Chapter 277 Unexpected Reunion

Chapter 277 Unexpected Reunion
Millie slipped into the floral maxi dress she’d picked out while Evan pulled on a clean shirt. His jeans sat low on his hips, and when he smiled at her, her stomach flipped. They laced their fingers and stepped out of the bedroom. The door clicked shut behind them, and the sounds of the party rushed back in—laughter, music, kids shouting as they ran across the lawn.
Clara spotted them right away. She stood by the drinks table, arms crossed, wearing a knowing grin. Millie laughed, heat rising in her cheeks under the look.
Before she could toss back a joke, she stopped short.
Her gaze caught on someone—no, several people—near the dessert table.
Sheila. Andrea. Sandra. Even Alfie.
For a second, it didn’t feel real. It had been years.
“Sheila? Andrea?” Millie headed toward them. “Oh my god—I can’t believe you’re all here.”
Sheila laughed and pulled her into a tight hug. “Rose reached out. Said Evan wasn’t taking no for an answer. Told us it was your little boy’s big day—and honestly, like we’d miss that.”
Sandra squealed, grabbing Millie’s arm. “Millie! I saw the wedding photos! You and Evan Moretti? I thought it had to be a joke.”
“And in Spain,” Sheila added. “The cliffs, the dress, the way he looked at you—I cried, and I was just staring at my phone.”
Millie laughed. “It all happened so fast. It was crazy—and beautiful. Some mornings I still wake up wondering if I imagined it.”
Sandra looked around the garden, eyes wide. “This place is unreal. It’s like the houses we used to clean for hours. And now you live here?”
Clara bumped Millie’s shoulder, grinning. “Not just that. She finished school and runs two pastry shops now.”
Andrea stood a little apart. “You really did it. Not just with Evan. You built something.”
Millie was fighting tears. Her gaze drifted to Evan, laughing with Alfie as he handed him a slice of cake.
“He’s… everything I never thought I deserved. Or thought I’d ever have.”
They stood there for a moment, wrapped in the sound of kids playing and soft jazz drifting through the garden.
Sheila exhaled. “We worried about you. I thought you were stuck, that you didn’t get out. And we missed you.”
“I missed you, too,” Millie said. “More than you know.”
Clara perked up. “So—where is everyone now? What are you all doing?”
“I work for Ethan,” Sheila said. “He fixed up his mother’s house in Georgia. Big place, barely ever there, so I keep it running.”
Clara’s brows lifted. “Wait—is it that house with the forbidden room?”
"Forbidden room? You mean the art room?”
“Yes! That one,” Clara said, turning to Millie. “We cleaned that place together, remember? Before Cedar Ridge.”
“Yes,” Sheila said, nodding. “That’s it. Ethan lived there with his mother. Later, Abbie stayed there too. His fiancée—before she died.”
Clara looked straight at Millie.
Millie held her gaze for a moment, then asked, “How’s Ethan?”
Sheila shrugged. “Busy. Always flying around Europe. Still not married. But he and Cheri might as well be—she’s basically built her life around him.”
A flicker of Millie's last conversation with Cheri passed through her mind.
“I work at a design firm now,” Sandra said, lifting her lemonade. “Nothing fancy, but no mops, no bleach. I’ll take it.”
Andrea laughed. “Front desk at a dentist’s office.”
“Wow,” Millie said. “You all got out.”
“Yeah,” Sheila said. “After Don Hugo died, Evan found us. Told us we were free. A year later, Cheri called. Said Ethan needed someone he trusted to look after the Hillcrest Heights house. That was that.”
Millie looked around at them. She never thought she’d have this again—but here they were. Still standing. Still laughing.
Warmth spread through her chest, steady and overwhelming.
Then Evan came over, slipping an arm around her waist as he greeted the women. They talked for a few minutes—easy, polite, a little dazzled—before he offered to introduce them to Ophelia and Gretchen near the play area.
As the others followed him, one figure stayed behind.
Andrea.
Her steps were tentative, her expression unsure. She smoothed her blouse like she needed something to do with her hands, then looked up. “Hey…” she said.
“Hey, Andrea,” Millie replied. “Thanks for coming.”
Andrea let out a short, awkward laugh. “Honestly? I’m here because Evan invited me. I was surprised. I mean, I wasn’t exactly your biggest fan back then. I figured he’d know that. You must’ve told him.”
Millie shook her head. “Not much. Just that we didn’t get along.” She hesitated. “But I did mention your mom. Rose said Evan tried to find her. I’m really sorry she passed.”
Andrea looked down. “Yeah. When Rose called, I wasn’t shocked. I think I already knew. She’d been gone for a long time—before anyone said it out loud. She chose a different life. One she couldn’t come back from.”
“I’m sorry,” Millie said softly. “That’s a lot to carry.”
Andrea nodded, then looked up. “I owe you an apology. I was awful to you. You were just trying to keep your head down, and I—” She stopped, swallowed. “I still remember our last fight. You were right. About everything.”
Without thinking, Millie reached out and squeezed her arm. “It’s okay. We were all just trying to survive. None of us were our best back then.”
Andrea smiled. “Still. You didn’t deserve it. And now…” She glanced toward the yard. “You’re married to him.” Her tone turned playful. “I had the biggest crush on Evan. You stole the man of my dreams.”
Millie laughed and nudged her. “I know. Sorry.”
Andrea shook her head, laughing. “Don’t be. You two make sense. I didn’t see it coming—but now I do.”
Sandra returned then, followed by Clara and Sheila, all smiles and chatter as they slipped back into the group, the circle closing easily around them.
Sandra gestured toward the kids. “Millie, your little ones are adorable. And—we heard what happened. Not just the polished version. Some of the real stuff got out. That must’ve been a lot. You and Clara went through hell.”
Clara slung an arm around Millie’s shoulders, grinning. “Yeah, well, we’re ride-or-die.”
They laughed. The kind that only comes after years apart, old wounds, and finally growing into yourself.
As Millie and Clara talked with Sheila, Sandra, Andrea, and Alfie, Evan drifted through the crowd, his attention caught on Aidan.
Aidan sat at a table with Ophelia, Gretchen, and Richard. Gretel was off nearby with Clara’s parents, already deep into play. Seeing Aidan again stirred a familiar mix in Evan—history, distance, and everything tied to Millie. It had been a long time since they’d stood in the same space.
Ophelia noticed Evan approaching and felt the shift immediately. She smiled, then turned to the others. “Let’s go check on Julian and Gretel,” she said. “They’re probably running the bouncy castle by now.”
Gretchen laughed, looping her arm through Richard’s. “That sounds about right.”
The three of them headed toward the lawn, leaving Evan and Aidan alone.