Alice Grant covered her mouth and closed her eyes, but even so, tears kept streaming from the corners of her eyes. When she thought about how Brian Carter must have felt back then, it was as if something inside her was being torn apart, and bitterness seeped out through the cracks.

When they got home, Brian Carter was startled by Alice Grant's swollen, red eyes. He asked in surprise, "What happened? Why are you crying like this?"

"Sigh, sit down first, I'll get you a towel to wipe your face." As he spoke, he went to wet a towel and placed the cool, damp cloth over Alice Grant's eyes.

Alice Grant had already calmed down, but seeing Brian Carter again made her feel sad all over.

Brian Carter had them sit down, brought over some honey water, and tried to comfort her in a gentle, earnest tone: "Sudden joy or sorrow can be hard on the body. It's good to let it out, but you can't stay sad like this forever. Adjust your mindset, things will get better. If you're not used to society now, we can all help you. Don't worry too much."

He spoke gently, his eyes full of concern and worry.

Alice Grant held the cold towel and stared at him, wondering, is this calmness real?

Between the two of them, in this absurd, sudden journey through time, the hardest period for Brian Carter was after she disappeared, when he had to bear it all alone. For her, the hardest time was now—the forty-year gap, the sudden aging of her loved ones, but she was not alone now. Ever since Brian Carter brought her back, he had been doing everything he could to help her get used to this world, including himself, trying his best not to put any pressure on her.

In Brian Carter's clasped hands, Alice Grant saw how seriously he was taking all of this.

Is that so? Is it really like that?

That whole afternoon, Alice Grant was very quiet. In the evening, Jenny Parker and her husband went to stay at a nearby hotel—it was Jenny Parker's suggestion. Alice Grant didn't object, so only she and Brian Carter were left at home.

Brian Carter read the instructions and, with some difficulty, installed the game she bought on the TV. He even placed the game controller right next to Alice Grant, but she didn't touch it.

Brian Carter got up to cook. Alice Grant stood up and followed him, watching as he rinsed rice in the kitchen.

"Brian Carter." Alice Grant stood at the kitchen door and asked him, "Isn't it really hard to wait for someone for so many years?"

Brian Carter's hands paused as he rinsed the rice. He looked back at Alice Grant in surprise. Then he smiled slightly, shook his head, and his gentle eyes shone with warmth. "No matter what it is, you can get used to it."

Alice Grant stared at him. "I thought you wouldn't be happy about me suddenly showing up, but Jenny Parker said you were happy. Is that true?"

Chapter 7

Brian Carter put down the half-rinsed rice in his hands, turned to look at Alice Grant, and said, "It's true. I'm very happy."

Alice Grant: "Then why can't I tell?"

Brian Carter understood what she meant and replied helplessly, "Maybe it's because I'm already an old man. When you get older and have seen more, you become steadier than when you were young."

Alice Grant was determined to figure out what this old man in front of her was really thinking. She stood at the door, confronting him, and pressed him a bit aggressively, "Do you still like me?"

Brian Carter was a very reserved person, perhaps because of his upbringing and environment. Since he was young, he had always been shy about saying words like 'like' or 'love' out loud.

Alice Grant still remembered that before they got married, when they went out on dates, she would jokingly ask if he liked her. Brian Carter would stammer for ages without saying a word. Even though his eyes and actions always followed her, and his feelings were impossible to hide, he still couldn't say he liked her. She asked him that question in the morning, and Brian Carter never answered. He was restless and hesitant all day, and when they parted that night, Brian Carter suddenly blurted out that he liked her, catching her so off guard that she didn't react. It was only after she got home and thought about it that she realized he was answering the question from hours before. He was so reserved... like a mimosa plant.

He had been such a reserved man when he was young, and now, as an old man, he was even more reserved and steady. Faced with Alice Grant's questioning, Mr. Carter really couldn't handle it. He stood at the sink for a long time without saying a word.

Alice Grant walked up to him. "Didn't you wait for me for so long? Now that I'm really back, don't you have anything you want to say to me?"

Actually, he hadn't deliberately waited; he just couldn't forget her. By the time he came to his senses, so many years had already passed.

Brian Carter looked down at his own hands, those loose-skinned hands, and kept those words in his heart.

Alice Grant saw that he still wouldn't speak, and grew angry. She stepped forward and grabbed Brian Carter's hand. Mr. Carter was startled and instinctively pulled his hand back. Alice Grant yelled at him, "What are you doing! I'm not allowed to touch my own husband?!"

For a moment, Mr. Carter thought that if he were ten years younger, Alice Grant definitely wouldn't be talking to him like this—she'd just kick him directly. Thinking of this, he didn't know why, but he started to laugh.

"You can touch me." He offered his hand back generously and said calmly, "I'm not as good-looking as I was when I was young. My skin is all wrinkled now."

Alice Grant grabbed his hand and reached out with her other hand to touch his face. Brian Carter wasn't used to this kind of contact and instinctively tilted his head back a little.