The food arrived not long after.
The old man served a little of everything onto Naomi's plate personally. "Eat up. Look how thin you've gotten."
Faced with this sudden, unfiltered warmth, Naomi felt a little unmoored.
"Thank you," she said.
Something in the old man deflated slightly, waiting for a word that never came.
No rush, he told himself. We've got time. She'll open up when she's ready.
"By the way Marcus mentioned the standing engagement with the Cole family, right?" he asked, shifting gears. "What are your thoughts on it?"
Naomi gave a small nod. He pressed further. "Well?"
She didn't answer right away.
She noticed, though, that the moment he'd brought up the engagement, Vivian's expression had gone dark.
Interesting. Does she actually have feelings invested in that match
