The car rolled smoothly out of the underground parking lot, its tires humming softly against the concrete before merging into the open road. Outside, the city moved at an unhurried pace, the weekend calm evident in the light traffic and quiet sidewalks. Grace sat in the back seat, his arms wrapped tightly around the plushie Nora had won for him. He kept glancing down at it, as though afraid it might vanish if he loosened his grip.
Nora leaned back in her seat, one leg crossed over the other as she scrolled absently through her phone. The thrill of the arcade had begun to fade, leaving behind a pleasant tiredness. "That was fun," she said casually, breaking the silence. "You did really well today, Grace."Grace lifted his head slightly, his eyes brightening. "I did?" he asked, almost unsure. "Yeah," Nora replied, glancing at him. "You tried something new, stayed till the end, and didn't run away. That counts as a win in my book." Nora added.
Grace smiled faintly and nodded, hugging the plushie closer. "I've never been to a place like that before," he admitted. "Everything was so loud… and bright. But it was fun". "Well," Nora said lightly, "Now you've got a story to tell."
Desmond remained quiet in the front seat, his posture straight and professional as his eyes stayed on the road. After a few moments, he spoke. "We'll be back at the estate in about twenty minute". Grace's expression shifted at the mention of home. The excitement of the day slowly settled into something calmer, more familiar.
He looked out the window, watching buildings and trees pass by in a blur. When the car finally passed through the grand iron gates of the Stanley estate, the sun had begun to dip low in the sky. Soft streaks of orange and gold stretched across the horizon, bathing the grounds in warm light. The driver parked near the entrance, and Desmond stepped out first, opening the door for Grace.The head maid was already waiting at the door, her expression composed as always.
Her eyes flicked briefly over Grace, then to Nora, as though silently taking note of everything. "You're back earlier than expected," she said.Nora shrugged easily. "Didn't want to push our luck". The head maid nodded, then turned her attention to Grace. "Did you enjoy yourself, young master?"
Grace hesitated for a second before nodding. "Yes," he answered softly. As the maids approached to escort him inside, Grace paused and turned back.
"Thank you for today, big sis," he said, bowing his head slightly. "I'll… I'll remember it."Nora crouched just enough to meet his eyes, her tone gentle but steady. "I'm glad you had fun. But remember fun days are special because they don't happen every day. You still have your routines, okay?"
Grace nodded seriously, as though committing her words to memory. "Okay". With that, he followed the maids into the house. Just before disappearing through the doors, he turned back one last time and lifted the plushie in a small wave.
Nora watched him go, her expression unreadable. Once the doors closed, she straightened and let out a slow breath. "Alright," she muttered under her breath. "Mission accomplished". Desmond glanced at her briefly. "You handled today well," he said. "He seemed… lighter".Nora scoffed softly. "Kids don't need much. Just a little space to breathe". She added adjusting her jacket and began walking away from the entrance, her steps unhurried.
The laughter, the lights, the noise of the arcade already felt distant. What remained was the quiet understanding that some moments were meant to stay exactly where they were in memory. As she reached the gate, Nora stopped and looked back at the estate one last time. "Some days are just meant to be days," she murmured. "Not habits". With that, she hopped on her motorbike and drove off somewhere.
AUTHOR'S THOUGHT...
Hey guys it's your writer Xtystar. I know I've had the crazy habits of apologizing but this time, it wasn't my fault. My Webnovel writer's page had had an issue that went on for almost two weeks. I was unable to write and upload. It kept popping out notifications (SOMETHING WENT WRONG). If you noticed I had to comment on my previous chapter explaining the issue I was going through (that was if anyone read it tho). I had to report the issue it was later fixed yesterday and now I have access to my page... Thank you so much for understanding... And I'm very sorry about that and letting you down (´;︵;`) (´;︵;`)