NovelEnglishRachel Pearce didn't bother chasing after Haynes O'Brien; she seemed lost in her own thoughts, but no one
really noticed her.
After leaving the gym, Stella Cameron decided to head straight hinstead of making any detours-she wanted
to avoid any further encounters with Haynes. When they passed by a supermarket, Stella stopped to pick up
sgroceries. As her assistant, Joshua naturally went along.
Haynes, who had been tailing them in his car, saw them get out and followed them inside.
When they left, Rachel tried to hitch a ride with Haynes, but he turned her down. For once, the usually persistent
Rachel didn't insist; she simply walked away on her own.
Inside the supermarket, Haynes spotted Stella pushing a cart, carefully selecting vegetables.
Joshua wasn't hovering at her side; instead, he was walking behind Stella with Keen O'Brien.
Keen was beaming, telling Joshua something exciting-every now and then exclaiming, "That's awesome!" or
"Really?" The difference between this lively, exuberant boy and the well-behaved, steady child Keen usually was
around Haynes was striking.
Watching his own son chat so comfortably with another man, Haynes felt a pang of something he didn't expect.
For the first time, he truly understood what it was like to see your child bonding with someone you can't stand.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHe recalled how, in the past, he'd accused Stella of being petty and jealous, unable to accept anyone else caring
for their child. Now, standing in her shoes, he finally understood exactly how she must have felt back then.
If Stella had been as friendly with Rachel as Keen was now with Joshua, he doubted he could have handled it as
calmly-he'd probably have stormed right
over.
Haynes closed his eyes for a moment, a wave of regret washing over him. He realized just how much he'd
neglected because of Rachel.
He didn't approach or interrupt, just quietly followed Stella and the others as they shopped.
Stella was focused, methodically picking out vegetables. From where Haynes stood, he could only see delicate
curve of her cheek,
luminous in the sunlight enest
through the window. For a
moment, he felt his long-numb heart skip a beat.
Sensing his gaze, Stella looked up in his direction. When she saw Haynes, her brow furrowed slightly. She'd
known all along he was following them.
Annoyed, but with no grounds to chase him off-the supermarket wasn't her turf— Stella simply ignored him and
went back to choosing produce.
Keen, engrossed in conversation with Joshua, didn't even notice Haynes trailing them.
The vegetables Stella picked were crisp and fresh, catching the attention of a friendly woman stocking shelves
nearby.
"You clearly know your way around the produce aisle," the woman remarked with a smile. “You always pick the
best ones. | bet you cook at ha lot, right? You know exactly which parts taste the best."
Stella smiled back. "Yes, | do most of the cooking myself. That way, the meals always turn out just the way I like."
Haynes watched them chat, eyes softening. He'd never once gone grocery shopping with Stella, never
accompanied her on these little errands. He had no idea there was so much to learn about picking vegetables.
Keen overheard their conversation and turned to look. "Wait, you can't just grab any vegetable off the shelf?"
The woman laughed. "Of course not!
Good produce tastes so much better. And there's so much more to cooking than people think-the timing, the
heat, the seasoning, the way you combine things... It's a real art." sW
Keen whispered, “I had no idea cooking at hwas so much work for Mom."
The woman nodded. "Taking care of the O'Brien family is no walk in the
park, you know. It's often harder than having a job. If people had the choice, not many would trade a career for
staying at hwith the kids."
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