In Love, Never Say Never

I quickly knelt down next to Gregory and pacified him, saying, “Silly boy, Mommy only left for a while. How could I have left you behind? Didn’t we agree that we’d stick together?”

However, Gregory could not be so easily appeased. He frowned in deep thought. After a moment, his eyes lit up. Extending his tiny pinky towards me he claimed, “We didn’t make a pinky promise last time, so it didn’t count. Now we have to!”

I put on an unsmiling face and hooked my pinky with Gregory’s. He cheered up considerably afterward.

Looking down at Gregory clad smartly in a tuxedo, I guessed that the three of them were heading out to dinner. In a friendly manner, I asked, “Are you going out to dinner tonight, Gregory?”

Before Gregory could reply, Ashton cut in with a low voice, “We’re going to meet my parents. You have to come too.”

We’re going to meet the Hall family? I thought, amused. I guess today isn’t a wasted trip after all.

I smiled cheerfully at Ashton, then replied, “Sure! Let me go back and change. Wait here for me.”

“It’s alright,” Ashton commanded, halting me in my tracks. “You can come as you are. There’s no need to be so formal.”

got into the

him, holding tightly onto Gregory’s hand. At least I’ve saved some time and trouble going

must be a callous bunch who attempted

Gregory while Ashton sat in the front. We seemed to have come to a mutual understanding that the earlier matter with John would not be

on endlessly, filling me in with all the news from

the van was idling at a traffic light, I suddenly thought of Audrey. Experimentally, I asked, “Gregory, you don’t really like to mix with the younger children at school, do you? Do you find

won’t!” Gregory declared stoutly. “I’ll stay with my sister always

contrast with his still-babyish voice. A

Gregory’s hair. I looked at him fondly, commending, “You’ve really grown

Ashton sneakily watching us through the rearview mirror. However, Ashton looked away from the mirror the instant our eyes met, All that remained was the stiff, icy look on

another look of utter

had told Gregory about Audrey. It felt like he had full assurance that

flew by as I was thus occupied in thought. It seemed as if we’d arrived at the Hall residence within mere

me forward while holding onto Gregory’s