My Repentant Brothers (Madeline Larson)

Gavin poked his head in from outside. "Mrs. Lewis, take a break! Your room's all set up now. I just helped Mr. Lewis organize the luggage. You've come a long way, and you must be tired. "My brothers have left for the day. Once Grace is asleep, I'll make dinner. You two can nap for a few hours before we eat,"

Gavin, with his cager and bright demeanor, seemed so genuine and hardworking-not like many guys these days who shirk responsibilitie Helena looked at Gavin with great satisfaction. "I'm not tired. I'm just bonding with my little great-granddaughter. It makes me so happy."

Grace sat in her great-grandmother's arms, eyes twinkling like grapes, utterly adorable.

Madeline emerged from the bathroom. "How about I cook tonight? Grandpa and Grandma brought chicken and vegetables. from their own garden-fresh and perfect for dinner.

"I'll handle it," Gavin insisted, confident in his superior cooking skills. "You focus on making your grandparents feel at home. Let me take care of the chores.

"I noticed their clothes are clean but worn. Make some time to go shopping for new outfits and essentials with them."

Listening to Gavin's gentle nagging. Madeline couldn't help but smile. "Stop worrying about it. Aren't your injuries bothering you?" She reached over to check on him.

Gavin let Madeline pull him into his room. In the bathroom, he took off his shirt. His back was healing well, with scabs forming and no more bleeding. The cuts on his hand had scabbed over too. Although it looked rough, the healing process was going well. "Does it still hurt?" Madeline gently touched his skin.

Gavin winced slightly. "Not really, just a little itchy. But I can handle it." He stayed still, noticing Madeline examining his back. If she wanted to look, he didn't mind.

"You've got quite a few scars-old ones too. I'll ask Nolan for some scar cream to prevent them from leaving marks, Madeline sighed.

"Guys don't worry about small stuff like that," Gavin insisted quickly. "I'm healthy and young; they shouldn't scar."

She said, "With wounds this deep, it's hard not to scar. You're being too optimistic."

During dinner preparations, Madeline chopped veggies while Gavin brewed mushroom soup.

The kitchen smelled deliciously inviting as he worked methodically.

Madeline assisted him, and Grace sat quietly in her stroller by the kitchen door, contentedly gnawing on her finger while watching them.

Eugene arrived with gift boxes of ginseng and other goodies, just in time to witness the golden sun setting through the kitchen window. The warm light bathing the two made their hair glisten as they worked side by side.

Gavin in a pink apron didn't seem out of place at all, while Madeline, expression neutral, promptly handed him whatever he needed as he requested it.

The scene was harmonious and beautiful.

Seeing this stirred an unexpected turbulence in Eugene's heart-a fear even. Normally confident in everything but now unsure in matters of the heart.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

He thought, 'Could I already be too late? Has my childhood bond and prearranged engagement with Madeline been overshadowed by everyday connections?" Eugene left silently, placing the gifts at the door before heading downstairs by elevator.

11:00 AM

Once downstairs, he sent Madeline a message: I sent a delivery with gifts for Mr. and Mrs. Lewis. Pick them up at the door when you have time.]

After Eugene put his phone away, he spotted a familiar figure through the convenience store window and walked inside, clutching a bottle of water. He squinted to get a better look. "Yohannes?" Yohannes was thoroughly disguised, covered from head to toe as a public figure must be-baseball cap, mask, everything. Only his eyes and hands were visible as he studied the script on his tablet, "What are you doing here?" asked Eugene,

"I didn't leave after coming down for lunch. Been sitting here since, Yohannes replied. "I need to talk to her about something tonight."

Eugene raised an eyebrow. "Why not just ask her right away? Why wait so long? What if she's too busy later to talk to you?" "She'll have time," Yohannes said confidently.

A sense of camaraderie stirred in Eugene's chest. "Why don't we head upstairs and join them for dinner? Honestly, Gavin hasn't won anything: he just brought a kid into the picture."

Eugene's brow furrowed, and his worries dissipated. He thought, If Gavin could play so dirty, why should I hold back my feelings? Why lose Maddie over pride?

He asked, "Want to go up?"

Yohannes hesitated, looking at Eugene. "Not sure

Frustrated, Eugene ground his teeth. "Not sure? Are you just going to watch as Gavin creates this fairy-tale world for her? Are you giving up?"

"No... Yohannes clenched his fists, the tension evident in his knuckles.

Just then, Madeline heard the doorbell ringing. She opened it with excitement in her voice. "Yohannes! You're here! You left at lunch without saying much. Perfect timing-we've got plenty of food from home. Come try it Yohannes had made up his mind that if she greeted him indifferently, he'd turn around and leave. But given her warm welcome, he couldn't afford to retreat like a coward now.

"Maddie, what about me?" Eugene asked, sounding a bit left out.

"Eugene, I got the gifts you sent. Why not give them to my grandparents yourself? They're just about to have dinner, and I haven't handed them over yet, said Madeline.

Eugene's eyes lit up. Maddie's intention for him to personally present the gifts was thoughtful, showing she cared about his impression on her grandparents. "Maddie, got it! The small flame of hope that had dimmed inside him suddenly flared back to life.