Only you in my love

He family liked chatting over meal. The family of three often gathered around the table to share what happened that day.

Tim's presence made no exception. Elaine was as enthusiastic as ever, pushing the whole dish of fried bacon and garlic sprouts in front of him. "Eat as much as you want, alright? New Year's coming. When are you going home, Tim? I just realized, I don't know where your hometown is."

"I have no family. I plan to stay in the Lexingport City for the rest of my life." Tim's answer was very flat and blunt, as though he was used to saying this. Evidently taken aback by his answer, Elaine smiled at him apologetically.

"I'm fine," Tim said.

"If you don't mind, please come to our house to celebrate the New Year," Elaine said sincerely, then looking at her husband and daughter.

Adams chimed in cheerily, "The more the merrier!"

Michelle echoed, "Yes, you should come over, Tim!"

When Tim mentioned he didn't have a family, her heart ached. While she didn't know what it was like to have no family, she could tangibly feel his loneliness.

Ever since she was a child, she had been especially empathetic. She could feel things others felt.

Tim's hand, which was holding a pair of chopsticks, paused midair. Then, he lowered his head, trying to hide the emotions surging within him. After a brief moment, the pair of chopsticks plucked a piece of bacon and delivered it to his mouth. After he swallowed it, he said in a low and hoarse voice, "Thank you."

"It's nothing; we're neighbors, after all." Elaine smiled at him warmly. "That's settled then. You'll be celebrating the New Year with us!"

"Okay." Tim nodded.

"You can drink, right? Bring some wine over, okay?" Adams grinned mischievously.

"Dad!" Michelle cried in disgust. "You just want to drink again."

"I only drink it on special occasions." Adams winked at Tim. "Remember to bring wine with you."

Usually, guests weren't supposed to bring anything.

The fact that Adam was asking Tim to bring wine meant that Tim wasn't an outsider anymore. He was treated like a close friend, maybe even... family.

'Family?'

The sudden idea of being a part of the family startled Tim. Home was something he longed for yet feared at the same time.

He raised his eyebrows slightly and glanced at the rich set up of dishes on the table. Then, his eyes lingered on the three people sitting before him. All of them were friendly and warm towards him. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

He wanted to be part of their family.

For a second, he let his imagination go wild and he fantasized over the idea.

"What do you do?" Elaine asked, interrupting his thoughts. "I see you come back very late all the time. Do you often work overtime?"

"No," Tim answered frankly. "I'm running a... a nightclub."

As he spoke, he felt somewhat nervous. He was worried he'd leave a bad impression on Michelle's parents.

He usually didn't care what others thought of him. He even felt a sense of satisfaction whenever people called him the devil.

His name was well-known in his circles.

He didn't even need to endorse himself.

But now, he couldn't help but gulp anxiously. He finally understood why Victor began to pay close attention to his image after he fell for Amy. Noticing this, Adams smiled at him reassuringly. "That must mean you have good wine, right?"

Michelle looked at her father in shock.

'Does Dad like drinking that much? All he's talking about is wine!'

She had always thought her father only ever enjoyed a few sips of wine on special occasions; she never took him for a man interested in alcohol.

Elaine, on the other hand, knew her husband very well and caught on very quickly. "Of course he's got good wine! Please excuse his manners, Tim. He just enjoys it when he has someone to share a drink with on festivals. Michelle used to be his drinking buddy. While she was abroad, James and Emma took on the role.

I'm so excited for this New Year. After all, you're going to be celebrating with us! Be sure to bring him some good wine! But for now, let's settle for juice." She poured him a glass of juice.

Tim was smart. He knew what Michelle's parents were really saying. Their kindness was like a warm, comforting blanket-something he never knew he needed.

"There are so many good wines out there. I'll get whichever one you want,"

Tim said to Adams.

He dropped his cool facade and became less reserved.

"That sounds great, Tim!"

Michelle said.

"It's my pleasure." Tim smiled secretly.

Michelle caught his smile, so she smiled back at him sweetly, as if to encourage him to smile more.

That night, Michelle lay in bed while browsing a book on photography. At some point, Leon called and she put her phone on speaker so she could talk to him hands-free.

She was talking to him about what happened at dinner when suddenly, an idea occurred to her. "Leon, would you like to celebrate the New Year with us?"

There was a moment of silence on the phone. Finally, Leon answered, "I'm sorry, I can't."

"Oh, well." It seemed that Michelle had already expected this answer. "Are you going to stay in North Yard or are you going home? I think you should go home, right? Your parents must miss you very much."

"Yeah, you could say that," Leon said with some difficulty. "Actually, I have to go back home soon. I was planning to tell you tomorrow."

Michelle sat bold upright and snatched her phone. "You're leaving soon? When? Tomorrow?"

"Not that soon," Leon chuckled. However, sensing her pained tone, he couldn't help but feel a bit sad. "I'm leaving on Monday."

"Monday? Okay, we still have three days." Michelle heaved a sigh of relief. "Three days. That's still too soon."

'Too soon indeed.'

Leon was more than reluctant to part with her.

Despite their looming sadness, the two of them stayed on the phone until Michelle fell asleep. Leon softly called her name to check if she was asleep, but he didn't hang up the phone. "Good night, Michelle," he whispered.

The next morning, when Michelle woke up, she found that the call was still ongoing. She ran her fingers through her hair a few times before picking up the phone.

Unsure as to whether the person on the other end of the line was awake or not, she leaned close to the mouthpiece and made a loud kissing sound.

She quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment and whispered, "Good morning, Leon."

Leon, still lying in bed with his eyes closed under the blanket, smiled slightly at the sound of her voice.

His phone was lying next to him and he heard a rustling sound. It sounded like Michelle was getting out of bed.

'If only I could actually see her when I open my eyes,' he thought to himself wistfully.000000000☐☐☐☐☐☐