After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

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Alex considered it for a moment but then hesitated. He had been seeing Nora more often lately and didn't want to be too clingy. Instead, he asked, "What about Aunt Linda? I still-"

Arnold cut him off, his voice firm. "Aunt Linda has work tomorrow. Don't bother her."

Something in his tone made Alex drop the subject. He pressed his lips together before sighing, "Fine. I'll just ask Mom."

Arnold hummed in response, distracted.

Alex picked up his phone and dialed Nora's number.

Nora had just stepped through her apartment door when her phone started ringing. She glanced at the screen, saw Alex's name, and hesitated.

After a moment, she put the phone down without answering.

She walked straight into the bathroom, letting the cool water from the shower wash away the day's exhaustion. By the time she came out, the phone had stopped ringing.noveldrama

Back at Lancelot Manor, Alex put his phone down with a small sigh. "Mom's probably busy," he muttered. "She's been working a lot."

Harrison, who had been lounging nearby, overheard. "I'm free tomorrow," he offered. "Want to hang

out?"

Alex's face lit up. "Really?"

Harrison grinned. "Yeah. We can do whatever you want."

Alex beamed, already making plans in his head.

The Next Day:

By noon, Nora was on her way to meet Abby. It had been a while since they last spent time together, and Abby had been excited for days.

As soon as Nora stepped into the restaurant, Abby spotted her and ran over with wide, gleaming eyes.

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After I left, Alpha father and son went crazy GI

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"Aunt Nora!" she squealed, flinging her arms around her.

Nora laughed and hugged her back. "Abby, long time no see."

Cole, who had been watching from the side, smiled at the interaction. He had already booked movie tickets for them at 1:00 PM. After a relaxed meal, the three of them made their way to the theater.

Before checking their tickets, Abby tugged on Cole's sleeve. "Uncle Cole, can we get popcorn?"

"Of course," Cole said. "Big or small?"

Abby didn't hesitate. "Big! I'll share it with both of you."

Cole chuckled. "Alright. Big it is."

Once inside the theater, Abby happily plopped down between them, clutching the oversized popcorn bucket like a treasure. She took a handful, popping some into her mouth before eagerly offering it to

Nora.

Nora smiled and took one.

Then Abby turned to Cole, urging him to eat as well.

To make sure Abby enjoyed herself, Cole had chosen a newly released animated movie. It was colorful, humorous, and surprisingly touching.

At some point during the film, as Nora absentmindedly reached for more popcorn, her fingers accidentally brushed against Cole's.

She froze.

So did he.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Cole slowly withdrew his hand. "Sorry," he murmured.

Nora, regaining her composure, gave a small nod. "It's okay."

Abby, completely engrossed in the movie, didn't notice the subtle exchange.

Nora didn't reach for the popcorn again after that.

Cole, noticing, lowered his gaze. He misinterpreted it as her trying to avoid him, and for some reason, it put him in a bad mood.

Halfway through the movie, Abby leaned toward Nora and whispered, "Aunt Nora, I need to go to the bathroom."

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Nora nodded and took her hand, leading her out of the theater.

As they stepped out into the hallway, another door swung open, and a little boy emerged from the men's

restroom.

He stopped mid-step when he saw them. His gaze flickered between Nora and Abtry, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Something about his stare sent a small shiver down Nora's spine.

Nora and Abby quickly slipped back into the bustling theater, blending into the crowd as they returned to their seats. The animated movie continued on-screen, filled with vibrant colors and lighthearted humor,

but Nora found herself distracted.

That brief encounter in the hallway lingered in her mind. She hadn't thought about Victor in a long time, and running into him now, even just for a second, stirred something uneasy within her.

She glanced at Abby, who was fully engrossed in the film, munching on popcorn happily. Smiling, Nora decided to push the thought aside. **Tonight was for Abby.**

Outside the theater, Victor walked up to his mother, Josiah, tugging on her sleeve.

"Mommy, I'm ready. Let's go."

Josiah, barely glancing away from her phone, hummed in acknowledgment.

Victor, the son of Josiah-Arnold's sister-had always been a difficult child. Stubborn and willful, he never showed much respect toward Nora, despite all the years she had cared for

him.

To him, she had been nothing more than an inconvenience, someone assigned to look after him, not a person to acknowledge. Even when he saw her earlier, he hadn't thought to greet her.

Josiah, preoccupied with messages on her phone, hadn't noticed Nora either.

As they walked toward the car, Victor, bored, suddenly spoke. "Mom, I saw Nora just now."

Josiah barely reacted. "Yeah?"

"She was with a little kid," Victor added, frowning. "But it wasn't Alex."