Rachel Pearce didn''t bother chasing after Haynes O''Brien; she seemed lost in her own thoughts, but no one really noticed her.


    After leaving the gym, Ste Cameron decided to head straight home instead of making any detours-she wanted to avoid any further encounters with Haynes. When they passed by a supermarket, Ste stopped to pick up some groceries. As her assistant, Joshua naturally went along.


    Haynes, who had been tailing them in his car, saw them get out and followed them inside.


    When they left, Rachel tried to hitch a ride with Haynes, but he turned her down. For once, the usually persistent Rachel didn''t insist; she simply walked away on her own.


    Inside the supermarket, Haynes spotted Ste pushing a cart, carefully selecting vegetables.


    Joshua wasn''t hovering at her side; instead, he was walking behind Ste with Keen O''Brien.


    Keen was beaming, telling Joshua something exciting-every now and then eximing, "That''s awesome!" or "Really?" The difference between this lively, exuberant boy and the well-behaved, steady child Keen usually was around Haynes was striking.


    Watching his own son chat sofortably with another man, Haynes felt a pang of something he didn''t expect. For the first time, he truly understood what it was like to see your child bonding with someone you can''t stand.


    He recalled how, in the past, he''d used Ste of being petty and jealous, unable to ept anyone else caring for their child. Now, standing in her shoes, he finally understood exactly how she must have felt back then.


    If Ste had been as friendly with Rachel as Keen was now with Joshua, he doubted he could have handled it as calmly-he''d probably have stormed right


    over.


    Haynes closed his eyes for a moment, a wave of regret washing over him. He realized just how much he''d neglected because of Rachel.


    He didn''t approach or interrupt, just quietly followed Ste and the others as they shopped.


    Ste was focused, methodically picking out vegetables. From where Haynes stood, he could only see delicate curve of her cheek,


    luminous in the sunlight enest


    through the window. For a


    moment, he felt his long-numb heart skip a beat.


    Sensing his gaze, Ste looked up in his direction. When she saw Haynes, her brow furrowed slightly. She''d known all along he was following them.


    Annoyed, but with no grounds to chase him off-the supermarket wasn''t her turf— Ste simply ignored him and went back to choosing produce.


    Keen, engrossed in conversation with Joshua, didn''t even notice Haynes trailing them.


    The vegetables Ste picked were crisp and fresh, catching the attention of a friendly woman stocking shelves nearby.


    "You clearly know your way around the produce aisle," the woman remarked with a smile. “You always pick the best ones. I bet you cook at home a lot, right? You know exactly which parts taste the best."


    Ste smiled back. "Yes, I do most of the cooking myself. That way, the meals always turn out just the way I like."


    Haynes watched them chat, eyes softening. He''d never once gone grocery shopping with Ste, never apanied her on these little errands. He had no idea there was so much to learn about picking vegetables.


    Keen overheard their conversation and turned to look. "Wait, you can''t just grab any vegetable off the shelf?"


    The womanughed. "Of course not!


    Good produce tastes so much better. And there''s so much more to cooking than people think-the timing, the heat, the seasoning, the way youbine things... It''s a real art."  s?novel


    Keen whispered, “I had no idea cooking at home was so much work for Mom."


    The woman nodded. "Taking care of the O''Brien family is no walk in the


    park, you know. It''s often harder than having a job. If people had the choice, not many would trade a career for staying at home with the kids."