6:23 p.m. - Supermarket
The cool air of the supermarket wrapped around Serena as she pushed the small trolley down the snack aisle. Bright fluorescent lights flickered above rows of polished shelves, neatly stacked with everything from imported chocolates to instant noodles. It was oddly comforting, clean, quiet, ordinary.
Beside her, Yuan walked casually with his hands in his coat pockets, scanning the items with polite disinterest. A jazz instrumental hummed from the store's speakers, adding a calm soundtrack to their slow steps.
"Are you really not busy?" Serena asked, peeking at him from the side as she dropped a box of cereal into the cart. "I feel bad now that you're here with me."
Yuan smirked. "I could be writing discharge reports right now... but I think this is the better kind of chaos."
She gave him a playful glare. "Better chaos? This is just groceries."
"I'm a doctor. Grocery aisles are a luxury," he said, tapping a shelf of instant coffee. "And I don't recall ever being personally invited to hunt for Aiden's favorite snacks."
Serena chuckled and stopped at the chocolate section. Her eyes scanned the shelf until she spotted it: a slim, black wrapped bar of dark chocolate tucked behind other brands.
"Found it," she said softly, taking two bars and placing them gently into the cart like they were delicate prescriptions.
Yuan tilted his head. "Wait-that's the one?"
She nodded. "He's obsessed. Won't eat any other brand. Calls it his 'grown-up chocolate.'"
"I've known that kid for five years and didn't know that," Yuan said, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "I'm losing my touch."
"No, he's just very selective," Serena replied with a faint grin. "I blame his father. Leo was the exact same. Bitter chocolate, black coffee, and no sugar in anything."
Yuan's eyes softened, his gaze drifting to the cart. "You mention him more now."
Serena's smile thinned, but not painfully. "It hurts less when Aiden's okay. When things feel... quiet."
They turned into the dairy section, walking slowly past shelves of milk and yogurt. A child's laughter echoed from the next aisle over, and Serena paused for a moment just listening.
"I think I forgot what normal feels like," she said quietly.
Yuan reached into the cart and lifted a small bottle of yogurt drink. "Normal's overrated. But I'll take this kind of peace over silence in a hospital room any day."
They both laughed softly.
Serena reached for a carton of eggs, then paused and looked up at Yuan. "You've always been around. Even when I didn't ask."
"I'm stubborn like that," he replied. "Besides, someone's gotta make sure you don't end up feeding Aiden spicy ramen and ice cream for dinner."
"He'd love you for it," she teased.
As they reached the cashier, Serena glanced down at the modest cart, dark chocolate, cereal, fruit, and some instant soup.
It wasn't much.
But for today, it was enough.
And as they stepped outside into the fading light of day, with a bag of groceries and a moment of rare calm, Serena realized it wasn't about what she bought but who stayed beside her in the quiet.
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As the supermarket faded behind them, the car hummed steadily along the road, the sky gradually surrendering to dusk. Shadows lengthened across the windshield, and a gentle hush settled in the air between them.
Yuan kept one hand on the wheel, the other resting lazily near the gearstick as he drove toward the hospital. The silence wasn't awkward, just the kind that came with two people who didn't need to fill space with words.
Beside him, Serena sat with her arms crossed, her head slightly tilted toward the window. The day had clearly caught up with her. Her shoulders slackened, breaths evening out as her eyelids began to flutter closed.
Yuan glanced at her briefly.
And then again.
There was a softness in her features he rarely got to see. Not the focused, protective mother. Not the fiercely capable woman he'd stood beside in hospital rooms for years. Just... Serena.
His gaze lingered for a moment longer than he intended.
The streetlights flickered on overhead as they passed under rows of trees. The soft orange glow painted shifting patterns across her skin. In this quiet hour, without the weight of everything they'd both been through, she looked almost peaceful.
Then, without warning, her head tipped gently to the side toward him.
Yuan's heart skipped, just for a second.
She slumped lightly against the passenger seat, her head nearing his shoulder. Reacting quickly but carefully, he slowed the car and reached out his left hand, steadying her head with open fingers, his palm brushing her hair as he eased her gently back against the seat headrest.
He drove slower after that.
One eye on the road, one heart stubbornly quiet.
He didn't speak. Didn't dare ruin the stillness of this moment.
Because for someone like him-someone who had watched her carry pain like armor for years-this was the closest he'd ever been to touching something fragile and almost too precious to name.
The city lights reflected faintly in the rearview mirror as they neared the hospital.
And even though she didn't know it, he'd remember this car ride longer than she ever would.
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