In the dimly lit bedroom, half an hour had passed since Deanna finished the acupuncture treatment. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, massaged her sore waist, and walked over to the dressing table to take a sip of water.
Lance watched her movements with a gentle gaze, something stirring within him. Unfortunately, Deanna didn't notice.
After drinking, she suddenly remembered something and smiled knowingly at Lance. "Mr. Mercer, I want to take back the piggy bank Gregory and the others gave you. I'll cover the travel expenses separately. Is that okay?"
No, it wasn't okay. Lance wanted to keep it as a memento from his son, even if it wasn't meant for him. But seeing the tenderness on Deanna's face, he understood her reasons for asking for it back were similar to his own. He had no reason to refuse, so he reluctantly agreed.
Later, after the treatment ended, Lance and Deanna agreed on the departure time for the next day and then parted ways.
The next morning, Deanna got up early to pack. The two little ones were too excited to sleep and got up to help.
Around eight o'clock, Lance arrived at the Jones family home. He looked at the packed luggage on the floor and asked, "Is everything ready?"
"Yes, we're all set to go," Deanna replied with a smile.
Xavier, standing nearby, quickly stepped forward to help carry the luggage downstairs.
Deanna turned to her grandmother and reminded her, "While I'm away, please take good care of yourself. Contact me if you need anything."
She had wanted to bring her grandmother along, but the latter had refused.
"I know, you all stay safe out there. I've heard it's not very safe abroad," Old Ashley said with some concern.
Lance quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, Grandma. With me around, nothing will happen to Dr. Deanna."
Seeing Lance's serious expression, Old Ashley's eyes sparkled as she nodded with a smile.
The two little ones chimed in as well. "Great-grandma, don't worry. We'll protect Mommy too."
"Great-grandma, take care of yourself while we're gone."
Old Ashley laughed at their earnest expressions and nodded again. "I know. You all listen to your mommy while you're out there."
After a few more reminders, Lance took Deanna and the children to the airport.
They had booked first-class tickets. Once on the plane, the two little ones were curious about everything but managed to restrain themselves.
It wasn't until the plane took off that they couldn't contain their excitement anymore. "Mommy, we're flying!"
"Wow, everything looks so small from up here."
Watching their excitement made Deanna smile and feel a bit sad. Over the years, she had never taken them on a trip before. The children understood how hard she worked to earn money and never asked for much, content with occasional visits to amusement parks.
Lance noticed the guilt on Deanna's face and could guess what she was thinking. He felt bad too and decided he would take them on more trips in the future.
Unaware of Lance's thoughts, Deanna focused on watching over the children and enjoying the scenery with them until they grew tired and fell asleep against their seats.
She was also exhausted and dozed off in her seat, her head bobbing as she struggled to sleep comfortably.
Lance noticed this and signaled to Xavier.
Xavier understood immediately and approached Deanna. "Dr. Deanna, Mr. Mercer needs to speak with you. I'll watch the kids."
"Thank you," Deanna said without much thought and got up to let Xavier sit down before walking over to Lance.
Sitting down next to him, she asked, "Mr. Mercer, what do you need?"
"It's nothing important. I just wanted to ask if you have any plans for the trip or if you'd like me to handle everything," Lance said casually.
Deanna thought for a moment and smiled. "You can handle it, Mr. Mercer. I'm not familiar with Feblesh, and my online research might not be accurate."
"Alright, I'll take care of it," Lance nodded.
They chatted for a bit before Deanna started feeling drowsy again.
"Sleep on my shoulder," Lance said as he moved closer.
Deanna hesitated for a moment but didn't refuse as Lance gently guided her head onto his shoulder. "Don't force yourself; just sleep," he said softly.
For some reason, his words reassured her. She closed her eyes and soon fell into a deep sleep, comforted by the faint scent of tobacco from his clothes.