There was a brief silence. Cassidy’s expression shifted, surprised, cautious.
"Oh," she said carefully. "That was a long time ago."
Hannah smiled, gentle but knowing. "Yeah. A lot has changed since then."
Xavier tilted his head slightly as Hannah casually mentioned the name Zeke. It triggered something in his memory, a faint sense of recognition, but not enough to place it. He glanced at Cassidy. The way her body tensed didn’t escape him. Her posture was too careful.
Zeke? The name echoed in his mind. Was that the guy from that dinner? The one Thomas brought?
His eyes moved between the two women, his mind racing. Cassidy’s reaction hadn’t been nothing, he could feel it. And now, he couldn’t stop wondering.
Hannah opened her mouth, about to speak again, but Cassidy spoke first. Her cheerfulness felt just a bit forced.
"Well, now that you’ve reunited with your sister, I think it’s time we head home. Claire must be tired."
She gave Xavier a brief smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, then turned to Georgia and Clara.
Cassidy said gently, "Claire, say bye to Uncle Xavier and Aunty Hannah."
Claire turned with a wide grin and waved enthusiastically. "Bye, Uncle Xavi! Bye Aunty Hannah!"
Xavier grinned and ruffled her hair. "Bye, Claire Bear."
""Nooo, Uncle Xavi! I just made it pretty!" Claire’s little hands flew to her head as she pouted, her eyebrows scrunched and lips sticking out in dramatic protest.
Xavier laughed. "Oops! My bad." He fixed her hair with playful care and gave her a thumbs-up. "There we go... pretty princess restored."
"Okay. Let’s go." Cassidy didn’t say much more as she turned and walked off with Claire, Georgia, and Clara.
Xavier watched them go, his smile slowly fading as he stood straighter. Claire looked back once over Cassidy’s shoulder, waving with a bright grin.
He waved back, but his eyes lingered on Cassidy’s back, on the way she walked without looking back.
Hannah glanced at him as Cassidy’s group walked away. "Ready?" she asked softly.
Xavier gave a quiet nod.
Inside the car, Hannah turned to her brother with a warm smile. "I’m glad you finally decided to come back and settle in the States," she said. "Mom and Dad were so happy when they heard."
Xavier returned her smile with a small one of his own. "Yeah."
There was a short silence before Hannah glanced at him with a teasing smile. "So... any good news?"
Xavier raised an eyebrow. "What kind of good news?"
"You’ve been traveling for years, Xav. You’re telling me not a single woman managed to melt that frozen heart of yours?"
Xavier chuckled and looked away. He didn’t answer right away. Then, with a slight smile and a shrug, he said, "Maybe."
Hannah raised an eyebrow at his vague answer, then smiled—slowly, knowingly.
"Maybe, huh?" she repeated, light but pointed.
Xavier didn’t respond, just kept his gaze on the passing view outside the window, the curve of a smile still playing at the corner of his lips.
Hannah watched him for a moment longer, then looked away, her smile deepening.
Then, tilted her head and asked, "By the way, how do you know Cassidy?"
Xavier paused, his fingers tapping lightly on his knee. Then he replied, "I met her in Switzerland."
Hannah’s eyebrows lifted slightly, intrigued.
Xavier continued, his voice calm, almost nostalgic. "It was in Zurich. At a bar, actually. One of those quiet places tucked into a side street. I had just finished a cooking competition and wanted a drink, she was there, sitting alone."
Xavier chuckled softly, the memory tugging a genuine smile to his lips. "She was sitting at the bar, but not like most people. No wine, no cocktails, just a glass of juice in her hand."
Hannah blinked. "Juice?"
"Yeah," Xavier said with a laugh. "Apple, I think. She looked like she didn’t even belong there. Everyone else looked like they were trying to forget something. She just seemed... like she was taking a break."
Hannah smiled, her interest growing. "And you went up to her?"
"Not right away," Xavier admitted. He paused, the corners of his mouth softening. "I don’t even know why I talked to her. Maybe it was the juice. Or maybe... it was the way she carried herself. Cold, distant. Every guy who tried to talk to her, she turned them down—calmly, without fuss. I don’t know... something about that pulled me in."
"...So yeah," Xavier continued, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Eventually, I walked over and said hi."
He shook his head, amused by the memory. "Strangely enough, she didn’t brush me off like the others. Instead, she just tilted her head and said, ’America?’"
Hannah raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Xavier chuckled. "She said my American accent was obvious. Maybe it made her feel a little less alone. You know, two strangers far from home."
Hannah studied her brother’s face, the way his expression softened at the mere mention of Cassidy’s name. She exhaled slowly, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"You like her, don’t you?" she asked quietly. "Cassidy?"
Xavier didn’t answer right away. His gaze drifted to the window beside him, watching the blur of buildings and traffic lights. "That obvious, huh?"
Hannah gave a small smile. "You smile when you talk about her. And the light in your eyes... it doesn’t lie. I haven’t seen you in a long time, Xav."
Xavier let out a faint laugh, low and breathy.
Hannah paused, lips parting as if to say more, but then she stopped herself. Forget it, she thought. He’s happy. I won’t be the one to ruin that.
After a moment, Xavier turned to her. "How do you know Cassidy? And Zeke—the guy you mentioned earlier. Was he the one with Thomas that night?"
Hannah’s smile faded slightly. She hesitated before giving a small nod. "Yes... that’s him. Zeke or, um, Ezekiel Salvador. Thomas’s friend."
Xavier narrowed his eyes. "Are they—were they—" He stopped himself mid-sentence and shook his head. "No. Don’t. Don’t tell me."
Xavier dragged a hand down his face, frustration clouding his expression. "I don’t need to know about her past," he muttered. "What matters is the present. That’s all."
Hannah glanced at him from the corner of her eye, then let out a slow, quiet breath. If only that were true, she thought.
From what Thomas had told her... it didn’t seem like Zeke was finished with his past.
Not when it came to his ex-wife.
Hannah turned to Xavier again, at the way he looked out the window, lost in thought, jaw clenched.
She wanted him to be happy. He deserved that much, after everything.
Hannah wasn’t sure. She didn’t know if Cassidy was meant to be part of Xavier’s future or if some invisible thread was still pulling her back to the life she once had.