Taken By My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 126: Chapter 126

There weren't any corner stores or convenience shops around the villa area, so Lorraine had to walk quite a way before she found a supermarket. She bought the kind of cigarettes Eugene usually smoked and happily bounced back.
When she got into the yard, she saw him standing under the banyan tree. He leaned against the tree, smoking. Cigarette butts were scattered all over the ground. She froze for a second, and then quickly hid the pack in her pocket and walked over.
"You back?" he asked.
"Yeah," she replied.
"Did you get any snacks?" He looked at her empty hands. He seemed to have forgotten he had asked her to get cigarettes.
Lorraine shook her head. "I looked around, but there was nothing good, so I didn't buy anything."
"Hmm," he said, slowly taking her hand. "Let's go back."
"Is everything done?" She glanced at the living room, which was dark. Maria wasn't there either.
"Yeah, let's go."
Eugene led her out, holding her hand tighter little by little. At first, they walked slowly, and then he started striding faster toward the yard's exit.
"Eugene," Lorraine said softly.
"What's wrong?" He didn't notice at first and turned his head toward her.
"You're squeezing my hand too hard."
Only then did he realize how tight he'd been holding her. Her face had gotten pretty pale. He loosened his grip, let go, and opened the car door for her. Lorraine got in and quietly buckled her seatbelt.
The car started up and pulled away from the Moore manor. She glanced back. Queenie was standing alone on the second-floor balcony, wearing a white nightgown with her long hair down. Her eyes looked empty as she stared off into the distance.
Back at the palatial stone manor, Lorraine grabbed some clothes, ready to shower, but Eugene stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Where are you going?"
"To wash up and sleep."
"The fireworks haven't been lit yet." He pulled her outside into the yard.
The night sky was completely dark, with no stars at all. The summer heat still pressed down heavily. Eugene felt like he couldn't breathe.
Lorraine thought he had forgotten and stayed quiet. Now she was excited, running over to open the boxes one by one. "So many fireworks!" They all had letters on them that she didn't recognize. She had no clue where they came from.
Eugene stood quietly, swallowing hard a few times to steady his feelings. Then he walked over and helped her lay the fireworks out neatly in the yard. They looked like little soldiers lined up in a row.
"I'm scared to light them." Lorraine looked up at him with a worried face. "What if I burn my fingers?"
Eugene smiled, pulled a lighter from his pocket, and held her hand as he lit each fuse. The fireworks exploded in the sky with loud bangs that felt like they hit right in the chest.
She covered her ears and hid in his arms. Her trembling pressed against his chest, stirring waves of confusing emotions that rose and fell like tides, full, overwhelming, and hard to put into words.
Eugene laughed and hugged her tightly. They looked up together, perfectly in sync. The fireworks bloomed in bright colors, lighting up their eyes. Their hearts were full. That moment was unforgettable.
The phone buzzed once. Lorraine glanced down and grabbed it. It was a WhatsApp message from Shirin: [Lorraine, did you finish celebrating your birthday? What are you up to?]
Lorraine unlocked her phone and sent a picture of the fireworks. Almost instantly, she got a reply: [Wow, so pretty! Mr. Moore rocks! Lorraine, I'm seriously jealous of you!!!]
There were a ton of exclamation points. Lorraine smiled. Her eyes lit up, and then she put the phone away.
"Who was that?" Eugene asked, sounding a little annoyed that she was distracted right now.
"Shirin."
"What'd she say?"
"Not much."
Lorraine got on her tiptoes and softly kissed his chin. She didn't tell him that because of him, this was the first time she'd ever been the one others envied.
Eugene playfully pinched her nose and then pulled out more fireworks to set up. The doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" Lorraine said, bouncing over happily.
Lorenzo stood at the door with a big folder bag. He looked a little surprised by the scene inside. "Lorraine, you guys are..."
"It's my birthday. We're lighting fireworks," Lorraine said openly. "Lots and lots of fireworks."
Lorenzo's face showed mixed feelings, but he still said happy birthday politely. Lorraine thanked him nicely. The two men went into the study.
Lorenzo opened the folder and laid out papers in front of Eugene. "They just faxed me Queenie's treatment records from Lesvinton."
Eugene glanced silently out the window. Lorraine was still standing with a lighter in hand, staring blankly at him among the unlit fireworks.
He stood and gave her a faint smile. Then he closed the study window and looked at Lorenzo. "She said three months to three years."
"In theory, yeah," Lorenzo pushed up his glasses and sighed. "But usually with this disease, it's tough to last three years. I never expected this. She was always so strong, and still so young.
"Remember when we were kids? Queenie was the oldest. She led us all and played with us. We thought she was like a goddess and was untouchable."
Of course, he remembered. And because he remembered, it hurt even more now. Eugene nodded and rubbed his face. "Is there anything we can do?"
"You know her biggest wish. That hasn't changed."
Yeah, they all knew. But Eugene used to think that wish was simple. He just had to marry Norah to make it happen. Back then, marrying anyone was the same to him.
The Pedler family was a big deal in Jonalesburg. Norah's dad was often on TV at big events. Now that wish suddenly felt impossible, so impossible that thinking about the future made him want to give up.
"I'll reach out to Lesvinton again and try to get more info. You hang in there." Lorenzo didn't know what else to say. He quietly sorted the papers for Eugene. "If you need anything, just call."
Eugene looked at him, eyes dark and unclear. Suddenly, a loud bang came from outside. Without looking at Lorenzo, Eugene stormed out. "What happened? Did something blow up?"
His voice was sharp and quick. Lorraine froze, still holding a half-lit firework. "They were fireworks, but they just exploded on their own."
Eugene came over, opened her palm, and after seeing she wasn't hurt, let out a relieved breath. "No more lighting them." She nodded, blank and quiet.
Lorenzo watched from nearby for a moment, sighed, and quietly walked away. Eugene spun Lorraine around and pulled her into a hug. "No more fireworks."
"No," she shook her head. "It's my birthday. I bought these to set off all of them." She was stubborn as hell. She wrapped her arms around his waist and, like a spoiled kid, gently shook him. "Please, let's finish them. It's still early."
This kind of sweetness was rare. Eugene couldn't say no. Looking into those bright eyes, he gave a soft nod. The fireworks seemed never-ending. They lit up the whole night sky. One by one, they burst into all kinds of colors and shapes.
Lorraine's little face glowed and dimmed with the fireworks' light. Every time a firework exploded, she took a deep breath, eyes full of wonder. She was watching the fireworks, but he was watching her.
They kept going for over three hours. Finally, the last firework faded away, and the sky went completely dark again. Eugene checked his watch. "It's almost midnight. Time to hit the hay."
"Wait." She grabbed his shirt. "There are still five minutes left. Let's watch some more, please?"
He looked down at the pile of used fireworks on the ground and was about to say no. But she was digging through the scraps. The air smelled faintly of smoke. Like a little hamster, she worked through the paper bits until she found one.
"One minute to midnight! Help me light it!" she said excitedly, running over and placing the firework in front of him. Eugene stared at her for a second.
"Come on! Only thirty seconds left!" Lorraine whispered urgently. He bent down and lit the firework. A quiet purple flower bloomed in the sky, and then the show was over. The second hand on his watch hit twelve.
"Wow, the birthday's over. Today was perfect!" Lorraine cheered. Then she jumped onto a nearby flowerbed. Before he could react, she leapt down and wrapped herself all over him.
Eugene swayed but caught her. "You're so reckless." Lorraine suddenly cupped his face and looked at him seriously for a long time.
Eugene smiled softly. "Looking at me like that? Do you think I'm handsome?"
"Yes! Very handsome! I like you! I really like you!" Lorraine said. Eugene froze. He loosened his grip and almost dropped her.
Lorraine wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him. "Don't drop me."
He snapped out of it and held her tight, like he wanted to pull her into his body. "Are you just pretending to like me?"
Her small face was buried in his chest. She wouldn't look up but shook her head firmly. She wasn't pretending. Slowly, it became real. Maybe it was never pretend.
"The book says you can't fake liking someone," she whispered, snuggling against his chest.