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Chapter 2341
Chapter 2341
Norah trailed behind, her mind in a whirlwind of shock that made her momentarily forget Xavier's coldness. The name "Gonzalez" bounced around her head like a flashing neon sign.
He was Gonzalez?
He was actually Gonzalez!
All she knew before was that the Hanson family had a son, a half-brother to Yvonne. Gonzalez's mother had been frail, only managing to have him in her late thirties. After Yvonne's mother came into the picture, his mother passed away soon after, consumed by grief.
So, from the moment Yvonne and her mother stepped through the door, Gonzalez had been at odds with them, their relationship strained to the breaking point. And because Yvonne and her circle, including Jonathan, were close, Gonzalez almost never mixed with their group. Norah remembered visiting the Hanson household a few times with her grandfather; Gonzalez was either not home or kept out of sight.
Mr. Hanson, when speaking of him, would only sigh in resignation. Everyone said the Hanson son was a rebel, beyond the reach of his stepmother's affection.
Two years later, Norah heard that the Hanson son had run away from home. After that, news about him dried up, with rumors even circulating that he had died. She had almost forgotten the Hanson family had another son.
And it turned out to be Xavier!
Norah slumped into her seat, only to be snapped back to reality when Mr. Hanson chuckled, "Norah's all grown up now. Time really does fly!" Blinking back to the present, she quickly responded, "Hello, Grandpa Hanson!"
After addressing him, her gaze instinctively shifted to Xavier. She had just called his dad "Grandpa," so what should she call him?
Panic set in.
Sure enough, Mr. Hanson soon added, "Norah knows Yvonne but hasn't met Gonzalez, right? You probably don't remember him from when you were little."
Janice chimed in with a smile, "It's been so rare for you two to meet, so it's natural you're not familiar. Norah, you should call him Gonzalez!"
Norah froze.
Xavier looked over, his gaze deep and meaningful.
Norah's mouth opened, but the word "uncle" just wouldn't come out.
She awkwardly said, "I guess I could call him Gonzalez, just like I call Yvonne."
"That won't do," Janice laughed.
"You and Yvonne have known each
other since you were kids, so informal names are fine there. But with Gonzalez, you really should adjust the respect."
to
Mr. Hanson laughed, "Norah's still young, no need to be so strict. What do you want to call him?" Yvonne, aware of Norah and Xavier's acquaintance, simply watched the drama unfold, suppressing a smile. "She's finished grad school, still young? Sounds like you're the one not ready to age," Geoffrey chuckled. The group's laughter allowed Norah to dodge the bullet of having to call Xavier "uncle."
Suddenly, she realized what Xavier meant by their "difference in generation."
She had thought Xavier was referring to Estelle's side of things, but now she understood the real situation.
Pretending to focus on her meal, herContent bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
eyes occasionally stole glances at
Xavier, her heart a mix of bitter sweetness. Sweet, because she finally saw him again; bitter, because after this meal, their paths would surely diverge even further
With this thought, she became even more cautious, concealing her feelings for Xavier, daring not even to look his way again. During the meal, Geoffrey asked Xavier, "Have you come back to help your dad yet?"
Xavier replied, "Not yet."
Mr. Hanson chuckled, "He's gone
and opened his own BBQ joint; doesn't want to come back. Says he'll wait until I'm too old to move. I can't do anything about it.
"BBQ joint?" Janice suddenly turned towards Norah, "You've been working part-time on weekends, right? Is it at a BBQ joint?"
Norah froze, a wave of nervousness washing over her as she locked eyes with Janice, stammering, "Uh?"