“Put the cupcakes in the fridge.”

Jasmine had just come upstairs after a refreshing shower when her phone buzzed.

It was a call from Thorne,

“Hey, Dad?” Jasmine answered,

Thorne’s voice came through clearly, “Just got word, your grandpa’s coming home tomorrow afternoon. I’ll have someone pick you up after school for dinner at home. Let your mom know.”

Thorne’s father, Lloyd Henderson, worked in government and was often swamped with responsibilities. It wasn’t unusual for the family to go months without seeing him.

When Irma had her accident, Lloyd had rushed back at the crack of dawn and left again before the sun rose. Now, with Irma still in the hospital, Lloyd had managed to take a couple of days off to spend New Year’s with her.

“Got it,” Jasmine replied after Thorne finished speaking.

Then she realized Thorne said, “pick you up,” not “pick you guys up,” which meant Charlene wasn’t included.

She turned to Charlene, “Mom, aren’t you coming with us for dinner?”

Traditionally, whenever Lloyd returned, regardless of Thorne’s presence, Irma would invite both Charlene and Jasmine to join the family dinner at the Hendersons’.

The routine had been consistent enough that, despite Jasmine’s young age, she associated her grandfather’s visits with family gatherings.

Jasmine’s question was directed at Charlene, but Thorne was quick to interject, “Your mom’s got plans

tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Jasmine replied, her voice a bit subdued. Jasmine had her phone on speaker mode, so Charlene heard the entire exchange. The news of Lloyd’s return was fresh to Charlene as well.

She and Thorne were in the midst of divorce proceedings.

Given her current status, there really wasn’t any necessity for her to visit the Hendersons’ and mingle with Thorne’s family.

It seemed Thorne was on the same page, as he had promptly offered an excuse for her absence.

Without further ado, Thorne ended the call.

The next day arrived.

In the afternoon, Granger and his key technical team members came to PrimeStar for a business meeting.

Lately, Granger had been very cooperative, which saved Charlene a lot of headaches at work. In return, she treated him with a bit more courtesy.

As soon as he arrived, Charlene set aside her tasks to greet him.

About an hour into their meeting, Granger’s phone rang. It was Thorne.

Granger excused himself with a nod to Charlene and stepped outside to take the call.

Whatever Thorne said on the phone made Granger pause for a couple of seconds before he responded, “Alright.”

Then Thorne added, “My dad’s back, and we’re having dinner at home tonight. I’m going to need a favor.”

11:20

“Your dad’s back?” Granger asked, a hint of surprise in his tone, “How long’s he staying?”

“Two or three days, I think.”

After hanging up, Granger returned to the meeting room, his gaze lingering thoughtfully on Charlene. Charlene, engrossed in a discussion with Granger’s tech team about work matters, didn’t notice his attention.

As the meeting wound down and Charlene stood to see them off, Granger asked, “Got more work tonight?” Without much thought, Charlene replied, “Yeah, I’ve got a lot to wrap up.”

Granger’s gaze deepened, realizing she wouldn’t be joining Thorne at the Hendersons’ for dinner.

Feeling a stir in his chest, he ventured, “Got time for dinner later?”

Charlene shook her head, “No, I’ve still got a pile of things to finish up. Can’t get away.”

Granger thought of suggesting takeout, but hesitated.