Deanna had no idea her children had invited Lance for dinner.
She returned home after a busy evening, around seven o'clock.
Upon entering, she was surprised to find a table full of sumptuous dishes.
"Why so much food?" she asked.
"We have guests coming over," Old Ashley replied with a smile.
"Guests? What guests?" Deanna asked, puzzled.
"Mommy, don't ask. You'll see soon," the children answered mysteriously.
Deanna could only turn to wash up, still wondering who the guests might be.
By the time she finished, it was nearly eight o'clock.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. She opened it to see the handsome Lance and Xavier standing outside.
"Mr. Mercer, Mr. Nelson, are you the guests my grandmother mentioned?" Deanna finally understood what was going on and found the children's secrecy amusing.
"Uncle, you're here!" Chloe ran out joyfully upon hearing the commotion at the door. Gregory followed closely behind, his eager steps betraying his excitement.
Chloe threw herself into Lance's arms, laughing happily.
Old Ashley came over and greeted them, "Mr. Mercer, Mr. Nelson, come in and sit down. The food is ready."
Lance nodded, holding Chloe's hand and Gregory's as they walked to the dining room.
During the meal, the children eagerly served Lance dishes.
"Uncle, try this dish. It's delicious. It's my great-grandmother's specialty."
"Thank you, Chloe," Lance said, taking a small bite.
Seeing the children's bright eyes watching him, he smiled and said, "It is indeed very good."
"See, I told you it was good. You would definitely like it," Chloe said happily.
Deanna watched their interaction with a soft gaze.
As she reached for some food, she caught a faint smell of alcohol from Lance.
She frowned slightly and looked up. "Mr. Mercer, did you drink before coming here?"
"There was a social event before I came over. I had a couple of drinks but didn't eat because I promised Chloe I'd be here by eight," Lance explained honestly.
Deanna frowned deeply, clearly disapproving. "You shouldn't drink on an empty stomach. Don't you care about your health?" She sounded a bit reproachful but put down her cutlery and went to the kitchen.
Lance watched her leave, feeling something indescribable.
Old Ashley and the children were also taken aback by Deanna's strong reaction.
"Uncle, don't mind her. Mommy is just concerned about you," Chloe said, fearing Lance might be upset.
Old Ashley nodded in agreement. "Deanna may sound harsh, but as a doctor, she cares about your health."
"I understand," Lance nodded, indicating he wasn't offended.
After a while, Deanna returned from the kitchen.
Everyone looked at her immediately.
"Why are you all staring at me? Eat your food," she said, then turned to Lance. "I made some medicine for you. Drink it after dinner before you leave."
"Thank you," Lance said with a slight smile.
Deanna sighed as she sat back down. "Take better care of yourself in the future. Avoid alcohol altogether if possible; even the best doctors can't save you if you don't."
She then looked at Xavier and added, "Mr. Nelson, keep an eye on him. Don't let him ruin his health anymore."
"Understood. I'll make sure Mr. Mercer doesn't drink again," Xavier promised quickly.
After dinner, since the medicine wasn't ready yet, Lance stayed a bit longer.
The children seized the opportunity and each grabbed one of his hands. "Uncle, will you play puzzles with us? We've already completed half of it. With your help, we'll finish it faster."
They were right. The puzzle Lance had given them had thousands of pieces-challenging even for adults-but the children had already completed more than half. With an extra pair of hands, they could finish it soon.
Lance agreed since he had nothing else to do. "Bring the puzzle to the living room; we'll play there."
"Okay!" The children responded happily and fetched the puzzle from their room.
Soon, the three of them were in the living room working on the puzzle together, laughter filling the air.
Old Ashley watched them with a contented smile while continuing to knit a sweater on the sofa.
Xavier, having nothing else to do, sat beside her helping with the yarn but couldn't help feeling something was off as he watched Mr. Mercer with the children.
The more he looked, the more it seemed like Mr. Mercer was playing with his own kids.