SWNOVELS Chapter 231
On the drive home, Jocelyn's heart was wound tight as a drum.
Neither of them mentioned what had just happened.
The car stopped.
Jocelyn unbuckled her seat belt quickly and got out.
Melvin went to fetch her things from the trunk.
"I'll come over tomorrow."
Jocelyn hadn't expected him to be so persistent, "We're staying in the day after Christmas, not visiting anyone."
"Why not?"
"It's a tradition of my hometown, I guess."
"Alright then." Melvin said, "I'll come the day after."
Jocelyn was at a loss for reasons to refuse.
She just gave him a look before going inside.
The sound of his car driving away echoed behind her as she leaned against the wall, hand on her chest, her heartbeat racing. It took her a while to calm down before she continued upstairs. No sooner had she set down her things than her phone vibrated.
She hadn't added Melvin on Facebook, so he had sent her a text instead.
It was a photo they had taken on the car roof.
She zoomed in and out, then in again-the background was beautiful, and the atmosphere was quite romantic.
It would have been even more so if she had relaxed and nestled into his arms.
She saved the photo into her album.
"Jocelyn."
She looked up to see her mom coming out of the bedroom, wrapped in a robe and turned on the light.
"Mom, you're still up? Did Euston wake up?"
"No, he didn't fuss, slept like an angel. Just cried out before bed but fell asleep soon after some formula." Daisy came over, taking her hand. "I couldn't sleep. Care to keep me company?" Jocelyn nodded.
The two sat on the couch under a cozy blanket.
"Did Melvin take you out?" Daisy's voice was soft.
Jocelyn didn't hide it, "Yeah, we went to the riverfront to watch the fireworks."
Daisy held her hand, "Be honest to me, do you still have feelings for him?" Jocelyn looked down in silence.
"Well then. If you really like him, give it a proper shot." Daisy sighed, "We're getting old. It's not our place to meddle in young people's affairs. Whatever the future holds, that's for you two to face."
"Mom..."
"Why don't you invite them over for dinner tomorrow? It's nice to have a house full of people in the Christmas season." Daisy seemed to have truly come around. All she had ever wanted was her daughter's happiness.
Jocelyn was shocked her mother would make such a decision. This was a real acceptance of Melvin.
"Mom, Melvin and I aren't at that stage yet," Jocelyn said. "We've been apart for two years, not two days. Feelings, even when regained, need time to develop." "Have you not reconciled then?"
"It feels like something's missing," Jocelyn shook her head. "But it doesn't matter. Those meant to be together will find their way. So, just let things take their course." Daisy felt a twinge of sadness seeing her so composed.
Young people these days didn't think like the older generation. They knew exactly what they wanted.
"It's late. Get some sleep then." Daisy didn't return to Jocelyn's room.
Jocelyn went back to her room and saw Euston sleeping soundly, little hands in the air.
After washing up and changing clothes, she got into bed.
Looking at the little one, her wish was simple - for Euston's parents to return home safely.
The next morning, they were all busy with phone calls and greetings. Calvin and Daisy received a bunch, and so did Jocelyn.
Her students sent wishes, as did their parents.
The biggest surprise for Jocelyn was a video call from Preston.
She answered.
"Jocelyn, I heard you had a little baby," Preston blurted out, stunning Jocelyn.
She cleared her throat awkwardly, "Not mine."
"What? Not yours? My mom said you had him with someone else," Preston exclaimed, surprised.
Turns out, Melvin hadn't clarified things with Yasmine.
Jocelyn explained, "He's a friend's child."
"I see. You and my uncle were so close, it wouldn't make sense for you to have a child with someone else." Preston seemed to see right through it. "Do you know what I wished for this year?" Jocelyn had a feeling Preston's wish might be a bit out of expectations.
She didn't really want to hear it.
"I wished that next year you and my uncle could give me a little cousin."
Jocelyn nearly choked on her own saliva.
As expected, his wish turned out to be a bombard.
How did he ever come up with such a wish?
"Thanks," Jocelyn's spoke in a cool tone.
Preston chuckled, "Jocelyn, my uncle can be a bit over the top, don't be like him. He's a pitiful guy who needs love. My grandparents never showed him any, so if you and your parents could warm him up, he'd surely love you all the more."
Towards the end, Preston got surprisingly serious, "He just doesn't know how to love others, that's why he's afraid to possess it. My mom says he was using his callousness to protect his vulnerability in the past."
Jocelyn took a deep breath. Those words hit close to home.
Using indifference to shield oneself from further harm, to keep people from seeing his fragility.
In the end, he was still carrying the weight of his parents' mistakes.
"You've grown up, you do understand quite a bit," Jocelyn said, looking at Preston's handsome young face, his lips and nose resembling Melvin's, his eyes and eyebrows probably took after his dad.
"You two better step it up. Wouldn't want me to have a girlfriend before you two sort things out," Preston joked. "Time waits for no one. Jocelyn, I still prefer you as my aunt."
Jocelyn gave him a sidelong glance, "I can't be bothered with you."
"Alright. I'll give my uncle a call, see if he's feeling particularly lonely today."
Before hanging up, Preston particularly expressed his greetings to Calvin and Daisy to wish them a merry Christmas and happy New Year. Calvin and Daisy were fond of Preston, and their faces would light up with joy whenever they saw him.
Daisy turned to Jocelyn and remarked, "Why didn't Preston join us for dinner yesterday?"
"He's not in the country."
"Oh. Then why his mom's here? Is he spending Christmas with his dad?"
"I don't know," Jocelyn replied.
Seeing that, Daisy didn't press further and went off to prepare lunch.
That day, the phone was charged several times due to constant use.
While eating lunch, Jocelyn's thoughts couldn't help but wander to Melvin.
Truth to be told, with his wealth and numerous friends, he wasn't likely to be lonely.
Her phone buzzed at the side. It was a notification from Facebook.
She picked it up and saw a friend request from Melvin, which she hesitated for a while before accepting. Then, a photo came through.
It showed a sandwich, simply covered with ketchup and cheese.
Looking at the picture, Jocelyn felt as if consuming her beef stew was almost sinful.
She typed back: [Is that all you're having for lunch?]
[Yasmine went out for a feast and didn't bring me along. Thinks I'm an embarrassment.]
Jocelyn pursed her lips, thinking that Preston was right, Melvin did seem pretty pitiful.
After a moment of contemplation, she tentatively asked: [Do you want to come over to have a lunch with us?]
As soon as she sent the message, she regretted it and quickly retracted the invite.