Chapter 3

Apparently, Elliot hadn't expected Nora to go along with what he said so easily. He glanced up, surprise flickering in his eyes, that same odd feeling welling up again. But as Claire softly called his name, his attention snapped right back to her. He began comforting her with all the gentle patience in the world. Meanwhile, Nora made her way to Jonathan's memorial. After paying her respects, she turned to the pale, grieving woman standing off to the side. "My condolences, Mrs. Reeves." Beatrice Gibson looked up and nodded slightly before gently taking Nora's hand. "You're Elliot's fiancee, aren't you? Thank you for coming to see Jonathan. "I heard you two were about to get married. He's a good man, you know? He volunteered to observe a full six months of mourning for Jonathan. That must be hard on you." Nora simply listened in silence. She didn't mention the absurd deal between Elliot and Claire. Yet, Beatrice caught the pain in her eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Elliot is almost like a son to us. Jonathan was his professor all through university, after all. Elliot is sentimental to a fault, and that's why he made this choice. Please don't blame him." Nora had already moved on, so she wouldn't blame him. "I understand." Seeing how gracious she was, Beatrice hesitated, then blurted out the rest, "Try not to be upset about Claire. She clings to Elliot, I know, but it's clear he doesn't have feelings for her. He... He really does care about you." Nora stiffened slightly. He cared about her? She had never felt it. Sensing her disbelief, Beatrice continued, "I'm not making this up. Jonathan and I always thought Elliot would bury himself in research and never fall for anyone. But then you came along. He may not show it, but whenever we saw him, he'd always find a way to mention you. "He'd talk about running into you on campus again, how you made him some special meal, or the silly things you'd do while chasing after him... Sure, he'd complain sometimes, but we could tell he meant the opposite. He just didn't realize it was love." Beatrice kept talking about all the ways Elliot had cared for Nora without ever showing it. If it had been before, Nora would have been over the moon. But now, all she felt was bitter irony. If Elliot truly loved her, then why had she never felt it? Why had she always been the one running after him, while he never once slowed down to wait for her? If he loved her, how could he ever agree to have a child with another woman? The second he agreed to Claire's plan, it was over between them. There was no coming back from that. Throughout the memorial, Elliot stayed by Claire's side. When the ceremony ended, the rain started pouring, and most of the guests had already left. Only then did Elliot finally pull up in his car and stop in front of Nora. "Get in," he said flatly. Nora stepped toward the car, only to realize the passenger seat was already taken by Claire, and Beatrice was sitting in the back. Before Nora could say a word, Claire's trembling voice came through, heavy with sobs. "Elliot, I want to visit my dad's grave again, but I want it to be just the three of us. Is that okay?" At that, Beatrice frowned. "Claire, don't be like that." But those few words must have hit a nerve. Claire burst into sobs. "It's my dad's funeral! She can get her own ride, can't she?" Beatrice tried to comfort her, but Elliot had already made up his mind. "I'll come back and pick you up later," he said to Nora, his tone leaving no room for argument. Then, he drove off with Claire and Beatrice in the car. Nora had seen this coming from the moment Claire first spoke. She stood under the awning, not sad or angry, just numb, quietly waiting for hours as the rain came down in sheets. However, Elliot never came back for her. As the downpour grew heavier, Nora finally accepted the truth—he wasn't coming. The funeral home was in a remote part of town, so it was impossible to call a cab. She hadn't brought an umbrella, either. In the end, she had no choice but to walk through the rain, her clothes soaked and her vision blurred. After nearly two hours of trudging through the storm, she finally made it to a place where she could flag down a cab and go home.