Chapter 124 124
THE echoes of Hazel’s presentation still lingered in Amelia’s heart long after the school auditorium emptied. Hazel had stood tall, her planets neatly lined on the board, her voice steady as she explained the solar system. And then, the very moment Adrian had walked in, the look of bewilderment on their daughter’s face. Hazel’s face had lit up like a thousand stars, and she had run to hug him, giving rise to that sweet father-daughter moment they had. And how about the hug at the end of the presentation? That family embrace?
That night, as Amelia tucked Hazel into bed, her daughter whispered, “Mommy, I wish you and Daddy could be together again. You both looked so nice standing beside me today.”
Amelia had kissed her forehead, dismissing the thought with a soft smile, but Hazel’s words had planted something stubborn in her little heart.
Two days later, Amelia thought it was just another casual Saturday. Hazel bounced into her room, dressed neatly and excited.
“Mommy, can we go out today? Just you and me. Please?”
Amelia glanced up from her desk where she had been sorting papers.
“Out? Where?”
“It is a surprise!” Hazel grinned mischievously. “You always plan things for me, so let me plan this time. Just us girls.”
Amelia chuckled at her daughter’s determination.
“Alright, alright. Let me grab my bag.”
Across town, Adrian’s phone buzzed with a message from Hazel. She had called him earlier with the kind of insistence only a daughter could muster: “Daddy, come out today. I want to spend time with you. Please don’t say no.”
He had smiled faintly, surprised by the sudden request.
“Just the two of us?” he asked.
“Yes,” Hazel had replied quickly. “Just you and me. I will send you the place.”
And now, here he was, following the location she had texted— a cozy little lakeside café Amelia had once loved.
When Amelia and Hazel arrived, Amelia took in the charming view of the water, the gentle breeze, and the tables dotted with flowers.
“Hazel, this is lovely. How did you even know about this place?” she asked, curious but relaxed.
Hazel shrugged, hiding her excitement.
“I just… thought you would like it.”
They settled at a corner table, Amelia reaching for the menu, when Hazel suddenly beamed and waved.
“Daddy!”
Amelia froze, the menu slipping slightly from her hands. Her heart jolted as she turned her head, and there was Adrian, walking toward them in a crisp white shirt, eyes widening at the sight of Amelia seated across from his daughter.
For a second, silence wrapped around them like a net. Hazel’s innocent grin was the only thing breaking the tension.
“Hazel…” Amelia’s voice was taut, her gaze shifting from her daughter to Adrian. “What did you do?”
Hazel clasped both her hands under her chin, eyes wide and full of hope.
“I just wanted us to be together. Please don’t be mad.”
Adrian stopped at the edge of the table, his jaw tight, his eyes fixed on Amelia. She was equally stunned, caught between anger, confusion, and the tiniest flicker of something she didn’t want to name.
The air was heavy, the moment taut like a bowstring.
Hazel, oblivious to the storm she had just set in motion, clapped her hands and chirped, “So… can we order now?”
And just like that, the couple who had carefully avoided being in the same space outside obligations found themselves face-to-face, drawn into their daughter’s secret plan— with no escape.