A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust novel Chapter 825

“Aren’t you the genius? There’s nothing you can’t do, only things you don’t want to!”

Calliope grinned up at him. “Seriously, these pancakes are amazing. You could open a diner, you know!”

Lance managed a fleeting smile, the sadness on his face gone in a blink, and finally started eating in earnest.

Calliope kept up a bit of small talk, hoping to ease the awkward quiet.

Lance didn’t say much. He ate slowly, pushing his food around more than actually eating it. It was obvious he didn’t have much appetite, but he was making the effort. Because he knew that if he didn’t, Hudson would have been upset. Hudson had made him promise to take care of himself, and that meant he had to try.

After breakfast, Lance set his fork down. “Callie, I know you’ve got a lot to deal with. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I need to get back and sort out some things for the company anyway.”

He glanced around the kitchen, his voice quiet but steady. “You know, the company was his whole world. He built it from scratch, like raising a kid, really. Now that he’s gone, it’s up to me to look after it.”

He attempted a reassuring smile. “Really, don’t worry. I’ve been bracing myself for this. Hudson made sure everything was set up for me. I’ll follow his wishes, keep the company running, look after the house, all of it.”

Calliope eyed him, concern written all over her face. “Are you sure you don’t want to rest? Just for a bit?”

It looked like Lance was ready to head straight back to work, no downtime, no pause for breath. Hudson’s loss was still so fresh.

“I’ll be okay,” Lance shook his head. “Resting won’t change anything. He’s gone. All I can do now is keep moving forward.”

“He always said he didn’t want me wallowing in sadness. He wanted me to bounce back. If he knew I was just sitting around, being miserable, he’d probably be pissed.”

He tried to laugh, looking at Calliope. “So, really, don’t stress about me. I’ve got things under control. I already booked my flight. I’m leaving this afternoon.”

He hesitated, glancing around the sunny kitchen. “I’ll probably come back to the house every now and then, so… if you could find someone reliable to keep it clean, I’d appreciate it.”

Calliope nodded. “Leave it to me.”

She knew Lance had everything he needed. There wasn’t much she could offer, except to be there.

“If you ever want to grab a drink, call me. I’ll hop a flight over and keep you company,” she said.

“And if you hit any snags at work, let me know. Maybe I can help, you never know.”

She paused, searching for the right words. “Honestly, if you need anything, you know where to find me. I’m always here for you.”