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Rita beamed, taking both Ivy and Christian’s hands and placing them together. “I hope you two stay happy and together for a very, very long time. You look perfect together.”
“Thank you.” Christian patted the back of her hand, his expression soft.
“We’ll get going now,” he added. “I’ll have someone drop you both off at the shelter.”
David waved him off. “No need. We can take a taxi.”
"Don't worry about it when I’m here," Christian said immediately. "Just come out when you're done, and there will be a car waiting for you outside."
"Alright then." Rita patted his hand again, smiling as she settled into the chair.
Christian turned back to Ivy, pulling her along as they left the hospital.
Outside, Samuel was already waiting by the car.
Spotting them, he opened the back door. Christian helped Ivy in first before rounding the car to get in himself.
As soon as the car started, he pulled her onto his lap instead of letting her sit in the seat.
Ivy had grown used to it by now, so when he tugged at her hand, she simply sighed and climbed into his lap, making him grin.
With her hips resting on his lap, his hands secured around her waist, his fingers traced lazy circles over her skin, making her shiver slightly.
Leaning back against the seat, he dipped his head beside hers and whispered, "Ivy, aren’t you curious about me?"
She pulled back slightly, searching his eyes. “Huh?”
“You never asked who Rita and David are.”
“Will you tell me?” she asked.
Christian’s gaze softened. "I'll tell you anything you ever ask about me." He leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek, making her squirm in his hold.
Ivy hesitated before asking, “Who are they?”
Christian frowned slightly as Ivy pulled away from his touch, his head not buried in her neck any longer, to look at his face. He leaned in again, but Ivy gently placed a hand on his face, holding him back. He looked into her eyes, his expression serious, though not pleased.
“They lost their family in a car accident last year,” Christian muttered. “Two sons, daughters-in-law, and grandkids. Everyone gone. I met them a few months later, they looked very broken. So I started helping them.”
“They live in a shelter?” Ivy’s voice was soft, tinged with pity. "You had said that you will have them dropped off at a shelter?"
Christian nodded. "They both run and take care of a shelter for homeless kids on the streets. It's privately owned by me." His hands tightened around Ivy as he looked into her eyes. "I don’t want more kids to suffer like I did. It’s a safe place for them. Rita and David live there now, taking care of it with others."
Ivy’s gaze softened, her heart aching for him. She had never imagined that someone like him—always smiling, pulling her close, treating her like a treasure—would have such a painfulpast. But as the layers of his life began to unfold, her heart broke for him. It was clear that he had never truly healed from the trauma of his childhood.
Yet, despite his fears, he was taking steps to fill the void that had broken him all those years ago.
Without thinking, Ivy leaned into his chest, her hands slipping around his neck. She tilted her head up, pressing her face into his neck, feeling his warmth surround her.
Christian, caught off guard, sat still, almost like a statue. This was the first time Ivy had initiated such intimacy, the first time she had hugged him like this.
His heart nearly stopped. His arms instinctively wrapped around her waist, lifting her slightly as he pulled her closer, tightening his hold on her. His gaze burned with intensity as he buried his face in her hair, inhaling the scent of her.
Ivy didn’t pull away. She stayed in his arms, her body pressing against his, and Christian felt a warmth settle in his chest. He could have stayed like this forever—her scent surrounding him, her soft breaths against his neck, her hair brushing his face. He buried his face deeper into her neck, inhaling every breath of her scent as if it were the only thing that mattered.
Slowly, his lips brushed against her skin, pressing soft, loving kisses along her neck, his tongue caressing her exposed skin with tender strokes.
The car ride home was silent for a long time, the only sound the gentle hum of the engine and their breaths, until Ivy’s phone rang, shattering the silence.