"Darling, we don't hate Eric. Your dad and I saw him not long ago! People just drift apart from time to time. It's normal so don't read too much into it." Avery tapped Layla on the shoulder. "We haven't been as close as we were before you asked him out."

"I thought that was because he was busy. He has retired and isn't as busy..." Layla did not wish for Eric to drift apart from her family since he occupied a major part of her childhood.

"He hasn't reached out to us! Layla, you have to understand that maybe he hasn't contacted us because he needs some time alone. We will never hate him, and if he ever needs help, we won't hesitate to help. Likewise, I'm sure he will do the same for us when we need help as well. But there's no point in contacting him when there's nothing important to say."

Layla understood what Avery was saying, but she still felt upset, likely because Eric was one of the very people that she truly cared about.

After lunch, Layla pulled Elliot outside. It was the hot