Leon heard laughter from outside his room, recognizing the familiar sound of Lily’s voice mixed with another woman’s. Curious, he stepped out of his room and found Freya sitting in the living room with Lily. They seemed to be enjoying a lively conversation about something that had them both laughing.
“Hi, Leon!” Both of them greeted him with cheerful smiles.
Leon raised an eyebrow, puzzled by Freya’s unexpected presence. He walked over to join them, intending to sit on a separate couch. But Freya reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him down to sit beside her.
“Leon, we’re discussing something interesting,” Freya said cheerfully. Lily’s face was alight with excitement.
Lily looked at Leon with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “Leon, why didn’t you tell me you were dating Freya?”
Leon was taken aback by Lily’s statement, turning to Freya in surprise. “What did you say to her?”
Freya giggled. “I didn’t say anything. Maybe you should ask your sister where that question came from.”
Leon shifted his gaze to Lily. “Lily?”
Lily giggled too. “I was just trying to get a reaction out of you. I was teasing Freya, but she wouldn’t admit anything. So, are you two really dating?”
“No!” Leon responded quickly.
He turned back to Freya. “You didn’t tell me you were coming, Freya?”
Freya sighed and replied, “I sent you several messages. Didn’t you read them? So, I decided to come over.”
Leon then noticed several boxes piled near the door. He looked back at Lily and asked, “What are those?”
Lily answered with excitement, “We’re moving, Leon! You got a new place, remember? Freya is here to help with the moving process. I’ve seen pictures of the new place, and it’s really cool… and luxurious.”
“Wait?” Leon was surprised, not expecting the move to happen so soon.
Lily nodded enthusiastically. “I’ve been accepted into my new school officially. Because of that, I’ll be living on the same floor as you in the new flat, since it’s closer to my new school.”
“Same floor?” Leon asked, turning to Freya.
Freya smiled and nodded. “As I mentioned before, Lily can live with you in your new hotel room. Initially, we provided a separate room for her as part of the school’s facilities, but Lily chose to stay with you. Are you okay with that?”
Leon couldn’t shake off the recent memories of Lily being bullied by her classmates. With just the two of them, even though their uncle was there, Leon still felt the need to protect his sister. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with her and ensure she was safe and happy. It made sense for Lily to stay with him, especially if their new living arrangements were far better than their current situation.
“Yes, sure. This is an amazing opportunity, so I have no concerns at all,” he said calmly. “Yay!” Lily cheered, her excitement evident.
Lily continued, “At first, I was a bit unsure, Leon… Freya told me she also has access to your room. I was worried it might interfere with your time together as adults…” Her words trailed off as Leon interrupted.
“Enough, Lily. Don’t think too much about it,” Leon said.
Freya chimed in, “See, your sister is working hard to matchmake us, Leon. Even though I told her we’re just colleagues, what do you think? Should we consider her wish?”
Leon turned to Freya and sighed. “I know you started this joke, Freya,” he said, tapping her forehead with his finger playfully.
Then he stood up. “Alright, I’ll start packing my things. It might take me an hour or two.”
“I’ve already packed everything, Leon,” Lily responded quickly.
“Huh? Really?” he asked, surprised.
“Yes, Freya helped me with it,” Lily said.
Leon looked at Freya, who seemed ready to say something.
“Yeah, it was quite a struggle. Lily made me pack all your clothes, including your under…” Freya teased, but Leon quickly interrupted.
“Thanks, Freya! Let’s get moving!” he said urgently.
However, there was one thing still on Leon’s mind. He thought about his capsule device that
was in his room. Then he remembered something important.
“But what about Uncle Ben?” he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
At that moment, Ben emerged from the kitchen, grinning and carrying a tray with hot tea. He placed it on the table and settled down on the sofa, still smiling.
Lily beamed and said, “Come on, Uncle Ben, tell Leon the good news.”
Leon looked confused, eyeing them both curiously. “Good news? What’s the good news?”
“Leon, Lil,” Ben said, his voice lowering to match the somber tone of the situation. “I’m so proud to have been around you both all this time.”
“You can just tell it straight, Uncle,” Leon said, cutting to the chase. “No need that extra sad tones.”
Ben grinned again. “Actually, I have some news. I’m getting married soon.”
Leon’s eyebrows shot up, and a wide smile spread across his face. “Really, Uncle? Hahaha, I’m so happy to hear that.”
Ben nodded and stood up, and Leon followed suit. The two of them embraced in a tight hug. “I’m really pleased,” Leon said as they pulled away and faced each other. “When will you introduce us to her?”
“Soon, I’ll introduce her to you both. Don’t worry.”
Leon felt immense joy and relief hearing this news. It wasn’t just because Ben was getting married, but because he knew Ben had carried the responsibility of looking after them for so long. Sometimes, Leon worried that Ben didn’t take enough time for himself. Ben was incredibly valuable to him, and he would always honor him for everything he had done for
Leon and Lily.
Ben clasped Leon’s shoulders tightly. “Live your life to the fullest, Leon,” he said. “Take good care of your sister; you don’t have to worry about me. I won’t be going with you, I’ll be staying here. And yes, you can leave the capsule device here and decide later what you want to do with it. I know you won’t sell it.”
“Thanks, Uncle. But please don’t talk like you’re going to be gone forever,” Leon answered. “You’re getting married. Where’s the smile?”
“No need to worry. My name is Benjamin Morin, not Benjamin Parker. So yeah, I’ll be around much longer to see you both grow.”
Lily stood up and, with open arms, hugged both of them tightly. Tears of joy glistened on her cheeks as she spoke heartfelt words, “I love you both so much.
The three of them stayed in their embrace for a few moments, feeling the warmth and love that connected them as a family.
Freya stood there, smiling warmly as the three of them finally stopped their embrace. Ben
couldn’t resist making a cheeky comment. “Leon, don’t you want to invite your girlfriend to
join in the hug too?” he said with a teasing grin.
Leon quickly responded, “Uncle, please stop this kind of joke. You might make her feel
uncomfortable.”
Ben glanced at Freya, who was still smiling brightly. “I don’t think she looks uncomfortable. What do you think, Freya? Does my nephew look attractive to you?”
Freya giggled and replied, “Yes, of course! He is going to be an amazing person. So, I think starting early is a very good decision.”