“Theo is right, you do look beautiful.” Oliver declares, looking at me from head to toe, then leans in as our eyes meet. “As always.” The corners of his mouth tilt upwards, flashing his pearly whites, and the stretch of his luscious lips, which I once tasted, makes me feel breathless.
It was the kind of smile he rarely displayed, the very one he locked away for special occasions.
That rare, breathtaking smile - so bright it reached his eyes and down to the sweep of his jaw and his perfectly sculpted chin.
That smile was currently directed at me, as though it was a sniper on a roof and my face was the red dotted target.
It made my heart skip a beat, then race a mile a minute. Hitting my chest so hard that it was fighting for a way out.
Now forgetting how to breathe at the sight of him, I broke eye contact, and I turned to head up the stairs. I made three steps, bringing me level with Oliver’s basketball player height, the burn of his gaze on my back.
“Before you go in, will you humour me for a second?” he asks with a soft gaze, offering his hand.
Should I take it this time?
“Only for a moment,” he pleads, raising his brows. I hesitate at first, then accept his hand as he helps me down the stairs and leads me away from the building. I watch his smile grow slightly wider at the acceptance of my touch. He’s up to something; I just can’t figure out what.
I don’t realise we’re now standing outside the new building until Theo and the rest of the kids come bursting out of the care home, racing towards us. All dressed in smart clothing, covered up by their crafting aprons, and Randall coming out behind them.
I furrow my brows at the sight of them when Mei and Theo come running up to me. I squeeze them, and the same for the rest of the children, like I always do. Then look back at Oliver, who is observing me with his hands stuffed in his pockets.
“Oliver, what’s going on here?” I ask, looking at how his body stands taller at the mention of me saying his name and his smile widens. The children then all step forward and stand in a line, their backs facing us as they giggle amongst themselves. Randall reaches us, standing beside me.
We share a look where I silently ask what’s going on here, but he simply shrugs and faces forward. Turning around, I wonder where Oliver went, then feel his hands on my shoulders as he leans down to whisper in my ear.
“Are you ready?” he asks gently. His warm, minty breath sends shivers down my spine while he softly brushes his thumb against my clothed shoulder. I tip my head backwards to look him in the eye, but he tilts my head forward again.
“Now.” Oliver declares softly.