âSheâs still in the hospital, so I have to stick around and take care of her. If you want to rest now, I can drop you home first and then head over to the hospital.â
Balfour hesitated, and Mara suddenly masked her face with an emotionless guise.
Instinctively, he felt it was not the right time for Ivy to cross paths with Mara.
Mara bit her lower lip in frustration.
Ivy again? It seemed like a recurring excuse for Balfour to dodge her.
She was determined to see what was so special about this woman!
With that thought, Maraâs face brightened with a broad smile. âOh, Ivy! I just remembered I havenât met her yet. Why donât you take me along for a visit?â
Balfour still looked uncertain, so Mara nudged him playfully. âCome on, itâll be a chance to make a new friend. Weâre probably around the same age. I havenât really connected with anyone here like I did back home. If Ivy and I hit it off, that would be awesome!
Plus, itâs only polite to drop by when someoneâs sick, right?â
Seeing Maraâs earnestness, Balfour could not find it in himself to refuse. So, he drove to the mall first, picking up some goodies for Ivy and his grandparents before heading to the hospital.
At the hospital room door, Balfour, laden with bags, paused and turned to an eager Mara. âKeep it down in there. Sheâs not feeling well, and she doesnât know you.â
âBalfour, when did you start fussing like a worried grandma? So what if we havenât met? Iâm going to meet her now, arenât I?
Iâve heard Ivyâs a sensation here, a rising movie star! Think of me as a fan excited to meet a celebrity, okay?â
Having said her piece, Balfour relented and led her inside.
Mara knocked first, waiting for Ivyâs voice before opening the door.
Ivyâs face lit up with a smile at the sight of Balfour. âThe good news you mentioned youâd share with me wasâ¦â
But her sentence hung incomplete as she noticed Mara trailing in behind him. The young womanâs unexpected presence triggered Ivyâs defenses.
Ivy glanced toward Balfour, but he awkwardly avoided her gaze, unsettling her even more.
âAnd who might this be?â Ivy managed to ask with a forced smile.
Mara approached with infectious enthusiasm. âHey there! Iâm Balfourâs good friend, Mara Lewis! Ivy, we had that brief chat on the phone once, remember?
Youâre even more stunning in person than on the big screen. Itâs an honor to finally meet you!â
Mara?
So, this was the Mara who had been on the phone with Balfour.
But why was she here now?
Had Balfour brought her deliberately?
What was he trying to say?
Ivyâs gaze was laden with confusion as she mechanically shook hands with Mara, bewildered by the womanâs sudden intrusion into her ward.
The good news Balfour wanted to share, could it be Maraâs return to his life?
In that hospital room, aside from the bubbly Mara, the other two were lost in their own worlds, each grappling with their own thoughts.