EVELYN’S POV:

Leonard's mom had River with her while River stayed close to Leonard. As we sat down to eat, the room was unusually quiet until Leonard's mom broke the silence.

“So, when are you two leaving?” she asked suddenly, catching me off guard. I understood what she meant. She wanted us to stay longer.

But we had no time to spare, there were pressing matters we needed to attend to. Leonard, ever practical, answered firmly, “We’ll come back as soon as everything is completely fine, but we leave tomorrow.”

“Two more days won’t make a difference to your plans, Leonard,” she pleaded, her tone soft yet insistent. “Can’t you...