Chapter 479

Seeing Brooks brought back memories of the day he left. At the airport, he’d asked if she could give him a chance when he returned. Now he was back, and it was time for her to give him an answer.
Josephine watched them standing together with a knowing smile, sensing something unspoken in their exchange. They looked like they belonged together.
Evelyn approached Josephine, who insisted she didn’t need company, saying the nurse was enough. She urged Evelyn to go out with Brooks for dinner and a movie.
“Mom, Brooks just got off the plane; he needs some rest,” Evelyn protested.
Brooks quickly chimed in, “I’m not tired.”
“Go on, then,” Josephine nudged Evelyn gently, her matchmaking intentions clear. She was quite taken with Brooks.
Evelyn went along with her mother’s suggestion, partly because a video Dahlia had shown her earlier had left her unsettled. She didn’t want her mother worrying if she noticed anything off.
Brooks drove Evelyn to her favorite restaurant and ordered her favorite dishes. He didn’t press her for an answer, showing the same thoughtful care as always.
After dinner, Brooks bought tickets for a popular animated movie. During a particularly emotional scene of a mother and child parting, Evelyn’s tears fell freely. She thought of Charlie, remembering the day she lost her.
There’s nothing more painful than saying goodbye forever.
Brooks hadn’t anticipated the movie would hit so close to home. Seeing Evelyn so upset, he wrapped his arms around her immediately. She leaned into him, and more tears came.
The loss of her daughter was a wound that would never heal.
Brooks’s heart ached for her. In the dim theater light, his eyes reflected a mix of sorrow and something more complex. Watching her pain made him question whether he should tell her about seeing someone in France who looked just like Charlie.
A fleeting glimpse through a car window had convinced him the girl was almost identical to Charlie from two years ago, though her face had matured a bit. The girl’s gaze was chillingly cold for someone her age.
Brooks had tried to find her in
France but came up empty. Without solid proof, he felt it was wrong to say anything to Evelyn. Raising her hopes only to dash them would be cruel. He decided to wait until he had something concrete.
Lost in her grief, Evelyn didn’t notice the change in Brooks’s demeanor.
…
After the movie, Evelyn’s emotions had settled, but her eyes remained red. Brooks held her hand as they walked out.
Noticing her cold fingers, he said, “I’ll grab you a hot drink. Wait here.”
“Okay,” Evelyn nodded, watching him stride to a popular coffee shop across the way. She was about to sit when she noticed a toy store nearby. Through the window, she spotted a limited edition Princess Elsa dott-Charlie’s favorite.
Even though Charlie was gone, Evelyn couldn’t stop herself from buying things her daughter would have loved. Her feet carried her inside and she reached for the doll, her fingers gently tracing its details, memories of Charlie playing vividly in her mind.
Two years had passed, but Charlie’s little face was still so clear. How wonderful it would be if Charlie were still here.
Evelyn’s eyes welled up again. She took a deep breath, deciding to buy the doll to take to Charlie’s grave. Just as she turned toward the cashier, a small figure darted over and snatched the Elsa doll from her hands.
“This is mine,” the child declared.
It was Sandy, feeling better and out for a movie with Charles. Their show had ended a bit earlier than Evelyn’s. Charles, browsing the toy store with his back turned, hadn’t noticed Evelyn.
Sandy, spotting the Elsa doll in Evelyn’s hands, remembered the custom Elsa dress her dad had given Charlie two years ago. She had seen it, wanted it, and pretended it was hers, taking it and thanking her dad.
Everything that was Charlie’s, Sandy wanted for herself-her father, her toys, everything.
So when she saw Evelyn with the Elsa doll, she couldn’t resist. She rushed forward, assuming it was for Charlie, and grabbed it.