LOGIN"If we're not counting looks, what if the actual list is too long?""Ugh, do you HAVE to be this excessive with the PDA?"Riley waved her hand, disgusted."Nathaniel's got too many strengths to pick just one, question doesn't work."Derek complained."Right, right, we could rattle off several easily."Marcus agreed."Fine, weaknesses instead?"Right as Riley said it, Nora cut in fast. "No, you already committed to strengths. Punctuality. Next question!"Nathaniel had never once been late, as far as she'd witnessed. Riley smirked. "Nathaniel, punctual? He shows up ten minutes early every time. That's not 'on time,' that's a different category entirely.""Ha, is this a full redefinition of punctuality?""Solid essay-worthy answer, honestly."Lawson's college friends all gave thumbs up. Clear rapport there despite the background gap.Nora collected again next round. Riley chirped, delighted, "My turn Nathaniel's actual weaknesses?""You're relentless..." Nora shook her head. "Too handsom
After the photoshoot wrapped, Nora settled back onto her cushion with her drink.Riley remained fully committed to grill duty. Ruth stayed on assist duty as usual, though with a bigger crowd this time, Derek and Marcus pitched in too."We can't possibly eat this much, and nobody's hungry right now. Let's play something!"Lawson called out to the four grillers."Not hungry? You're sure about that?"Riley scanned the group."Not hungry. Come sit for a while."Nora had once barely touched the grill herself in her last life; her efforts either sat untouched and cold or nobody bothered claiming them at all. Everyone had been too busy with cards or games to eat, and nobody had wanted her joining in either.Riley's experience was completely different. Even grilling, she stayed included, cared for. Even without Nora's specific invitation, half the group would've called her over anyway."If you're all good, I'll sit down for a bit. Been ages since I played Train, who's in?"Riley's popularity
Once Bear was fully settled, Nora spent two genuinely restful days at home, keeping him company.By the third morning, she was packed and ready this time heading out with Nathaniel instead of Sophie.Kevin drove.Lawson, sole heir to the Ford family fortune, had never needed formal celebrations for his birthday, no gala, no obligatory guest list. Just him, doing whatever he wanted, wherever he wanted, money handling the rest.Standard understanding among old-money families. So instead of a venue, Nora headed straight to the address Lawson had sent out past the city limits, near Yancroft.His plan: a small group of close friends, a wild-terrain barbecue.Thanks largely to Nora's influence, they'd already covered the beach and the mountains. Grassland was the one landscape left to check off.Arriving, they found a stretch of open, wild green meadow.From a distance, Nora spotted Sophie in a light pink dress, radiating visible internal conflict.Nora burst out laughing in reflex.Across
Buying the hamster wasn't the end of the outing Sophie still needed her orange tabby, but she waved off Nora's company entirely, all smiles."I've got the cat covered. Nora, head home.""Home already?"Not even evening yet what was she supposed to do back there alone?"Isn't it nice to have some quality alone time with your husband? Take the hamster with you too, the cat shop might spook it.""...Sure, okay."Nora wasn't certain hamsters were even that skittish, but not worth risking it.She turned to Alex. "I'll head back, then?""Nothing waiting for you at home anyway, right? Why not stick around, we could hit up somewhere else."He'd never planned on buying a cat anyway the pet market had just been a whim."No, actually Sophie's right. I should get back early, surprise him.""You Americans really are hopeless romantics."Alex said it, climbing into his car with genuine disappointment.Nora waved goodbye and got into her own.—Nathaniel wasn't home when she arrived. No sign of him
The shop wasn't crowded, and Nora got a warm greeting the second she walked in.Hamsters lived in individual cages, no theatrical performances involved everything laid out plainly, easy to browse.This place specialized purely in hamsters, options spanning every price bracket.Nora had genuinely never realized hamsters came in this many colors.Watching her stare at a ten-thousand-dollar cage on the top shelf without a flicker of surprise, the attendant immediately clocked a serious buyer and jumped in, enthusiastic. "That's an extremely rare naturally blue-furred hamster. We keep them under dedicated veterinary care. If the weather wasn't so good today, he'd actually be resting upstairs.""Nice."Nora nodded, unmoved.She understood the difference between meaningful and expensive perfectly well. A ten-course feast, however lavish, could never mean as much as a single steamed bun eaten when you were genuinely starving.Same logic with Nathaniel. However rare a blue-furred hamster migh
After leaving the couples’ restaurant, Nora rested briefly before the next appointment rolled around.Bright, sunny afternoon, market packed. For easy movement, Nora went with a short-sleeved top, jeans, and a crossbody bag.Since she wanted this to be a surprise for Nathaniel, she’d only brought Sophie along. Alex, per usual, brought Vivian.Unexpectedly, Vivian showed up in practical pants and a top this time too.“Afternoon, Nora. How’s the plan progressing?”Despite Alex’s insistence he’d come purely for the pet market, he couldn’t fully mask his interest in the actual mission. Nora, prepared, answered smoothly. “Going great. Ben and Chloe already have a regular scheduled time to play together.”Unsure whether Alex fully registered what “regular playtime” implied between two people, but Ben and Chloe’s dynamic had genuinely earned that framing at this point.“Good. If you need help with anything, just say so.”“No issues on my end for now, don’t worry.”Nora left out the detail sh







