The next day.
The day Evelyn had been waiting for finally arrived. At last, she was going to Grayenfall, a big city tucked between hills and rivers, about two hours from Willowcrest.
She had been planning this trip a few days ago. She even convinced herself she could drive on her own, just like she always did.
But, of course, that dream had been crushed the moment Liam caught wind of her plan.
"Lady Boss, absolutely not," Liam had declared firmly, in that polite tone of his. "Allow me to drive. You can rest. I promise I won’t follow you around once we arrive. Nor will I ask questions."
Evelyn narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious. ’Oh, sure. I refuse him now; he might call Axel.... right?’
She didn’t have a choice but to agree. After all, Liam was like a polite but immovable wall; one could push, shove, and argue, but in the end, the wall didn’t budge.
So now, here she was, sitting in the back seat with Oliver, her three-year-old chatterbox, who had already claimed Liam’s full attention from the driver’s seat.
"Uncle Liam, look, look!"
Oliver pressed his tiny finger against the window, eyes shining with excitement.
"The mountains are orange! Mommy, look, look, mountains are orange."
Evelyn looked up and saw just three leaves turning beautiful shades of orange as winter neared. It was all quite normal.
"Yes, sweetheart, very orange, because winter is approaching..." she said calmly.
But Liam? He reacted enthusiastically. "Orange mountains? Amazing! You have a sharp eye, Young Master. I’ve driven here many times, and I never noticed that."
Evelyn’s lips twitched. Silently shook her head, knowing Liam only tried to humor her son.
Oliver puffed his chest proudly.
"See, Mommy? Even Uncle Liam thinks it’s amazing."
"Yes, darling, it’s amazing..." she sighed, patting his silky hair. "Wow, you’re practically a scientist already. Can discover the orange mountain..."
Oliver grinned, satisfied, then quickly moved on to his next topic.
"Uncle Liam, why is the road so empty? Did everyone forget to drive today?"
Liam chuckled softly. "Perhaps. Or maybe they all knew we were coming, so they cleared the way for us."
Evelyn almost laughed at his funny answer. Just before she was about to comment, her adorable son spoke again.
Oliver’s eyes widened as if Liam had just revealed a state secret. "Really, Uncle Liam? Does everyone know me? Know us?"
"Of course," Liam replied solemnly, eyes still on the road. "You’re the Young Master. Everyone knows you."
Oliver gasped, then leaned close to his mother, whispering like it was a conspiracy. "Mommy... I think Uncle Liam is right. People know me."
Evelyn bit her inner lip to hold back her laughter.
"Yes, sweetheart. You’re three, but sure, you will be a little celebrity in the near future..."
For the next forty minutes, the car was filled with Oliver’s endless stream of observations.
Every cow grazing in the fields became a story.
Every passing truck was "super giant."
Even the clouds were debated like works of art.
And Liam, he listened to every word with the patience of a monk.
"That cow is probably the leader of all cows," Oliver said earnestly, pointing out the window.
"You may be right," Liam replied with a straight face as he glanced at the rearview mirror, "He has the posture of a leader."
When Oliver wondered aloud whether trucks ate smaller cars for breakfast, Liam gasped dramatically. "That could explain why trucks are always so big!"
Oliver laughed so hard he nearly hiccupped, kicking his little sneakers against the seat.
Evelyn, meanwhile, considered the possibility that Liam had completely lost his mind. Or maybe Oliver has brainwashed him. Yes. That must be it.
Finally, deciding she’d endured enough cow-leaders and car-eating trucks, Evelyn pulled out her phone. Let them chatter. She had someone to text: the person she was supposed to meet in Grayenfall.
But even as she typed, snippets of the ridiculous conversation filtered through.
"Uncle Liam, do planes ever get tired of flying?" he asked as he pointed at the plane in the sky.
"Perhaps. That’s why they have to land and take a nap at airports."
"Ahh... that makes sense. Mommy, did you hear that? Planes get tired too. And, they take a nap too..."
Evelyn glanced up from her phone. "Yes, darling. Poor, exhausted planes. Maybe we should knit them blankets."
Oliver gasped, utterly serious. "That’s a great idea, Mommy. We should..."
Liam, to her eternal horror, nodded along. "A thoughtful plan, Lady Boss. Very thoughtful."
Evelyn silently chuckled, holding back her laughter.
Still, she couldn’t deny it. Watching Oliver’s bright little face and hearing Liam’s patient, amused replies was... sweet. She is secretly enjoying it.
Oliver then tilted his head, eyes curious. "Uncle Liam, do you have a Mommy?"
Liam blinked, caught off guard. "I... used to, Young Master. She’s in heaven now."
This time, Liam’s voice sounded low.
"Oh—" Oliver went quiet for a moment, lips pursing. Then, with the blunt honesty of a child, he asked, "Do you miss her?"
"Yes, of course I miss her," Liam said softly.
Oliver nodded, his expression unusually serious. "Then I’ll share my Mommy with you."
"Cough! Cough!" Evelyn instantly coughed. She turned to see Oliver. "E-Excused me, Oliver?"
"It’s okay, Mommy." Oliver smiles. "You can be Uncle Liam’s Mommy, too. Uncle Liam said his mother had passed away long ago, so he doesn’t have one now."
Evelyn pressed a hand to her forehead. ’My goodness... Now I’m adopting grown men. My life just keeps getting better.’
But Liam, bless his ridiculous soul, actually looked touched. His lips curved into the smallest smile as he glanced at her in the mirror.
"Thank you, Young Master. That’s very kind. But I don’t dare... Your father will scold me."
Oliver blinked. "Don’t worry, Uncle Liam, I will talk to Daddy. He will agree..."
Evelyn finds her almost two-hour drive to Grayenfall to be as exhilarating and unpredictable as a roller coaster. Sometimes, she is amused by the conversations she hears, but mostly, she is constantly startled.
By the time they reached Grayenfall, Evelyn’s phone battery had dipped dangerously low from her frantic texting.
She glanced up, realizing Liam and Oliver were now engaged in a heated debate about whether clouds had names.
And yet, as ridiculous as it all was, her lips curved into a smile she didn’t bother hiding.