CHAPTER 35: Unspoken Things at the Klein House

---

Chapter 35: Unspoken Things at the Klein House

Calvin

He stepped inside the house quietly, as if silence could delay the confrontation he knew was coming.

Lydia Klein didn't look up from the armchair, but the tension in her posture gave her away. Arms crossed. Back straight. Waiting.

Samuel glanced up from his book. "You're back."

Calvin nodded, his voice low. "Yeah."

Lydia finally looked at him. "You ignored my calls."

"I was with Daisy," he said, not defensively—just honestly.

That was enough to set the tone.

---

Lydia

"She kept you from a family dinner," she said. "Without explanation."

Calvin sat down across from her. "She didn't keep me. I made a choice."

She stiffened. "You've never been this reckless before."

"I'm not being reckless," he said calmly. "She needed me. Her father is in the hospital. She was falling apart."

Lydia blinked, the edge in her voice faltering for a second. "And what about your future? Your internship in London? The life we've been building for you?"

Calvin held her gaze. "Maybe I'm trying to build something that feels like mine."

---

Samuel

He cleared his throat gently. "Sometimes, Lydia, we mistake control for protection."

She didn't reply.

---

Calvin

He rose to his feet. "I'm not asking for permission. I'm asking for understanding."

Then he walked to his room, closing the door behind him—gently, but firmly.

---

In His Room

He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling out his phone. One new message.

Daisy: Thanks for being there today. I don't know how to say it out loud yet, but… I felt safe.

Calvin smiled faintly.

Sometimes, you don't need a whole future planned. Sometimes, you just need a reason to stay where your heart is.

---