Watching Eliott while his mother spoke, Alex couldn't shake the feeling that he was nothing like the man Lydia described, at least not with her. With her, he smiled constantly, spoke tenderly, was genuinely kind. True, she'd felt his coldness on the phone earlier, but toward her he was endlessly patient.
"Auntie, he isn't like that with me. He actually smiles a lot."
"Really? Are you sure? Don't be fooled by that fake smile of his, or his Ethan act. Honestly, I prefer Ethan, he's so cute."
"Well, Ethan is definitely cuter, for sure."
Eliott couldn't help rolling his eyes at the two women comparing him, then smiled despite himself. His mother had always teased him, and now his wife, yes, his wife, since he'd marry her no matter what, was joining in too. Still, he was glad to see Alex relaxing more.
