Renata rose from the sofa.
"It’s getting late. Go get some rest—you have to be up early for work tomorrow."
"Mm."
Catherine agreed and was about to head back to her room when Renata called out to her again.
"Invite Bert over for dinner sometime. After what happened tonight, he did help you in the end. No matter what his motives were, we should still thank him properly."
Catherine was a little surprised.
"Invite him over... to our place?"
To Catherine, having Renata host Bert at home felt almost like a formal meeting with the parents. Although Renata had already met Bert and even had a meal with him before, back then his identity had merely been Lilian’s brother.
This time would be different. If they sat down to eat together again, his identity would be her boyfriend. The thought made Catherine inexplicably nervous.
Renata glanced at her.
"Wouldn’t it be expensive to invite him out instead? Let him know in advance—this dinner is purely to thank him for helping you tonight, not for him to formally visit our home as your boyfriend."
Renata saw right through Catherine’s thoughts and deliberately emphasized her point. She had no intention of playing the role of a future mother-in-law so soon. She would need to observe him to her satisfaction before acknowledging his status.
Catherine: "..."
After saying that, Renata returned to her room. Catherine smiled helplessly and went back to her own room as well.
For the first time in her life, she and Renata differed in opinion over something. Still, she understood her mother’s feelings and knew Renata meant well. Love—especially marriage—was a lifelong matter. As a mother, it was only natural for Renata to be cautious.
Back in her room, Catherine noticed two crumpled sheets of paper spread out on her desk. They were the sketches she had thrown away earlier, only to retrieve them from the trash.
Thinking back on everything that had happened tonight, Catherine couldn’t help but curve her lips into a faint smile.
There had been fear and shock—but even more than that, there was gratitude.
And sweetness.
The kind of sweetness that came from officially confirming her relationship with Bert, the sweetness of a woman falling in love. She had once been afraid of this relationship, but now that she had faced it head-on and accepted it with courage, the sweetness outweighed everything else.
Being so carefully cherished by a man like him—how could she not feel sweet?
She walked over and sat down at her desk, picked up a pen, and began carefully refining the sketches, adding details to the edges and corners, then casually filling in colors as she worked.
What had once been merely a wedding in her dreams now took shape on paper. Though time was limited and she had only managed to add some details and color, the outline was already beginning to emerge.
She wondered if one day, someone might truly recreate the wedding she had imagined and marry her in a ceremony exactly like the one in her drawings.
If such a dream wedding ever came true, it would be happiness beyond measure.
After Bert got home, he called her to let her know he had arrived safely. Catherine took the opportunity to tell him about Renata’s invitation.
"My mom said that to thank you for helping me tonight, she’d like to invite you over to our place for dinner sometime. Let me know which day works for you so we can prepare in advance."
Then, remembering Renata’s instructions, Catherine hesitated before adding awkwardly,
"But she also said that this is just to thank you—not a formal visit as my boyfriend..."
The implication was clear: Renata had not yet acknowledged him as her boyfriend. Catherine felt it might hurt his feelings, but since it was Renata’s request, she had no choice but to say it.
Bert chuckled softly on the other end.
"Sounds like your mom isn’t very satisfied with me."
Bert, perceptive and sharp as he was, immediately understood what lay beneath her words.
But he wasn’t upset in the slightest, nor did he feel hurt. In fact, if Renata had immediately given her full approval of Catherine dating him, that would have been far more concerning.
As a mother—and as a mother who took responsibility for her child—Renata’s reaction was entirely understandable.
Catherine spoke up to explain on her mother’s behalf.
"I went through a failed relationship before, so she’s only being cautious for my sake. I hope you can understand."
"Of course I understand."
Bert gave her an unhesitating answer, then added thoughtfully,
"If I ever have a daughter in the future and she starts dating, I’d probably observe her boyfriend for at least three to five years. Compared to that, your mom is being pretty merciful."
Catherine felt his words were a bit exaggerated.
"Three to five years? By then, even if someone really liked your daughter, you’d probably scare all their feelings away with your ’observation.’"
Bert didn’t seem to care in the slightest.
"That has nothing to do with me. My job would just be to observe."
Catherine: "..."
Alright then. Let’s hope his future child isn’t a daughter—otherwise some poor guy would suffer years down the line.
Dropping the topic, Catherine said instead,
"Since you’re home already, get some rest."
"Catherine."
She was about to hang up when he suddenly called her name. Catherine paused and listened carefully as his calm, steady voice came through the line.
"From this moment on, we’re officially in a relationship. No more avoiding me. You don’t have any reason to avoid me anymore—understood?"
The words officially in a relationship made Catherine’s cheeks flush and her heart race.
"Understood."
She replied quickly, then hurriedly hung up the phone.
Even after the call ended, Catherine couldn’t calm her emotions for a long time.
In a relationship.
Those words echoed over and over in her mind, imprinting the reality of their relationship deeper and deeper.
Logically speaking, Catherine had been in a relationship with Gerald before, so those words shouldn’t have made her heart pound like this. Yet for some reason, her emotions soared. Just thinking of those four words filled her with sweetness and happiness.
Not long after, Bert sent her another message:
Turn off your phone before you go to sleep, so you won’t be disturbed.
Catherine didn’t ask why. Her instincts told her it must have something to do with tonight’s incident. Before going to bed, she followed his advice, turned off her phone, and drifted peacefully into sleep.
That night, Catherine slept deeply and contentedly. Though she had experienced a fright earlier, the happiness and tenderness Bert brought afterward washed it all away. In her dreams, only sweetness remained.
But while Catherine slept soundly, someone else lay awake all night.
That person was Lucca.