As Rex Thompson left, Aiden Thompson turned his head to look at her. "Sorry."
"For what?"
"My family's caused you some trouble."
Grace Li replied, "It's fine. Your dad was actually pretty chill with me."
Aiden Thompson covered her hand with his own. "Don't take what he said too seriously."
"But I already have," Grace Li said, meeting his gaze. "Aiden, if we're apart for three years, will you lose feelings for me?"
"Never."
Grace Li smiled slightly. "See? You answered without even thinking."
"Because there's no need to think about it."
"But in reality, things aren't that simple," Grace Li said. "Aiden, don't make promises lightly. People change."
Aiden Thompson had already figured out what she was thinking. He looked into her eyes. "Grace, will you lose feelings for me?"
Grace Li answered honestly, "I'm not sure. Aiden, you know my good friend Isabella. She always tells me how many couples swore eternal love, loved each other deeply, went against their families' wishes, but in the end, ended up hating each other. So, no one can guarantee forever."
"I've thought it through. Your dad's concession gives us hope. Actually, what he said makes sense. We do need time to test our relationship."
Aiden Thompson already knew Grace Li would agree to Rex's request. Deep down, she'd always been a bit skeptical about their relationship. No matter how many promises he made, she stayed rational.
Grace Li said, "Let's think of these three years as a long-distance relationship. After three years, if we still want each other without hesitation, we'll get married right away. How about that?"
Aiden Thompson asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yeah. You're in Los Angeles and I'm in New York. We're already doing long-distance," Grace Li said. "I really want to see what we'll be like in three years."
By then, the intense attraction from hormones would have mostly faded. If they still chose each other without hesitation, they probably wouldn't separate again.
Aiden Thompson couldn't think of a better plan and decided to take it one step at a time. As for Rex's suggestion, he already had a plan in mind. "I'll see if I can get him to speed things up."
"What?"
Aiden Thompson put his arm around her shoulders. "I'm gonna try to get him to move the timeline up. My goal is to marry you legally before the end of next year."
Grace Li's lips curved into a smile. "You sure about that?"
"Of course. I've realized my dad's not totally heartless. When I had a serious talk with him the other day, he made a concession. I'll keep talking to him more." Aiden Thompson said, "Grace, I know we need time to test things, but I don't want it to be too long."
Grace Li leaned into his arms, feeling his warmth. "Okay."
**
"So, you're really going to be apart from him for three years?" Isabella asked, resting her chin on one hand as she looked at Grace Li across the table.
The two hadn't hung out much lately. Grace Li had been swamped with work, and Isabella had a new boyfriend, so they didn't have a lot of time for each other.
Today was Saturday. Isabella brought over some delicious seafood, and Grace Li made a few side dishes to go with it. They were eating and chatting as they caught up.
Grace Li was using scissors to crack open the crab legs. "There's no better option than to be apart for now. Even I think we need this time apart before we can be together. Otherwise, it won't last."
"That makes sense," Isabella said. "I used to think you were just casually dating or having a fling with a younger guy. Never thought it'd get so complicated."
"To be honest, the past year with him feels like a dream. It doesn't even feel real sometimes."
Isabella broke open a crab and looked up at Grace Li. "I can tell you he's real. The fact that he's willing to go against his family for you shows he's serious about you."
As a divorce lawyer, Isabella was all about precision, so she added, "Well, at least he's sincere right now."
Who knew what would happen down the road?
Grace Li smiled. "You sure know how to put it."
"I'm just being honest." Isabella looked at her. "Grace, I've told you before, the most unpredictable thing in the world is the human heart."
Isabella took a sip from her glass of wine. "Think about Daniel. When you told me about him, I thought he was totally into you too. But in the end, you were really disappointed."
Thinking about Daniel made Grace Li feel a little nostalgic. "Sometimes, I feel like Daniel was just a year ago, but it feels like he's from a lifetime ago. I don't even think about him much anymore."
"Yeah, that's how it goes," Isabella said. "Look, you had a crush on him for years—since college. Then you waited for him for more than three years after you met again at work. That's six or seven years total. But as soon as you met Aiden Thompson, you totally moved on from him, didn't you?"
Grace Li's mood shifted. "So, you think I might forget about Aiden too?"
"I can't say for sure," Isabella replied. "But people change. You can't expect too much from anyone."
Grace Li sipped her wine, feeling a bit lost. Even though she had been buried in work, her thoughts kept drifting back to Aiden Thompson. Wondering what their future might hold.
"Honestly, I'm mentally prepared," Grace Li said. "This is a test, and there are two possible outcomes. Either we succeed, or we fail. But until we know the result, I'll still choose to believe in him."
Isabella smiled. "It's good that you can think like that."
She picked up her glass for a toast, and Grace Li clinked hers with hers.
Grace Li asked again, "What about you? How's your new relationship going?"
Isabella sucked some crab roe from her shell. "It's casual. Not really a serious thing."
"Why not?"
Isabella shrugged. "It's just two adults fulfilling each other's needs, no strings attached. We don't have to worry about anything."
Grace Li was curious. "But does this kind of relationship give you a sense of security?"
"This kind of relationship is the most secure, honestly. You don't have to worry about the consequences because it's all casual. But it's not for everyone. It can be tricky because you're not committed."
Grace Li just smiled and didn't say anything. Her approach to relationships was different from Isabella's. Isabella was more carefree. She didn't stress over family relationships or the future.
Grace Li, on the other hand, was used to analyzing things, weighing the pros and cons, and thinking about all the possible outcomes. Maybe it was because, deep down, she lacked a sense of security, so she had to analyze everything to give herself peace of mind.