Lost in her thoughts, Deanna walked up to Lance but didn't dare look him in the eye.
"Lie down, I'll apply the medicine," she said.
"Just do it like this," Lance replied, not wanting to lie down.
He preferred sitting because it felt like he was holding Deanna close. Deanna didn't notice his subtle intentions and bent slightly to apply the medicine.
This brought them very close together. Lance looked at the serious woman in front of him, his eyes deep and contemplative. The warmth from her touch on his chest stirred an impulse within him to pull her into his arms. But he restrained himself, knowing that while Deanna might tolerate occasional jokes and minor transgressions, revealing his true feelings would make her avoid him.
Deanna, on the other hand, was fully focused on her task. Once she finished applying the medicine and re-bandaging his wound, she straightened up and stepped back.
"All done. Rest well. I'll call you when it's time to eat," she instructed.
"Okay," Lance nodded and lay down on the bed.
Seeing this, Deanna turned and left the room.
The next morning, worried about Lance's injury, Deanna got up early and went to his room.
"Mr. Mercer, are you awake?" she called out.
"Come in," came Lance's slightly hoarse voice from inside.
Deanna entered to find him sitting on the edge of the bed in a bathrobe.
"Is there something you need?" Lance asked upon seeing her.
"I came to check your wound," Deanna replied.
Lance smiled gently. "I'm fine, no need to worry."
Despite his reassurances, Deanna insisted on checking. Reluctantly, Lance opened his bathrobe, revealing his muscular chest. Deanna examined the wound and saw that it had scabbed over without signs of infection, which relieved her.
"You should rest at home today to avoid reopening the wound," she suggested, looking up at him.
Lance knew she meant well but shook his head. "It's not a big deal. Besides, we promised Gregory we'd go to Universal Studios today. Canceling would disappoint him."
Deanna frowned slightly, thinking Lance spoiled the children too much. Before she could say anything, Lance's soothing voice interrupted her thoughts again.
"I don't want Gregory to think I'm playing favorites."
As if on cue, two small heads peeked into the room from the doorway. They had come to check if Uncle Lance was awake but were surprised to see their mom so close to him, looking as if they were about to kiss.
"Mommy, are you kissing Uncle?" Chloe's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Before Deanna could respond, Gregory covered Chloe's mouth and scolded her softly. "Dummy, don't interrupt Mommy and Uncle."
Gregory pulled Chloe out of the room while grinning at the adults inside. "You two continue; we'll come back later."
Deanna and Lance watched as the children closed the door behind them, feeling both amused and exasperated.
Deanna felt particularly embarrassed. "The kids don't understand; they're just talking nonsense. Don't mind them."
"What if I do mind?" Lance's deep eyes seemed to draw her in as he looked at her intently.
Deanna's heart skipped a beat. Avoiding his gaze, she changed the subject hurriedly. "Didn't you say we were taking Gregory to Universal Studios? You should get ready; I'll check if breakfast is ready downstairs."
She turned to leave but was stopped by Lance grabbing her wrist. His voice was calm yet firm as he spoke.
"I meant what I said before. I won't pressure you, but I hope you'll consider it seriously. Avoiding it won't solve anything."
Though his words were vague, Deanna understood what he meant but didn't want to think about it now.
She bit her lip and pulled away from his grasp before taking a few steps forward. Then she paused again without turning around.
Sensing her hesitation, Lance remained silent and watched her quietly.
Deanna took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "I don't want to think about it right now. It's not that simple between us; there are many things in between. Honestly, this is fine for now-I don't want any changes for the time being."
With that, she left the room without looking back.