Chapter 3 – Awkward
Evan heard the bathroom door open and turned his head.
Hannah stood there, her face flushed, looking straight at him.
For that one moment, their eyes met, and both of their brains crashed at the same time.
Then Evan had a flash of desperate inspiration.
"Hannah, uh... is this some kind of accessory you wear on your wrist?"
Hannah had been trying to figure out how to explain it.
If she did not explain, it would only become more awkward.
She never expected Evan's nonsense to hand her the perfect way out.
"Yes. Yes, that's right. It's a new accessory I bought."
As she spoke, Hannah took the narrow purple panties from his hand.
Then, with shocking skill, she wrapped them around her wrist and tied them into a little bow.
After that, she raised her hand in front of Evan and shook it lightly.
"What do you think? Pretty?"
Evan nodded dryly. "Pretty. Very pretty."
"Evan, thank you for helping me wash my clothes."
Hannah naturally picked out her laundry, stepped into her slippers, and walked toward her room.
Only after Hannah left did Evan let out a long breath.
Good thing she had not overthought it.
Otherwise, she would definitely call him a pervert.
On the other side of the door, Hannah returned to her room, shut it hard, and leaned against it while exhaling.
Thank goodness she had found an excuse.
Otherwise, Evan would absolutely think she was a shameless woman.
After hanging the clothes, Evan still felt awkward whenever he thought about facing Hannah. He simply hid in his room and read comics.
While reading, he began thinking.
Staying home all day like this was not a plan.
Tomorrow he should go out and find work.
There were still several days before school started.
He could find a part-time job first. Later, on weekends, he could still earn some pocket money.
In the afternoon, Evan heard the front door open.
Rowan was back.
This time, Hannah did not run to the door to greet him.
After Rowan came in, he took off his shoes, lowered his head, and walked toward Hannah's bedroom.
Once he entered, he closed the door behind him.
Inside the room, Hannah was watching television with one smooth leg crossed over the other.
"How was it, honey? What did the doctor say?"
Rowan shook his head, his face bitter.
"The doctor said the condition is severe. Right now, there isn't a good treatment option."
Rowan sat down heavily on the bed, looking drained.
"He said if we want a child, IVF is the only route."
"But my sperm activity is only five percent..."
"Even with IVF, the chance of failure is very high."
Hannah felt sorry for him and patted his shoulder.
"Honey, don't give up."
"I've heard that when regular hospitals can't fix something, alternative medicine sometimes helps. Maybe we can try another doctor?"
Rowan sighed and said nothing.
He lay back with his arms and legs spread, dropping heavily onto the soft bed.
That night, both Rowan and Hannah were in a bad mood, so neither of them cooked.
Evan became so hungry he could barely stand it.
He went to the kitchen and looked around. There were still ingredients in the fridge.
People always said children without mothers learned early. Evan was one of them.
In no time, he used what he found in the fridge and cooked a table full of simple dishes.
After finishing, he knocked on Hannah's bedroom door.
"Hannah, Rowan, dinner's ready."
Evan had only called twice when the door opened with a click.
Hannah stood there in a thin, semi-transparent camisole.
Maybe she had been too troubled to remember it, but the purple "accessory" was still wrapped around her wrist.
"You cooked?"
Evan nodded.
Hannah looked guilty. Only then did she seem to remember that because of Rowan's situation, the two of them had stayed in bed all evening and completely forgotten about dinner.
"I was thinking we could go out to eat later."
"Hannah, call Rowan. I already made everything. Let's eat at home."
When Hannah walked into the dining room and saw the dishes Evan had made, she could not help praising him.
"Not bad."
"Boys who can cook are getting rarer and rarer."
"Evan, whoever marries you someday will be lucky."
Evan smiled and scratched his head. "It's just home cooking."
During dinner, Hannah and Rowan sat across from Evan.
Hannah habitually crossed her legs while enjoying the food Evan had made.
Evan's eyes kept drifting to the purple lace wrapped around Hannah's wrist.
Only then did Hannah remember that those panties were still tied there.
But she could not take them off now.
Taking them off would look deliberate.
It would look guilty.
So Evan could only eat with his mind wandering.
Suddenly, clack.
His fork fell to the floor.
Evan bent down by reflex to pick it up.
The moment he lowered his head, he saw Hannah's crossed legs and the space beneath the shifted hem of her skirt.
Damn.
That view did not come with privacy glass.
Heat rushed straight into Evan's head. He nearly got a nosebleed on the spot.
But he quickly picked up the fork, wiped it with a tissue, and forced himself to keep eating as if nothing had happened.
Only his hand trembled for the rest of the meal.