Chapter 6

The three of them stayed with Lisa until the sun dipped low in the sky. She said she was tired and wanted to rest.

"Alright then, you rest up. We'll head out now," they said.

"Ryder, you stay. Read me a few stories. I haven't been sleeping well lately," Lisa requested.

Ryder nodded and watched as Seth followed closely behind Laura, whispering something to her as they left the room.

The hospital room fell silent again.

"What about the wedding?" Lisa asked. "What are you planning to do?"

"I'll take care of it. She'll be satisfied," Ryder replied.

"And you?" Lisa pressed.

"I'll go abroad, continue my studies, and probably settle there long-term," he answered.

A heavy silence settled between them.

"Alright. Granny supports you," Lisa said.

Ryder stood up, gave her a tight hug, and left the room.

Outside the hospital, Laura's car was parked by the curb. She waved at him as he walked out.

"Come on, let's go home," she said.

Ryder raised an eyebrow. "Where's Seth? Why isn't he with you?"

Laura gestured toward the distance. "Over there. I told him to take a cab home."

Ryder turned and saw Seth sitting on the curb, crouched at the corner of the street, far away.

When he looked back at Laura, her gaze remained fixed on Seth. A wry smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"You should drive him home instead. It's a short walk for me from here—I'll walk back," he suggested.

Laura hesitated, unease growing in her heart.

She wanted to reach out and grab his hand but faltered when her eyes drifted back to Seth.

"Alright. Be careful on your way," she said finally.

The cool night breeze swirled around Ryder as Laura drove away, leaving only the fading trail of her car's exhaust.

-

Laura didn't come home until late again.

Ryder sat on the bed, bathed in warm light, flipping through a book.

Laura leaned in to take a look. It was a book on architectural design.

"Isn't this what you studied abroad? Why are you reading it now?" she asked.

Ryder continued flipping through the pages. "No reason. I found it while packing, so I figured I'd give it another look."

Laura's instincts kicked in.

"Packing? What are you packing for?" she pressed.

"I told you a few days ago—I'm going to stay at Harry's place for a bit. Did you forget?" Ryder replied.

Relieved, Laura exhaled. "Oh, that. Right."

The room grew quiet again.

"By the way, what did you end up talking about with Granny Bambra?" she asked.

Without lifting his gaze, Ryder answered calmly, "I read her a fairy tale. She fell asleep after a while, so I came down."

Laura opened the closet and noticed it was half-empty.

Apart from one outfit of Ryder's, the rest were all hers.

"Why did you pack so much?" she asked.

"I'll be staying for a few days. Thought I'd bring a few extra things so I wouldn't have to come back for more," he answered.

She went to the bathroom next, where only her toiletries remained on the sink.

"Why did you pack all your bathroom stuff, too? Doesn't Harry have that covered?" she questioned.

"It's not my place, so I figured I'd bring my own. Just to be safe," Ryder replied.

Something about this unsettled Laura, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. The same unease from days before crept back into her heart.

Pulling out her phone, she messaged Harry.

Laura: [Is Ryder going to stay at your place?]

Harry: [Yeah, I just moved into a new house. Why?]

Laura: [Oh, nothing.]

With confirmation from Harry, Laura's eyes returned to the sink.

The single, solitary set of toiletries stared back at her.

She didn't like the feeling it gave her—it was as if Ryder was systematically peeling himself away from her life, one piece at a time.

They were getting married, weren't they?

Laura tried to convince herself everything was fine.

"By the way, Ryder, when are you moving to Harry's place?" she asked.

"Tomorrow," he answered.