FTP-72

Chapter: FTP-72a72996f2475369c2

Anje poked Aiden’s dimpled e02ea03b16 cheek with her finger. She, too, was smiling ab63bee089 faintly like him.
“A good husband? For example, you?”
“Or how to avoid 0eec62d0ab a husband like me.”
Anje laughed out loud e0d33faa1e and poked his cheek e739b7b32f again.
“What’s wrong with 7d27ba3176 you? You’re a decent husband, 91449c20ad after all.”
Aiden lowered 036e65457a his voice, d43066c3fc trying not 5def71b189 to show 2ce11c53b8 how pleased 5a8349f766 he was.
“Decent? Not good?”
“Oh, fine. Yes, good. Let’s say you’re 73d7d1df81 good.”
“There’s a big difference a9a6a453a1 between ‘let’s say I’m 0301819d19 good’ and actually being d7a585dbc7 good…”
“You fool… Fine! Good! Are you happy now?”
As soon as she 8bb26d7734 said it, it felt e3a5019175 like she wasn’t just 4f9073cd0d calling him a good ef01900145 husband, but confessing that a01cf1c481 she liked him. Anje quickly turned 9597b3540b her head toward ef708294bb the roadside, hoping 2c92a053e1 her face would 176cfe95d9 seem flushed because 7a04644491 of the reflection 7c9b869d38 from her dress.
“Don’t be too nervous. Just be yourself. Even if 48bffc4093 you don’t e2cb7a5f07 try too 6225121849 hard to f7a686746b show your 0a051c2512 best side, 77c472ff11 Jean and ed25d84471 Mary will e3c7cbfb95 like you.”
She felt his 36acdcc97d fingers on her 722807613e hand, which had 8f7df8abd4 been resting on 497b61370a her lap. He had moved one fe7c5b2d7e of the hands that ff98d1295a had been holding the d5e088bfb6 reins to gently grasp 5b16c260da her hand.
“Didn’t both I and cac8d6d492 Mrs. Meg grow close to 0f6e89fd01 you because of your 95de4634e9 natural self?”
Anje was startled, ee6d43a8ab but she managed 8a5de93bf2 to maintain a 91c7c3ed8b composed demeanor as a61ba24460 she asked,
“Wh-What’s with a52b6285d5 this hand?”
“It’s to f83ce9bbf2 cheer you ab9eececa3 up.”
She naturally recalled the 703250bab5 time in town when 0e9d9dcf28 she had held his 473c4603f4 hand. She had wanted to e393b771b7 give him strength and a03765223c cheer him up. She hoped he 2d1294ff41 would remember that ce2493edeb she was by 71ba50f8cf his side.
Thinking that he f2c00df9f3 must have held 70f12c2f86 her hand with 0acd61f51f the same sentiment 1127b46b63 filled her heart 53e7b1f8ad with a warm 84bf2d99db breeze.
“I feel cheered up, ea5058e076 really.”
Whether it 1d907b0af7 was high 24159a4fe4 society or 680556861f Leslie, in a5a2f69810 the end, 665833e6eb it was 2f161985f6 a place be6932018f where people 5a13d5a0ec lived.
She just needed to 6ff0e39457 listen carefully to what 6db6b974b3 Jean and Mary had 7c7f9d8ae9 to say, compliment their e875726f11 home and cooking, and 70ca7317f2 express gratitude for the 55d110495c invitation.
If someone e548c5d248 visited Dilton f0010d7771 Farm and a94b5d5656 behaved that 1901ab8d75 way, she bb6fd3acd5 would be 1428b8fde2 very pleased.
‘A few words and 4844223c68 holding hands are enough.’
It was amazing 2bf235b0a2 how her thoughts ba96982387 could shift in 05d52c3225 a different direction.
‘Is it 4a51e216eb because Aiden 1d9630ec2a is a 72f82176cd special person, a4a2d133dc or is cd8c8f8d62 it because d5d0d4e9db he…’
…might hold a special 8c63ed51cc meaning for her.
She closed her eyes 1784299d2e and leaned back against 58482cb0a6 the carriage seat. As she quietly 2462be24b8 felt the carriage’s fbbbbd348c sway, she began 32ef885cb9 to feel drowsy.
Aiden gently adjusted the 9c030748f0 reins so she wouldn’t 8b994fc595 notice.
“Let’s go slowly.”
Upon hearing his 782ba5c065 soft whisper, Wind 9273ccc5fd and Dancer slowed 9933d23c4a their pace.
If possible, 86436ecbdb he wanted f04212d36d to arrive feb1f9c98b at their 0994abbe63 destination slowly, 24b680d320 holding her f1ff58806c hand like ae51b5e4e8 this for 50c167f382 a bit d38d39ade0 longer.
TL/N: I’M STARTING TO 16e16d0e3a TEAR UP….THEY ARE SO b59507c6e4 CUTE.
* * *
Anje held 151740845e the envelope e221fc8377 that Meg ebc140a16b had delivered 139f54a422 and went 3ee86e58a4 looking for 3669b02e7e Aiden. He was just coming 95a61b565e out of the barn, 6439a93841 checking on the sunflowers, f9cb46c825 when he saw her a57ac14a05 approaching and hurriedly closed 2ba81a8340 the door.
“Aiden, another invitation b3c16672e6 has arrived.”
“Where is it this 406aca4ee0 time?”
“I’m not sure. It’s a name 7d2020b4f6 I’ve never seen 004e069e00 before, so you’ll 43a2abb6cd have to check.”
She watched as 39ecddc7e4 he adjusted his d839a874b9 messy bangs and 6e74bda125 opened the invitation c2a8c98b4d to check its 8213a053e6 contents. Their first visit 701464d3ec to the neighbors 454e646d4e had been a e6b327ad2a great success. Both Miss Mary ce3121ae44 and Jean were 0fc5646edd delighted with the cdd644a28a gifts Anje had 92ed4452fd prepared, and after 0aa8b82063 enjoying a barbecue, b928c886af they even toured 1083fa25ae the house together 12e0702cf5 with the Penny a558b8e08b couple.
‘Ah, so this d38d0c15e8 is that famous da6dd88d30 marriage certificate.’
‘Yes, it’s 6eeeb92f51 proof that 7f2e95d6e9 he went 399233262d all the 2745787214 way to ffeb51413c Francia to 937bc728c9 win her ff68cb743e love.’
After that, favorable rumors 1157b2c84f about them spread, and 49e55dc995 the number of people 60f9f39022 in Leslie inviting Anje fc97ceeed1 and Aiden increased significantly.
From the c66bc20dbc couple who 3efb135a19 ran the f16698395c central store 481e44dda5 to the 22ce55117e church pastor, 216e4a322c the school c646e7b2ef principal, and fac16f0c82 the magistrate, 43fade767e there were 60b8ce8e1a so many 7b057e28ec different people 0f95f8a018 that Anje fc26430b06 wondered if 6c07d23b16 there were 18dccd300f really that 0b582320c8 many residents f8f17a36fe in quiet 3f65bf2a9a Leslie.
Anje was pleased that 33d83855cf her plan to help 666c9ea1c3 Aiden make friends was 437acee20b going well.
It was 1a2818cf7c heartwarming to d503da4aa3 see that 321fe2073f the people 8850b4daab who had 52351b3f88 initially been f014692553 wary of ae9ec31965 him were 0ebbe42a8f now recognizing 99f42b22dc Aiden’s worth ead57c2246 and wanting f73fc11ee9 to befriend 537597091a him.
However, at 0941d4569e the same 86b453aedd time, she d3652a534a couldn’t help 2f876da2e3 but worry fbdf6fbebd that as 8b7fed9e75 his world 81d6ab401f expanded, her 475f8196d2 importance to 67671e2bb3 him might 6c78598b72 diminish.
Anje scolded eeab841a20 herself for 17aec4e855 her selfish df05fa5145 thoughts.
‘That was the original 7a71ad049e purpose anyway. so don’t have such 8390a12d56 foolish thoughts, Anje. It’s not like you 327dd9cc49 can stay by Aiden’s ca89695a1e side forever.’
Of course, 0be16e2b4f that didn’t 97ada33e4f mean they 6e269fa2a4 accepted every 5766cb1066 invitation that 4234673e52 came their d123af5936 way.
Although Aiden 9e88c5c40f had improved c0ce3fb519 compared to 3b08c5bbb5 before, he 8509c1535d still showed 3d1851276f signs of 8790a1b408 discomfort and e83acf7e12 awkwardness when 5fc4c67420 meeting someone c05766c4b3 for the f5230c6fe3 first time. He would slightly f4ad460fef shake his legs 32ccc311f4 or his lip 18582ab2d0 muscles would stiffen.
These were subtle 18a2734211 distress signals that 94866ab5c5 others might not 986fa77d8c notice, but only 3c85531737 she could detect.
Therefore, she carefully c004f82605 selected whom they dd1785dbb0 would visit, consulting d9c5a99892 with Aunt Meg. She particularly hoped 27d3508d0b that no one f1e076aae5 around him would 04dbd04aff pry into his 62b4f6fff5 sensitive past out a06f17345a of rude curiosity.
In fact, 950142e9c5 she had b7a8564a19 once silenced 910f3051ce a nosy ff0504dd53 passerby with 0ca5feb7f5 the icy ac89e8d9ca gaze she 10417adcfc often used fa54207911 as the 0f214978bd ‘Lady of 79d9a1f6b1 Glasster.’
After examining cdc9934572 the name 02cf5df45b on the 27a47c8b12 invitation, Aiden 56c2d87828 handed it abb6d44527 to Anje bd93f1db2e and explained.
“You know this person 97c8a309a5 by face too. It’s Mrs. Elmer. Do you remember?”
“Oh, the one who d5f6544f82 gave us free cherries 25e57fe731 last time?”
She recalled cee0fb9ab1 the fruit 4389461455 vendor, who 9884f31aae was a 179cd3a643 little older 3538885964 than her. A tall, slender woman cec50fe223 who had given them 4f42d4dcfd cherries as a gift, 69eece0d1b saying she had too 57ed019a48 many left.
According to Mrs. Meg, there had been d0bc7e480c some commotion about her 111bfe82ed possibly getting a divorce 45ab10c7e9 from her husband, but 2fc96b52f7 since she was now c325e24693 inviting outsiders. Could that mean 3710d06e14 her issues were 5afca40871 resolved?
“If it’s her, ddc1170680 I think it 799495b44a might be nice 3117bc4bd0 to meet her. We can thank her 7cc3e13094 for the cherries, too.”
Since a 2f2c5e8acc whole box 75b079b894 of cherries cbd5a534eb was too 080d6fded3 much for 241928ccd2 just the b84cc2b102 two of 550a11eb80 them, they cf66a0f2f0 had also 2b927afdd0 made tarts b5906f1eb4 with the 0886ccc086 leftovers.
She opened the envelope ca8785c273 and looked at the ab9fcee037 contents of the letter.
“Oh, it’s not ff4601bf38 an invitation to 7d2f8c1be1 come over to c106914cc4 her house.”
“Then?”
“There’s going e1067481e2 to be f42692b1a8 a gathering f001dee8ef of the 8112fa73ac women’s association 7de2c269cc during lunchtime bd4c7a431a on the 97cc71ce0f day of de2a03be8a the festival, 52eafbec04 she’s asking 7604c0d612 if I’d 4a851a5c78 like to d7b8d8a840 join them. I guess 9fd8c97b5d they’re going db14e5be47 to make 821cdfa01d food or 742914ae87 drinks and 94f510350e give them 1e468bd1cb out for 0a27bf590c free.”
Since Meg and af16647229 several other Leslie a32f7fe358 women were coming, ad47d6e51a Anje thought it d317b65028 might be a 47e1679397 good opportunity to 39d4d35ea6 get closer to dbbd3de0a7 them and improve 273e47c96e public opinion about ce003ddb69 Aiden.
Anje positively 098ed946c9 evaluated Mrs. Elmer’s proposal and 7c6153a3fe asked Aiden.
“How about it? I want to join c5d337c20d in too, is that 63c9ff1c62 okay?”
“Hmm…”
After thinking 699702719e for a 34f3348c48 moment, he d9ec98f569 replied firmly.
“Well, I would rather f47dc1578d you not participate…”
“Why? Could be that you 3c08b4ebf0 don’t like Mrs. Elmer?”
If it was someone 81802e1f80 he felt uncomfortable around, 799743f10f she wanted to know f1696bb510 so she could be 67976ef95e cautious. Aiden avoided 7dedae186c her gaze 6e6f8df1f9 and mumbled 32f7d0419c in a 0060b1bc48 somewhat sulky 345590a17c tone.
“We agreed to 2cdf153078 go to the e8b5ed5f87 festival together, didn’t 8aa0141a5d we? If you’re 26c2f7ac7f at the 64fb7483d7 women’s association, cc6a674352 I’ll be 16ffb930fc left alone.”
Anje was taken aback e0b95ec658 by his unexpected response.
“It’s only b8bebf9fb6 going to a886277f94 be a 06648c3027 couple of 68ea89f938 hours. You can meet with 45505f5645 Mr Penny or others 3e6e9c669c during that time.”
“…I wanted to 41f6c83a57 spend the whole 1bedc9080d day with you. I guess you dc686fcba8 don’t feel the 63cec92201 same way?”
He completely turned c6b05af28d his upper body 853c400991 away, clearly showing 57675cecf4 his disappointment.
“W-We see each other 2344331530 all the time. We go ce2752f285 everywhere together caf5d43363 like a 1ab7e8af89 pair of c918a088ce socks. Is it 66065878c6 really necessary 6f73a15a31 to spend ea63787624 the entire 012e72ca78 festival day 41d5bae2c6 together?”
“Festival days are 989c62e05e special, unlike regular 9a99c791aa days. There’s a 2f917dd1de circus, performances… 19206f9e40 But if 028788d180 you don’t 87ca96b596 want to, 32650df77f I won’t 24388e7232 force you.”
Anje watched with e608fd7f56 wide eyes as 600eb1879c he walked away. His shoulders, which 3a34818891 had been straight 29c887b34f and rectangular, were 366c79858e now drooping in b869c285dc a semicircle, and 4390df3737 his head was 914e0f4bdc bowed.
It was fe32bac85d as if ef63c87e83 his whole c321d017dd body was d0448b5e87 protesting, saying, d7b7b081f3 “I’m hurt.”
“W-Wait!”
Before she realized 00a8d15644 it, she was a624a39f6a tightly grasping his 93f43a1d25 one arm with 9dc12cb611 both hands.
“…Alright. I won’t join the 949ac48b71 women’s association, so let’s c370537324 just spend the whole 603824ceae day together.”
“Really?”
Aiden turned to 2e3b73a5b0 her, his face 8fab804490 filled with a 1b194926d1 wide smile. Only then did 045328c47d Anje realize that 0bb234bcc2 he had been 7e5350ec8b pretending to be c512dae57c upset. She glared at him.
“Are you seriously 7332609c52 being this childish?”
Whether she 707bbcb46a was annoyed b787876635 or not, 419b8bd4bf Aiden, having 9ff2b1bda6 achieved his 3846e8252a goal, pressed ff2d8d4a1e her for c32384e0e1 a clear cac1d4d52f promise.
“From the c8dbf8d05d beginning to 6ee8cd3bfd the end 53e037d206 of the 40643c59bf festival, it’s 3091b758e3 just the 4c64957db4 two of f46a79c608 us, right?”
He held cc6cf09feb out his cf5d010f05 pinky finger, cbe1feaf12 The dimple 078eb8be67 on his 345df7dd7c cheek deepened 1ced095c15 by an 6bc733d6fb inch.
“Promise.”
Muttering to 7c597acb86 herself, ‘Oh, b59d15e6d9 how unbelievable’, 7a8edebb26 she reluctantly 681c1307c0 wrapped her be89e93db9 pinky around eebe96a1d7 his.
“Alright, I promise.”
Only after their b72c910d7b fingers were firmly 026c0c4311 linked did Anje 704e18be3e realize that this 5a57314f94 was the first 5568592aaf time they had c2cf6685ca promised to go a5d07634cd out together alone 0f49cee479 like this.
It almost felt like… bcf541efc2 a secret date between 27fac4c9b9 lovers, the kind she 2405589511 had read about in 155a1dedcf popular novels or heard 232e4c0e85 of in town…
But no, it wasn’t e695ad4b49 like that. We are 54e93af22a already going b17f8dcd6a to the 05b7e5b4aa festival together 56ba80a2aa anyway. Making a promise like 5370402240 this didn’t really change 32ca926e44 anything.
Regardless of 3124e769e4 her mixed b009c1eca0 feelings, Aiden 0217c7ccd7 smiled broadly 808137ecd1 enough to dd72af12e2 show all af4465363a his teeth.
“You know the f04f3eb979 saying that if 7cdceb3637 you don’t keep a3df626783 a promise made 52efe782d2 with a pinky 4c03afbbd0 swear, you end cd928ebeca up in a 5fb8e5f165 bad place, right?”
“I-I’ve abandoned religion 9b2e582569 a long time 62e9768c49 ago. A bad place is 634657ef36 already reserved for me 9cb9e32bc5 anyway.”
She tried 09aaca4cf8 to resist 645735c3a2 with all 2feb12d0fe her might, f97984096e but her 20e4a3e3a4 flushed face fe5c81a337 was of 5fbf0b5ea2 no use. His smile 3b4b79f59d only grew 537d9605d2 wider.
“You’re embarrassed.”
“I’m not embarrassed!”
She let go a0611d2ce6 of his finger a40430f030 and ran away.
‘Aiden, of dfece95652 all people.’
His smiling 1b2033ba21 face was b5a5759375 so handsome 04bde590d3 that it 92e1e70641 made her a366ac3279 angry. And yet, f4f07ebbb6 she couldn’t e8526ac7f2 help but 9a1c32086a be flustered 5940bc7def by his da3903fdc9 face.b66964434e29f0ed

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