Lucas walked over to Bella, who turned her head in his direction after hearing Rachel shriek in delight at the gift her dada bought for her. His steps steady as he handed her the bouquet and some neatly wrapped packages. She blinked, looking at the flowers first, then at the gifts in his other hand.
"For me?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of surprise.
"No, for Rachel," he deadpanned before smirking. "Of course, it's for you. I've already given her."
Bella rolled her eyes but took the flowers, inhaling their fresh scent before unwrapping the gifts. Inside were cashmere shawls of different colours, chocolates and scented candles. Her fingers traced over the shawl, a soft warmth settling in her chest.
"You didn't have to…" she started, glancing at him.
"I wanted to," Lucas said simply before stepping back. "I'll go change. Don't start dinner without me." Bella watched as he disappeared into the bedroom, her fingers still holding onto the gift.
Dinner was peaceful, filled with Rachel's excited chatter about school and Bella quietly enjoying the comfort of a warm meal. Lucas, as usual, made sure she ate enough, and she, in return, made sure he didn't just focus on her plate.
After dinner, they helped Rachel get ready for bed. Bella read her a bedtime story while Lucas listened from his side, occasionally getting teased by Bella about how he always got sleepy before finishing a story.
"You'll sleep before Rachel again at this rate," she murmured.
Lucad narrowed his eyes at her but didn't argue because, honestly, he was getting drowsy. But once Rachel was asleep, instead of lying down, he got out to have a quick shower before bed.
Bella too slipped out of bed, making sure that Rachel is surrounded by pillows so that she doesn't fall out of the bed and went to the living room, deciding to watch a movie before calling it a night.
Lucas stepped out of the bathroom, towel-drying his hair, finding only rachel sleeping, while hugging the pillow. He went to search for Bella, when his gaze fell on her sitting on the couch in the living room, her face illuminated by the dim glow of the TV screen. He was about to say something when he noticed the tears silently rolling down her cheeks. His heart skipped a beat.
"Bella?" he called out, walking towards her in quick strides. She sniffled, dabbing at her eyes with the sleeve of her dress as she turned to him.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice laced with concern as he crouched down beside her. "Are you okay? Did something happen? Are you in pain? Want me to call the doctor? No...lets go to the hospital."
Bella blinked at his reaction before shaking her head. "It's the movie…" she mumbled, pointing at the screen.
Lucas followed her gaze, only to find a painfully emotional scene playing—a mother reuniting with her lost child. He stared at it for a moment before shifting his attention back to Bella, his brows furrowing.
"You're crying… because of a movie?" Bella pouted, wiping another stray tear. "It's emotional, right?" Lucas sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "You scared me for a second."
"You think I wanted to cry?" she muttered, still sniffling. "It just.... happened." Lucas exhaled, watching her for a moment before standing up. "Come on." Bella looked at him, confused. "Where?"
"I'm not letting you cry alone over a movie," he said as he settled onto the couch beside her. "Now, what's so heartbreaking that it made you cry?"
Bella blinked at him, a mix of surprise and something else she couldn't quite place. But instead of questioning it, she pressed play and let the movie continue, this time with Lucas watching beside her.
Bella continued crying, sniffling every now and then as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Lucas sighed, watching her struggle with her emotions before finally giving in. Without a word, he reached out and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in a firm but gentle embrace.
Bella stiffened for a second, her head resting against his chest, the warmth of his body strangely comforting. His hand moved slowly over her back, rubbing in soothing circles, and she exhaled, feeling the tension ease from her shoulders.
"It's just a movie," Lucas murmured, his voice low and calm. "I know," she whispered against his shirt. "But it was sad…" Lucas sighed again, but there was the faintest hint of amusement in it this time. "You're really something, you know that?"
They stayed like that for a few moments, the only sound in the room being the soft hum of the television. But then, reality hit her—she was practically curled into Lucas's chest, his arms securely around her.
Her eyes widened slightly as the realization dawned on her. She quickly pulled away, her cheeks warm as she avoided his gaze. "I—I should go to bed." Lucas smirked, watching her flustered expression. "Already?"
She grabbed the remote and stopped the movie without looking at him. "Yes. It's late." Lucas leaned back, his smirk deepening as he watched her stand up and hurry toward the bedroom. He shook his head in amusement. "Cute," he muttered to himself before following after her.
Bella slipped into bed, cuddling Rachel instinctively, while Lucas got in on his side. He glanced at her, noticing how she had completely buried her face in Rachel's hair, probably still embarrassed from earlier. Shaking his head, he lay back against the pillow, casting one last glance at the two before closing his eyes.