She had almost forgotten that she had asked Benedict to buy her a car before. She never thought he would still remember it.
Vivian abandoned her own car that still looked brand new and drove the one gifted by Benedict. Meanwhile, Paris was quite relieved to see Vivian driving that car. She had almost forgotten about the car. Fortunately, Vivian still remembered it.
“Hop in.” Sitting behind the wheels, Vivian had returned to her calm self. Her impassive expression reminded Paris of the time when she first knew her. At that time, Paris was very cautious in case she might accidentally offend Vivian.
After getting to know her, Paris soon realized that beneath that cold facade lay a warm heart. She understood Vivian was now acting cold and distant because there was too much happening lately.
None of them spoke in the car. Vivian had always been a woman of few words. As for Paris, she thought it’d be better if she remained silent, afraid she might say something wrong and unknowingly upset Vivian. She decided to only talk to Vivian when they arrived home. Throughout the ride, the young lady was looking at the passing scenery outside the window.
By the time they reached home, Benedict was already waiting for them at the porch. His heart ached to see Vivian losing so much weight, yet he mentioned nothing about it. The purpose of having Vivian here was to cheer her up, not to upset her further.
In a cheerful voice, Benedict exclaimed, “Vivian, you actually drove the car I gave you!” Initially, he was worried that Vivian might not even accept the gift. He was glad to see her driving it.
Vivian nodded. “Thanks for the car, Ben.” Then, she followed Benedict into the house.
Benedict had had the food ready. In fact, the man’s cooking was much better than Finnick’s. In his free time, he would search for new recipes and cooking videos to improve his cooking.
Benedict was the one who prepared the lavish spread of food before Vivian. To make the latter feel comfortable and cozy, he even took a day off to clean up the house.
“Come, have a seat.” Benedict knew Vivian had changed a lot, yet he never thought the young lady would distance herself from him.
Vivian nodded and then complied. Sitting at the dining table, she watched Benedict and Paris as they busied themselves in the kitchen. Initially, she wanted to offer help. Yet, seeing their loving interaction, she decided to leave the two lovebirds alone.
“Paris, grab me the olive oil.”
“Paris, help me tie my apron. It’s hanging loose.”
Benedict would call Paris from time to time, asking her to give him a hand. Vivian could sense their affection for each other in the air. Soon, Benedict was done with the final dish. The three of them were now sitting at the dining table, enjoying their meal.
“Vivian, try this one; it tastes delicious. You should eat more!” Benedict helped fill Vivian’s bowl with food. Then, he would glance in Paris’ direction to make sure the latter had enough food on her plate. Although it was a subtle act, Vivian didn’t fail to notice it.
Throughout the meal, Vivian remained silent.
Knowing that it was not a habit of hers to talk while eating, both Benedict and Paris, too, ate their food in silence. They planned to have a heart-to-heart with Vivian after the meal in hopes of making her feel better.
The two were acting in a constrained manner throughout the meal. Yet, Vivian was perceptive enough to notice that they were trying hard not to display affection in front of her.
Later, in the living room, Vivian listened as Benedict and Paris gave her the pep talk. They didn’t put it bluntly nor mention Larry, yet they conveyed their hopes for her to be prepared for the worst that could happen and stay strong.
Vivian simply nodded in response. Soon, she left the Morrison residence. She should be heading home now as it was about the time she usually got off work. Anyway, she was glad to have spent the time with Benedict and Paris, especially seeing them being affectionate to each other.
On her way back, Vivian’s mind was flooded with loving memories of her with Finnick. We were so happy back then… Why would something like this befall our family?
She wiped her tears and kept her eyes on the road. Everyone had their difficulties and issues in life. She needed to stay strong to avoid becoming a burden to her family and friends.
