On the drive back, Holden chatted with Melon on the phone.
Holden noticed Melonâs voice getting sleepy, and even he yawned.
But just when he was about to bid goodnight and end the call, a sharp âMommy!â came from Melonâs side.
Holden hesitated.
He was about to say goodnight, but now he held back.
He listened intently, curious about the unexpected interruption.
A few silent beats passed before a drowsy female voice said, âApologies, Melon borrowed my phone to ring you.
Is it too late? Did we wake you?â
Hearing her voice, something inside Holden fluttered momentarily.
He brushed it off and replied, âItâs alright.
Iâm fond of Melon.
If it makes him happy, thatâs what counts.
â
There was a gentleness in Holdenâs voice that he didnât even recognize.
She replied, trying to hide her own tiredness, âIâm relieved we didnât disturb you.
Melon just really misses his father.
â Arianaâs voice had a touch of apology.
Holden merely hummed in response, secretly longing to continue the conversation.
âIâm here whenever he wants to talk.
Donât sweat the small stuff.
â
Ariana sounded apologetic.
âThanks.
I promise to keep a better eye on him.
â
âs
The conversation wound down after that.
Holden picked up on Arianaâs struggle to keep her eyes open.
He bid her goodnight and disconnected.
After parking his car, Holden found himself deep in reflection.
He couldnât shake off the sound of her voice.
What was it about Arianaâs voice that drew him in?
He pulled out his phone and scrolled through Arianaâs online profile.
Even though theyâd only recently connected, their chat history told another story.
Reminiscing about the past, Holden thought about the time Ariana tried to return the figurines.
She had asked Shawn for his contact.
Holden had felt a tug of uncertainty, wondering if he should have revealed himself as, well, Holden Fredrick.
But if he had, what wouldâve changed?
While going through the messages, Holdenâs finger paused on Shawnâs chat.
With a hint of curiosity, he clicked on the link Shawn had dropped earlier.
A humorous scene greeted him on the screen.
Most wouldâve chuckled, but not Holden.