Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)

"What is it?" I asked with a smile.

Ellie bit her lip. "Mae, is my surgery going to cost a lot of money?"

My heart skipped a beat at her question, worried she might change her mind because of the

cost. "No, it's not that much. And don't worry about the money. Your brother just got a new job as a technical engineer. His salary is quite substantial."

Ellie remained silent. I moved closer to her. There was a concept in psychology called the "proximity effect". It suggested that sometimes trust wasn't built through words but simply by stepping closer to

someone.

I gently stroked Ellie's long, silky hair. "The doctor performing your surgery is a senior of one of my friends. He's incredibly skilled. All you need to do is focus

on getting better. Once the surgery is over, you'll be healthy again."

"Mae." Ellie's eyes began to shimmer with tears. "You're so kind."

I smiled. "Of course. If I weren't, your brother wouldn't have liked me for so long."

at that. "Mae, the love between you and my brother is so

I said, "Once you're healthy, you can have a sweet

red, showing that

dream of love? That was probably why

packing, I went to look for Brandon. He wasn't in his room, and I couldn't

Where did he go?

under the moonlight. In the distance,

Now, I can identify Brandon from a distance. When someone is in your heart, everything about

to him. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice me approaching, so I playfully hugged

but softly said, "What brings you

it was me? Why didn't you

string of jealous questions even made me laugh at

and besides..." Brandon

too. He can recognize me by my

his face. "Why are you out here alone? Is something on

the lake. However,

his arms. "You're worried about Ellie, aren't

didn't respond, confirming my