“Breathe,” he mouths.
I nod, though my heart is hammering in my chest.
“Fox,” Mr.Wilder acknowledges his son as he reaches the bottom of the staircase.His tone is neutral but cool.
“Hey, Dad,” Fox says casually.
Mr.Wilder’s eyes shift to me, his expression unreadable.“Cameron,” he says with a tight-lipped smile.
“Good day, Mr.Wilder,” I manage to say, trying not to stutter.
“Nice to see you again.”
Before I can respond, Lila emerges from what I assume is the kitchen, her face lighting up the moment she sees us.
“They’re here!”she says warmly, hurrying toward us.
“Hello, Cameron,” she says with a smile.
“Hi, Lila.”
Without hesitation, she pulls me into a tight embrace.I’m caught off guard but manage to return it, feeling the genuine warmth in her gesture.
When she pulls back, she keeps her hands on my arms, studying me with a kind smile.“Fox talks about you all the time.And your mom mentioned what a great cook you are.How about helping an old woman out in the kitchen?”
I glance at Fox, who gives me an encouraging nod.
“You don’t need Fox’s permission,” she teases, laughing softly.
I nod, smiling as I follow her to the kitchen.
“Thank you for helping,” she says once we’re inside.
“It’s no problem.What do you need me to do?”
“The vegetables.You can chop them for me.”She hands me a small knife, and I get to work.
We fall into a comfortable silence as she moves around the kitchen, but after a few minutes, she breaks it.
“You seem tense,” she observes, her tone gentle.
I pause, looking up from the cutting board to meet her gaze.She’s seated on a barstool now, her eyes kind but searching.
“You know I’m okay with you and Fox, right?”she says.
I stop chopping entirely, unsure of how to respond.
“Fox is old enough to make his own decisions,” she continues.“As a parent, I’ve learned you can’t control who your child loves.You just have to trust them.”
I nod slowly, resuming my task.
“Fox told me about Kendra,” I say quietly.
She inhales sharply, her expression faltering for a moment.“Kendra has nothing to do with this,” she says, her voice steadier now.
“But did what happened with her make you more accepting of Fox?”
She sighs deeply, turning to the oven to remove a cake.Placing it on the counter, she removes her oven gloves and looks back at me.
