Chapter Thirteen.

Lina returned home in time to see Christopher walking towards the house with Sammie in his hand. 

Then, she alighted from her car and walked up to them to say hi.

'Hey, Christopher!?' She muttered. 

'Did you walk down here?' She asked. 

'Yes, I did.' Christopher replied. 

'What?! Why?' Lina blurted, now standing in front of Christopher. 

'Well, I just decided to take a walk with Sammie.' Christopher replied. 

And Lina reached for Sammie's cheek to stroke it gently.

Christopher smiled at the fact that Lina now played with her nephew. 

'And Vivienne?' Lina asked, as she smiled at Sammie who was also giggling at her. 

'She's running the book store today.' Christopher replied. 

'You should be there helping her, Chris.' Lina protested and held her hands out to take Sammie from him.

The toddler gladly leaned into her arms and she held him.

This made Christopher even more excited that Lina is now opening her heart up again.

He wished his mom was out there to see as Lina held Sammie.

Because, when she just arrived back to the countryside, she hardly smiled at his son or even tried to hold him.

He recalled Natalie wasn't so glad about how Lina completely ignored Sammie's presence in the house two weeks ago.

If she had seen Lina and Sammie now, she would have been the happiest person alive.

'Maybe staying back was going to help Lina open up her heart to love and family again.' Christopher thought.

Maybe Catherine did the right thing, fighting Lina to make sure she spent more time with her family.

Maybe after her one month stay, she wouldn't feel the need to return back to Istanbul. 

'Just maybe.' Christopher said in his head and replied Lina's question.

'The biggest help I can offer her right now is to look after Sammie, so she can concentrate with work.' Christopher said eventually as he walked into the house with Lina. 

'And when are you going back to work, Chris?' Lina asked and Christopher scoffed.

Christopher left work to support his family since the death of his grandmother. 

But now the reason he doesn't want to go back to work so quickly was because he didn't want to miss out on the quality time he can spent with Lina, before she return back to work.

'Your restaurant needs you.' She added with furrowed brows.

'I know, Lina. But the assistant chef is taking care of things right now.' Christopher replied. 

'And I must say that he is doing a great job at it.' He added. 

'Ughh.' Lina scoffed. 

'Plus, I need more time with my family, Lina.' Christopher muttered. 

'Spending time with you doesn't come by every day.' He added and Lina snickered.

'Do not get me started today, Chris.' She muttered. 

'I dare not.' Christopher responded 

'Mom said you were out picking up a package in the morning. I thought you would have returned.' He went on.

'What took you so long?' He asked.

'Well I took some me time, driving around town to refresh all good memories.' Lina replied after they got in and Christopher closed the door behind them.

'And the process at the postal office was kind of slow, so I had to spend quite a little time there also.' She added.

'Really?' Christopher gave a puzzled look.

'Yes.' Lina uttered.

'Can you imagine making Arnold and I wait to fill a form before we were attended to?' She scoffed.

'That is the procedure, Lina. Except, you've not been to the post office in a long time.' Christopher told her.

'And, did I just hear you say Arnold?' He asked and Lina rolled her eyes to ignore the question.

'Which Arnold are you talking about, Lina?' Christopher persisted. 

'Same Arnold, Chris.' Lina gruntled. 

'Wow?!!' Christopher exclaimed and Lina walked into the kitchen. 

'I didn't know you went to the post office together. Now I see why it took you this long to return.' He said, following suit. 

'We didn't go together.' Lina countered. 

'I was already at the post office when he arrived.' She added.

'Uhmmm hmmm.' Christopher let out teasing hums.

'What does that mean?' Lina commented at his gesture.

'Nothing.' Christopher said in a sing song. 

'Come on, Christopher. That was only coincidental.' Lina replied.

'I didn't know he was going to be at the post office too.' She added, reaching for a glass.

She took water from the dispenser and gently helped Sammie drink from the glass before she drank, herself. 

'Well, now that you're still in town, I believe there will be more coincidences.' Christopher blurted. 

'I don't think so.' Lina muttered, handing Sammie back to him.

'Why not?' Christopher asked. 

'Because I said so.' Lina replied. 

'But there could be something there.' Christopher said. 

'Arnold and I were done 15 years ago, Christopher.' Lina blurted. 

'And we are never coming back together. We've both taken different paths in our lives and it is for the best.' She added and walked out of the kitchen. 

'He has his son, I have my work. Nothing more, nothing less.' She concluded. 

'What if this is meant to be? He's divorced after all.' Christopher said, walking out of the kitchen too.

'Nothing is meant to be, Chris. Arnold and I are over that chapter.' Lina replied. 

'But,.....' Christopher was going to protest. 

'No, Chrisy. Let it go.' But Lina interrupted him.

'Please.' She muttered and Chris knew better than saying another word to change her mind.

Maybe he was going to have the conversation with her some other time but for now, he knew better than strike a chord in Lina.

'Mom should be in the garden.' Lina said.

She was hoping to quickly escape back into her room before she bumped into her father.

She has managed to avoid her for a week and was hoping it stays that way until she left for Istanbul. 

'Tell her I left the package on the table. I need to get some rest.' She added and left for her room before her brother says anything else.