When fate plays its hand

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“I do,” Paul said firmly. After a beat, he added, “As much as I want to, I’ll respect your decision. If you’re ready, we’ll tell them. If you’re not, we’ll keep it between us for now.”

Miranda chuckled. “Were you surprised when you walked in earlier?”

“Surprised? Not exactly, but it definitely caught me off guard.”

“I didn’t expect my parents to show up either. I’d already cooked and was just waiting for you to come home, then

Paul suddenly asked, “Do you like the flowers?”

“The purple tulips are beautiful,” Miranda replied.

As expected, his lips curved into a satisfied smile.

She continued, “I was going to sneak off to the bedroom and call you–or at least text you so you’d be ready. Who would’ve thought… you’d just walk right in.”

Paul shrugged. “I was still figuring out how to explain it when Mr. Sutton came up with all the excuses for me.” He didn’t even get a chance to speak at the time.

Miranda’s lips twitched. “I don’t know what was going through my dad’s head, but he genuinely sees you as his peer. If he knew we were together… he’d probably be stunned.” noveldrama

“I’ve always called him ‘Mr. Sutton.‘ I don’t even know why..” He cleared his throat. “But he insists on treating me like we’re friends.” His tone carried a hint of frustration.

She couldn’t help but laugh. Then, she suddenly remembered something. “The first time you met my dad, you called him ‘Mr. Sutton,‘ right? So, did you already…”

“Yes.” Paul didn’t even wait for her to finish the question.

For a moment, she was at a loss for words. After a long pause, she said, “Let’s tell them. What do you think?”

His breath caught for a second, and then joy surged through him. “Okay. Whatever you want.”

Miranda’s voice softened as she smiled faintly. “You’re not someone I need to hide, Dr. Jefferson. Why keep it a secret?”

She wasn’t a middle schooler sneaking around with a boyfriend, so there was no need to be so secretive about it.

Paul nodded. “Let’s hold off on telling anyone tonight. I’ll pick up a gift and make a proper visit to Mr. and Mrs. Sutton.”

“Sounds good,” Miranda replied. “I’ll step out of the bedroom first. Wait a few minutes, then come out separately. We don’t want to look too obvious.”

Lionel had always loved creating surprises. Well, tomorrow Paul decided he’d give him one for real. But for now, they’d keep things under wraps.

“You’re back.” Mindy looked at her with a smile.

“Yeah.” Miranda nodded and sat down beside her. Then, with an exaggeratedly dramatic tone, she asked, ” Where’s Dr. Jefferson? Did he leave already?”

Mindy replied, “He’s out on the balcony, talking on the phone.”

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“Oh.” Miranda thought her acting was pretty convincing, but little did she know…

Mindy asked, “Weren’t you supposed to bring the fruit out? Where is it?”

Miranda froze. “Oh! I washed it already. I just got distracted and forgot to bring it over. I’ll grab it now.”

Mindy chuckled and shook her head. “You…”

Miranda set the fruit bowl on the table just as Paul stepped in from the balcony. Their eyes met, and they shared a quick, knowing look.

“Paul, have some fruit,” Mindy said.

“Thanks, Mrs. Sutton,” he replied.

Lionel finished cleaning up the kitchen and came out, saying as he walked, “Mimi, your kitchen is surprisingly clean.” He had been thorough on purpose but noticed even the corners were spotless–it was obvious the place was cleaned regularly.

“Do you cook often?” he asked.

Miranda’s gaze darted to Paul. After all, he was the one cooking and cleaning the kitchen. “I cook when I have time off,” she replied casually.

Lionel didn’t suspect a thing and nodded. “By the way, those kitchen gloves you bought are way too big. Even my hands have plenty of room in them, so they must be huge on you.”

Mindy raised an eyebrow, and Paul’s gaze shifted slightly. After all, he was the one using those gloves.