That night, Jayson took a flight out of City C. Before leaving, he made sure to call Sidney and tell her where he was going, reassuring her to use his kitchen. Sidney politely agreed, but she never went. She knew he wanted to win her back, and if she wanted to reconcile, she should accept his offer. The past few days, Sidney had been thinking it over, even asking Alondra for advice. Alondra probably thought that Jayson had helped her back then by keeping her out of the hands of those people. Out of gratitude, she told Sidney that she should give him a chance. And if it didn't work out, she could always walk away again. This version sounds more conversational and fluent. Let me know if you'd like any further tweaks!
Sidney was a stubborn person. The time she spent with Jayson had been the most vivid and dynamic period of her life, aside from her time with her mother. She couldn't deny that he held an indelible place in her heart. In recent days, with him reappearing in her life, she found herself thinking about him more and more. Deep down, she knew she wanted to be with him. Every time they crossed paths, her once calm heart would start racing again. She was taken aback by this realization.
How long does it take to become dependent on someone? She realized she was very dependent on him—not materially, but emotionally. For these past days, her heart had been torn inside.
She realized that whenever she was dealing with situations involving others, she would unconsciously think of the things Jayson had said. She wondered what he would say or how he would handle such situations. She had never noticed before, but it was he who taught her not to live with an ostrich mentality, not to allow herself to be so humble. She had thought that by letting time pass, she had completely forgotten him.
In less than a year, he had influenced her so deeply, completely turning around her beliefs and thoughts. It was he who had changed her.
Now, when she thought about it, all she could remember were his good qualities.
The day before he was coming back, he still called her, as usual, reporting the day's events. It was then that Sidney learned Opal Lounge had made a considerable amount of money. Sidney, trying to keep up her tough exterior, replied, "Selling the club doesn't mean you're free from it forever." He just laughed.
This was not like him at all.
At the end of the call, when Sidney was about to hang up, he suddenly said that Atticus's daughter could already crawl, and would soon be walking. Atticus occasionally brought his child to work, enjoying the joys of being a stay-at-home dad. Atticus said he would chase after the child, feeling like time passed so quickly, with so many things left unfinished, so many things to argue about, but a day and a year would slip away just like that. Finally, Jayson looked at her and said, "I get it now. When I suggested we have another child, it was selfish. No child can ever replace the one we lost. I'll carry that pain with me always, and it's a reminder to be a better parent—so when the time is right, we can welcome new life the right way."
As he said this, Sidney held the phone tightly, silently crying.
The next evening, Sidney took a car to Jayson's house in the suburbs. The layout of the house was similar to his place in B City, but what was different was the emptiness. Perhaps it was because the house was brand new, but it felt almost like a model home—sterile and devoid of any warmth.
She walked through the living room and into the kitchen, which was just as spotless as the rest of the house. The countertops gleamed, reflecting the light. She opened the cabinets and glanced inside, spotting the cookbook his mother had once used—he'd brought it along, placing it in the empty cabinet. She didn't quite understand his reasoning, but she noticed a few oil stains on the pages. She guessed he was trying to recreate his mother's cooking, to bring back that taste.
She wiped the oil stains off the book and smiled, thinking the person who left the stains must have been in a hurry.
She opened the fridge to store the butter and fresh milk she had brought. By chance, she saw some vegetables in the fridge, likely not fresh anymore. Sidney carefully checked them and then began her own practice. After a while, she realized she needed to use the restroom. Once she finished, she noticed she had walked into Jayson's bedroom by mistake. She washed her hands slowly, and when she looked up, she saw a row of toiletries beneath the showerhead. She glanced around suspiciously, feeling puzzled. None of the products were the brands Jayson usually used—they were...
Sidney walked out of the bathroom and glanced around Jayson's room. The bed sheets and pillowcases were still the ones from when she left. She walked over to confirm and saw a receipt on the bedside table. It was from a hospital, and it listed charges for orthopedic... laser treatment...
She stared at the receipt for a while, then wiped her hands dry and quickly walked into the kitchen. She opened the fridge again, took out the remaining vegetables, and silently began to rinse them...
She pressed the hands-free button on her phone, cutting the vegetables while waiting for the call to connect.
"Hello?"
"Where are you?" Sidney took a deep breath and asked him, trying to calm her emotions.
"I was just about to call you. I'm back in C City, on the way. What's wrong?"
"Come back quickly. I'm waiting for you."
When Jayson heard this, he felt a sense of urgency. He wasn't sure why, but he immediately told the driver to go as fast as possible.
He didn't even grab his luggage. As soon as he got out of the car, he didn't even have time to close the door. He ran toward his house, and the sight of women's shoes in the foyer made him overjoyed. His heart hadn't beaten so intensely in a long time.
He rushed into the living room, but before he could say anything, a figure leapt into his arms, holding him tightly.
He opened his arms and tightly embraced her. "You're back?"
"Mm."
