He said, "You've already traded me the camera for the jewel, it's yours now."
After he finished speaking, he went upstairs.
Rae Bennett looked up at his shadow on the ground.
Inside the house, Charlotte Watson and Khalil Wright were washing fruit in the kitchen.
Khalil Wright glanced outside before asking his wife in private, "What were you doing at the dinner table just now?"
Miss Watson, flaunting her freshly manicured nails, peeled grape skin, "I wasn't doing anything."
"It's the girl's first time visiting our home, asking all those questions wasn't appropriate."
The manicured hands made it difficult to peel the grapes, so she threw them onto the plate, "I just asked a few common questions, what's inappropriate about that?"
Khalil Wright turned off the tap, dried his hands, and started peeling grapes for his wife, "I know you. You think the girl is pretty, so you're thinking about setting them up, right?"
It was all too obvious.
"Don't you think she and our Wyatt would make a perfect match?"
"What's perfect about that? You don't even know what the girl does for a living."
"Oh, I forgot to ask." But Miss Watson didn't care, her mind filled with images of two beautiful people having two children in three years, "It doesn't matter what she does, they look so good together, imagine how beautiful their kids would be."
Khalil Wright fed a peeled grape to his wife's mouth, "All you see is the face."
Miss Watson ate the grape, pushing his hand away, "Did I judge by appearances? Would I have fallen for you if I did?"
Levi Wright, sturdy as a bear at 1.87 meters, "…"
Like some cartoon about a smart bear fighting a bald tree-cutter, it seemed they'd modeled the character after him.
So, it was quite an oddity that Charlotte Watson, the second daughter, had fallen for a poor bodyguard like Khalil Wright.
"Our Wyatt is only twenty-six; why are you in such a hurry?"
Miss Watson glared impatiently, "How can I not be? He looks like that, and yet he doesn't date any girls. Plus, he's always running off abroad, coming back with injuries every time. What kind of photographer has cuts and bullet wounds? I don't even know what he's doing out there. Of course, I'm worried. I'm afraid one day he'll go and not come back."
Wyatt kept things to himself and never talked about his problems.
Like a gust of wind, nobody could hold him back, and he seldom appeared even to Miss Watson throughout the year.
Khalil Wright tried to comfort his wife, "Don't overthink it, our son said he's going to War-Torn Country to photograph war zones."
"How could I not overthink? He doesn't tell me anything." Miss Watson wasn't one to rush for grandkids; she just felt she had no choice, "I just want him to settle down soon, so his wife can keep him in check and stop him from going anywhere."
Khalil Wright continued feeding grapes to his wife.
Miss Watson pushed his hand away, "Were you just lecturing me?"
As if Khalil Wright could ever lecture his wife; he didn't have the guts, "No, I was just reminding you."
A pampered woman doesn't listen to reason, "You were."
Khalil Wright surrendered immediately, "Alright alright, my mistake."
Charlotte Watson huffed, not holding the matter against him, and carried the grapes back to the living room.
Only Rae Bennett was there.
"Rae, when are you moving your stuff?"
Rae said, "Tomorrow afternoon."
"Can you manage it alone?"
"I've hired a moving company."
Charlotte Watson sat down beside Rae Bennett, "By the way, Rae, what is it that you do?"
Rae Bennett averted her gaze, suddenly feeling uneasy.
Miss Watson noticed her discomfort, "Is it inconvenient to talk about?"
She shook her head, struggling for a bit before confessing, "I'm an embalmer; I work at a funeral home."
People who work at funeral homes don't usually volunteer information about their occupation.
Even in modern times, superstitious beliefs are deeply ingrained, and although the funeral industry isn't discriminated against, it isn't well-liked either.
Miss Watson was stunned to hear this.
Rae Bennett's head hung low, looking quite disheartened, "If you think it's inappropriate for me to move in—"
Miss Watson interrupted immediately, "What's inappropriate? I just didn't realize you were so amazing, Rae. Ordinary people can't do your job; those who can are remarkable."
Rae's eyes suddenly sparkled as she looked up, "You don't find it ominous?"
"Ominous? Everyone dies eventually."
Rae had encountered extremely superstitious landlords who threw red beans and salt at her.
She teared up and thanked Miss Watson.
Seeing the girl in distress, Miss Watson felt a pang of sympathy, thinking that Rae must have faced many hardships in her job.
On Tuesday, Levi Wright went back to school.
Wyatt Wright left early in the morning for his studio, located in an Old Alley.