Lucy's coughing fit finally subsided as she accepted the water from Cillian. She downed it in one swift gulp. She then shot him a mock accusing glare. "This is all your fault. I wouldn't have choked if I hadn't been talking to you!"

Looking at her playful stare, Cillian could not help but feel a tad sheepish. He averted his eyes.

The rest of the dinner passed in peaceful silence, with both of them finishing their meal without further incident.

After dinner, Lucy rose to clear the dishes, but Cillian stopped her. "Leave the dishes to me. You head upstairs, relax a bit, and maybe take a nap-whatever you like."

Lucy touched her cheek, feeling a bit guilty. "I can't let you cook and clean. I'll be totally spoiled at this rate."

With a resigned shake of his head, Cillian insisted, "You shouldn't be dealing with water and soap. That'll roughen your hands, and not even the best hand cream will be able to fix that." Lucy always marveled at how thoughtful Cillian was. He was the epitome of a caring guy.

down, she discovered a charming munchkin kitten with its stubby legs. After its little tug, the kitten sprawled out, claiming Lucy's shoes as

kitten that had clambered onto her shoes. Unable to reach the ground with its front paws, the kitten let out a couple of distressed meows. The sound tugged at Lucy's

scooped up the little furball, and gazed into its eyes

the little girl called Britney burst from her room. "Lucy, there you are with Little Milton! I've been searching everywhere for him. He seems to really like you,

seemed anything but shy. She had assumed from its antics that

fondness for Little Milton, Britney's eyes twinkled mischievously. She dashed back to her room and returned with something in

fond of Little Milton, take him for a stroll. He's been

leash in her hand. "Is that

"Absolutely, I

on Little Milton and waved goodbye. "Off we go,

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