Win My Husband Over to Find My Child
Chapter 565: Extra 2: Beyond Their Friendship

Chapter 565: Extra 2: Beyond Their Friendship

Their first meeting ended right there and then.

Charlene returned to the counter to place her order while Kallix resumed drawing on his tablet. She opted to sit at another table, reluctant to bother the man any longer.

When Charlene was eating while reading the e-book on her phone, Kallix slowly approached her table. He placed something, a folded napkin before her.

Under Charlene’s curious gaze, Kallix said, "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Charlene. Here’s a small gift."

Charlene blinked, looking from the napkin to Kallix. Cautiously, she asked as she saw the bag shouldered on his back.

"Are you leaving already? Thank you for the gift."

Kallix nodded, his lips curling up, "Most likely we’ll meet again. See you later."

"Yes. Thank you, Kallix and, see you."

Charlene waved her hand a little as Kallix turned around, walking out of the cafe. His strides were quick and big, seemingly to be in a hurry.

Instead of resuming eating, Charlene reached for the napkin. Once she unfolded it, soft chuckles slipped out of her lips.

Kallix sketched a small doddle on the napkin, a caricature of Charlene having a plate of pasta with tiny sparkles around her. More laughter rolled out of her mouth, appreciating his little yet thoughtful gesture.

’Seems like I’ll bring this one home.’

For some reason, the pasta became tastier when Charlene continued eating. The napkin remained lying on the table, waiting to be refolded and brought back by her.

As one of Charlene’s new favorite spots in the neighborhood, she frequented the cafe often. Sometimes, she met Kallix, sitting at his usual spot. In the others, he was absent.

Charlene and Kallix began exchanging smiles and small greetings, which turned into small conversations about work and city life. Eventually, they built their new friendship.

"My dad’s always worried about me. Luckily, my mom is there to straighten him up. Hehe, still, I miss them nagging me ah."

"Kallix, you know what? I always imagined moving to the city. Well, I’m glad I have a decent job here but, I often think about my hometown."

"Oh? Do you think so too, Kallix? Yes! The movie’s cinematography is superb! Haha, I cried a bit at the end."

"I don’t accept every client or task given to me, Charlene. As a designer, I have a vision of how my portfolio should be, also to curate my work history."

"Charlene, have you seen this film? It’s based on a real-life artist in the 17th century."

"Oh? To be frank, I won’t do work that’s not aligned with my morals and ethics. My friends are the same. Simply put, each of us has our own boundaries."

Charlene’s stories about her parents back in her hometown amused Kallix, while his creative frustrations with his designs and clients intrigued her. He also kept doodling on napkins and giving them to her.

Despite befriending Kallix, Charlene was still being cautious about her status as a young woman living alone. She didn’t reveal where she lived until further into their friendship.

Kallix’s studio apartment was in the opposite direction of Charlene’s apartment. He worked at a studio around five minutes walk from her office.

More often than not, Charlene waited for Kallix after work to go to the cafe together. If he was already there, she would simply meet him in the cafe.

Charlene and Kallix didn’t meet every day. Both of them still had their own lives and circles, although they admitted it was easier to only stay home than socialize with a big group of people.

The cafe was not the only place Charlene and Kallix hung out together.

For example...

"Charlene, are you free next weekend? I mean, on Sunday?"

Charlene looked up from her plate, staring at Kallix with curiosity. Narrowing her eyes, she asked suspiciously, "Don’t tell me. Is it hiking again? Haa... I still remember how my calves hurt from our previous hike."

Kallix scoffed, openly rolling his eyes. Putting down his cup of tea, he said, "Nah. There’ll be another art exhibition in the city center. So, what do you think? Wanna join me?"

"Oh? Sure!"

Charlene’s quick shift from reluctance to agreeing earned chuckles from Kallix. She shot him a glare when he continued laughing at her.

Kallix had brought Charlene to an art exhibition twice, aside from showing her the city around. They also went hiking a few times at the small hill in the neighborhood.

Both Kallix and Charlene realized their friendship was actually, more than that. It shifted from friendship to flirting gradually, almost imperceptible at first.

Kallix began to notice Charlene’s quirks. She often scrunched her nose while thinking, as well as her habit of pressing one side of her neck when she was nervous.

Charlene also was the same. When Kallix was focusing on his drawing, she often watched him quietly, wondering about him as a man. Her heartbeat quickened whenever she thought of it.

But... until when?

Charlene wondered if she should ask Kallix about their so-called friendship, or swallow her curiosity. She didn’t want to lose a good friend like him if the situation backfired.

Charlene didn’t know that Kallix also thought the same as her but, he also had the same fear.

Until...

On a rainy evening at the beginning of winter, Charlene arrived at the cafe, soaked despite her umbrella. Kallix, already there, quickly handed her a towel from the counter and ordered her favorite hot chocolate with marshmallows to warm her up.

"This feels so nice," Charlene sighed in contentment, relishing the warmth exuded by the mug as she wrapped both of her hands around it.

"It does... feel nice," answered Kallix, his voice was slightly shaky, unlike usual.

Charlene blinked, looking at Kallix across the table. Somehow, the man acted quite differently.

"What’s wrong, Kallix?" Charlene arched her brows, seeing the evident worry on the man’s countenance, "Troubled by your project, en?"

As the year nearly reached its end, Kallix had been busier than ever. Charlene was the same.

Thankfully, her workload was still bearable, especially as she was surrounded by supportive colleagues.

"No, not that..." Kallix trailed off, sounding a little hesitant as he stared back at Charlene, "Actually, I have something to ask you."

"What is it?"

Charlene put down the mug, anticipating whatever Kallix wished to say to her. For some reason, the hesitant yet bashful look on his face sped up her heartbeat.

Under Charlene’s gaze, brimming with anticipation, Kallix forced himself to speak. He tried to sound as steady as he could but, the slight anxiousness at the edge of his voice betrayed him.

"I want to say that, you’ve been my favorite part of every day."

Charlene’s breath hitched. Her pulse quickened, she eagerly waited for the rest of Kallix’s words, having a hunch of where this conversation might lead them to.

Instead of resuming his talking, Kallix slid a sketch toward Charlene. She looked at him with a pause before taking the paper, her fingertips trembled slightly.

On the paper, Kallix sketched a man and a woman—clearly indicating them—sitting by the window of a cafe with snow falling outside. He wrote something on the napkin, lettering...

’May I court you, Charlene? I wish to explore more places with you.’

Tears welling up in her eyes, Charlene smiled softly. Nodding once, she whispered, "Actually, I’ve been waiting to hear that. You may, Kallix."

The burst out of nervous giggles from Kallix’s lips made Charlene laugh. The winter was cold but, their hearts were wrapped in a cocoon of warmth.