Grandma Lorelei's words got stuck in her throat, turning into a long sigh.
Growing up, Jamie was practically brainwashed into believing he had to love Sara. Everyone in the village knew how he felt, and his grandma knew it even better.
To be honest, she had resent Sara, but over time, that resentment turned into hope.She hoped Sara would come back, just to see her, so there could be some kind of resolution.
She had initially thought that resolution would most likely be a bitter one, but seeing the interactions between them at the village entrance and Jamie's demeanor when he first came in, she thought maybe there was a chance for a happy ending.
Grandma Lorelei shook the vegetables in her hand. "I'll go for a walk during dinner, so I won't be joining you."
Jamie said, "No, you stay here with her. I have work at the office. I just came back to let you know and I'm leaving soon."
Grandma Lorelei waved him off with an exasperated look. As he was about to leave, she suddenly remembered something and brought her hand to her mouth, speaking in a conspiratorial tone, "Want me to find out if she has a boyfriend? But listen, you better play fair. If she's already seeing someone, no stealing her away. That's not cool."
Jamie mentally scoffed at her warning.
Sara had wanted him to be her husband since she was three. If she had a boyfriend now, that guy would be the one stealing from him, not the other way around.
But...
Recalling how Sara had stared at his body with shining eyes, swallowing hard, and asking him to continue undressing, it seemed unlikely that she had a boyfriend.
"She doesn't have a boyfriend. Just make small talk and avoid making her uncomfortable. I'm leaving now."
Jamie said goodbye to his grandma and headed out. His car was still parked at the village entrance. Fortunately, it was dinner time and everyone had gone home to cook, so there was no one around to tease him anymore.
After arriving in the city, he went to the office to continue working on the project he had started earlier that afternoon. By the time he finished, it was almost midnight. He took off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes.
As his hand moved away, the cold light from the computer illuminated his face. Without the gold-rimmed glasses, his features suddenly appeared more youthful. Though he still seemed more composed than his peers, he no longer had the look of the polished urban professional he had in the afternoon.
Jamie looked at the pair of non-prescription glasses he had worn for years and thought about Sara's charming face, pondering whether standing next to her without glasses would make him look less juvenile.
Sara's dad really painted a misleading picture of her. Every time he returned for the ancestral rites, he would tell the villagers how outstanding Sara had become—graduated from a prestigious university, landed a job at a big company, worked efficiently, and was highly appreciated by her superiors.
During such talks, he would pull out his phone to show Sara's photos to the villagers, who would nod and say how much more mature Sara looked now.
Jamie had never seen the photos. He just listened from a distance, picturing a mature woman in his mind.
The first time he saw Sara today, his first thought was that stereotypes are really misleading. Who says a woman who works efficiently in a big city and a big company has to have a mature face?
However, before leaving the office, Jamie put his glasses back on.
Habits are hard to change, just like he's gotten used to being good to Sara and waiting to marry her.
Although Sara didn't seem inclined to marry him now, it didn't matter. Since she had come back voluntarily, he should take the initiative.
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes behind the lenses. Jamie adjusted his glasses, a slight smile curving his lips.
