Chapter 139 It’s All in the Past
Lance helped Aria carry her luggage into the apartment piece by piece. As soon as she walked in, Aria was pleasantly surprised by how clean, tidy, warm, and comfortable the place was.
This was definitely suitable for long-term living.
Lance set down the last suitcase and turned to look at her, his tone natural and thoughtful. "Take a look and see what else you need - any daily necessities, groceries, kitchen supplies - just tell me directly and I'll have my assistant bring them over right away."
Since she'd be living here long-term, she'd definitely need to cook for herself - it was both convenient and hygienic.
Aria looked around and mentioned a few everyday items she needed. Lance immediately messaged his assistant, arranging everything down to the smallest details - children's utensils, seasonings, fresh fruits and vegetables, all taken care of.
Before long, the assistant delivered everything to the door, arranged neatly, and even tidied up the kitchen.
By the time everything was settled, dusk had fallen outside the window - just in time for dinner.
Not wanting to trouble her right after moving in, Lance had a familiar restaurant deliver a nutritionally balanced dinner, with light flavors that specifically catered to Jasper's preferences.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was quiet and gentle, without any awkwardness, just a rare sense of comfort.
Looking at the man carefully taking care of her and Jasper, Aria felt a quiet warmth rising in her heart. Lance was always like this, looking after them without making a fuss.
After dinner, once Lance confirmed that mother and son were properly settled, he got up to leave.
He didn't go home, but instead picked up his coat and headed back to the office with his assistant.
In the car, Lance said calmly, "Let's move up the timeline for returning to the country. Start arranging the handover of things abroad."
"Yes, sir."
After responding, the assistant looked at his boss through the rearview mirror and couldn't help but speak softly. "Mr. Gray, you actually... knew all along that Ms. Hall intended to return to the country, didn't you?"
If he hadn't known early on, why would he have had them arrange things abroad when preparing to return home? And why would he have arranged to purchase a house and everything else...
Lance gazed at the flowing car lights ahead, his fingertips lightly tapping his knee. He neither confirmed nor denied it.
The assistant sighed softly, his tone carrying a hint of emotion. "For Ms. Hall's sake, you've put aside your entire career abroad, planned ahead to return home, and even prepared a house long ago... You really care so much about her."
Lance was silent for a moment, his voice so soft it almost melted into the night. "It's not easy for her raising a child alone. What I can do is just make things a little less hard for her."
The assistant said nothing more, but everything was crystal clear in his mind.
It wasn't just that the family happened to need him - he had clearly sensed early on that Aria was thinking about returning home, so he pushed everything aside without hesitation and followed in her direction.
All these years, through all the twists and turns, his feelings had never changed.
The next morning, after getting ready, Aria took Jasper to meet Summer as planned.
They'd arranged to meet at a quiet, trendy café. As soon as she pushed open the door, Summer was already sitting by the window, waving at her from afar, unable to hide the excitement in her eyes.
As soon as they met, Summer immediately stood up and gave her a big, warm, solid hug, her voice even carrying a hint of tears. "You're finally willing to come back!"
Aria was also moved by this sudden reunion, her nose tingling. She hugged her back and said with a soft laugh, "Yeah, it's been two years since we last saw each other."
Summer had gone to stay with her for a while when Jasper was just born, but later they'd both been busy with their own lives. Come to think of it, it really had been two years since they'd seen each other.
Letting go, Summer's gaze immediately fell on the small figure beside Aria. Her eyes lit up instantly. She crouched down to look gently at Jasper, her tone so soft it could melt. "This is our little Jasper, right? You've grown so big now, and you're so adorable! Do you remember your godmother?"
In Summer's memory, Jasper was still toddling around learning to walk. Now he'd already grown into a little handsome boy.
Aria gently pushed Jasper's small shoulder and softly prompted, "Jasper, say hi to your godmother."
Jasper wasn't shy at all. He looked up with his soft little face and called out crisply, "Godmother!"
That one word melted Summer's heart. She immediately pulled him into her arms and kissed him, patting his head and praising how good he was, unable to let go.
After they sat down, the conversation never stopped as they caught up on each other's lives over the past two years.
Summer looked at her, her gaze gradually softening, her tone full of concern as she lowered her voice to ask, "How's your health now? Have you recovered?"
Summer knew about Aria's postpartum health issues, and precisely because she knew, she felt for how hard it had been for Aria.
Aria's fingers paused slightly, then she smiled gently. "I've recovered pretty well, no major problems anymore. Don't worry."
"That's good."
Summer seemed to remember something and asked, "By the way, how long are you planning to stay this time?"
Aria smiled softly, her eyes showing more relief. "This time I'm back, I'm not leaving for now. I'm planning to have Jasper receive his education here."
Summer's body stiffened, a flash of shock crossing her eyes as she exclaimed, "Not leaving? Are you sure?"
Aria replied, "That's the plan for now."
Summer nodded repeatedly, as if afraid Aria would change her mind. "Coming back is great! From now on I can help with Jasper's school drop-offs and pick-ups, and I can help with other things too. That's wonderful!"
As they chatted, Summer's expression suddenly became more serious. She leaned in closer, lowering her voice with a hint of complexity. "By the way Aria, do you know? Arthur has been looking for you these past few years. He's been going crazy trying to find you."
Aria's hand paused while peeling an orange for Jasper, her fingers stiffening slightly.
Yesterday Lucy had also vaguely mentioned that Arthur was looking for her...
What did he want with her? Hadn't they already cut ties long ago?
She just lowered her eyes, and when she looked up again, her face had returned to calm composure. She even pulled out a faint smile, her tone light as a breeze. "I know, Lucy told me yesterday too."
"So you..."
Summer looked at her, wanting to say something but not knowing where to start.
Aria gently shook her head, cutting off her words, her voice calm and carrying the relief of having completely let go. "It's all in the past."
Just a few simple words, understated, yet drawing a clear line around everything.
All those past entanglements and hurts, regrets and unwillingness, had long been washed clean in five years of Icelandic wind and snow.
Now her heart only had room for Jasper, only for starting life anew. As for Arthur, he was just an old story that had already been turned past, unable to stir even the slightest ripple in her heart.
Seeing the complete indifference in her eyes, Summer understood she had truly let go. She stopped bringing it up, just gently patted her hand, then turned to play with Jasper with a smile, leaving all that heavy past completely behind them...