No one knew exactly when he had arrived or how long he had been waiting, but the moment Ivyâs eyes met Balfourâs, they both broke into infectious grins.
Ivy sprinted towards Balfour, who opened his arms wide to envelop her in a warm, solid embrace.
âHow long have you been waiting? Why didnât you give me a heads-up?â Ivy nuzzled into Balfourâs chest.
His voice was deep and resonant, tinged with laughter. âFor you, no amount of waiting is too long.â
She looked up at him, their eyes locking, the corners of their mouths unable to resist curling into smiles.
âCome on, Grandmaâs waiting for you to pick her up from the hospital. I told her you had things to do today, but she insisted on waiting for you. She almost thought I was lying to her!â
âDidnât I just go and see her the night before last?â
To keep Alyssa from worrying, Ivy had made a point of visiting her as soon as she was feeling better.
But with rehearsals and other commitments, she couldnât be at her side every day.
âAfter the meet-and-greet is over, Iâm taking some time off. Iâll stay home and spend some quality time with them.â
That had been Ivyâs plan all along, especially since Alyssa had taken a tumble down the stairs and needed time to recover.
âYeah, someoneâs been so busy theyâve spent the last two nights sleeping at the studio and not coming home. Naturally, she worries when she doesnât see you, thinking Iâm in cahoots with you to deceive her.â
Balfourâs words were laden with mock resentment. Ivy stroked his cheek, soothing him as one might smooth the fur of a grumpy cat.
âAfter the meet-and-greet, Iâll take a break. Iâll hang out with you at work every day so you can get tired of seeing me. Howâs that?â
Balfour snorted. âYouâre the one who gets tired of me. Never the other way around. And just a reminder to the workaholic Ms. Ivy: donât forget you have a husband at home.â
Ivy blushed at his words, rubbing her nose. âAh, Iâm not as bad as youâre making it out to be.â
âHeh, not at home for two days straight, and thatâs not overdoing it?â
08:45 After Ivy offered a flurry of sweet words, akin to making amends, they finally picked up the grandparents and settled down for a hearty family dinner, a true reunion in every sense.
Time flew by, and no matter how hard Ivy tried to hold on, the day of the fan meet-and-greet inevitably arrived.
As the day approached, the buzz among the fans grew louder. Everyone had different questions, but the prevailing mood was one of eager anticipation.
Many were adoring a star for the first time, and for many, it would be their first encounter with Ivy. Their excitement bubbled through the fan group chats, making Ivyâs own nerves fray a little more.
[Hey, um, any tips for meeting Ivy for the first time? This is my first time meeting a celebrity in person.
Before, I just casually liked other celebs, but never like this!]
Plenty of fans chimed in, sharing that it was their first time too.
[Ha, Iâm no spring chicken, and I never thought Iâd go crazy for a young star. But what can I say? Ivy has really made her mark. The first time she appeared on the big screen, she captured my heart. That face, that talent, itâs been years since anyone in the biz caught my attention like Ivy. She deserves to be a sensation not just here, but around the world.]
[The worldâs not enough. She should conquer the whole universe!]
[There arenât any specific tips, but remember, everyoneâs safety comes first. Just like Ivy kept emphasizing to us, âYouâve got to put your own life first. Only when youâre all good can you have the time and energy to chase your dreams.â]
[I get it, I get it.]