31. Happiness

The question. Hung heavily in the air as tension sparked between the mother and son. Vivian held her breath, partly waiting to be ignored and partly to be reprimanded, and the longer it took for him to reply, the more she was convinced that he would ignore her question.

Meanwhile, Lloyd froze. Had it been before he met today, he would have hesitated to Naser her, but his to give wouldn't be as heavy as it was now to speak. He may not have given her a straight yes or no answer, but it would come eventually with an indefinite response.

But today, it was different. After his encounter with her. Seeing her again, she hugged him and cried in his embrace. It had awoken the feelings he had been surpassing all these years. And now, he could bring himself to see he wouldn't or give any hints to such an answer.