Suzanne slammed the door shut and yelled, “Don’t look for me today! I need my space!”

Nathan lingered outside while pursing his lips. Seeing Suzanne upset gave him a strange feeling-part

sweetness, part helplessness.

Suzanne leaned on the door while sorting through her thoughts. She loved Nathan but had doubts. She

wanted to depend on him, but couldn’t find the words to tell him.

After thinking it over, Suzanne gave in and opened the door, only to find Nathan had already left. She

searched around but couldn’t find him. Disheartened, she sighed and went back to her room.

As time passed, Nathan didn’t make any effort to find her. He skipped meals and didn’t return home at

night.

Suzanne waited for him in his study, but eventually, she fell asleep, only to wake up and discover

Nathan was still nowhere to be found

Late at night, Suzanne pouted in bed while hugging her pillow in frustration. Thoughts of Nathan’s

whereabouts occupied her mind but she held back from texting him.

She got annoyed because he followed her wishes so faithfully and didn’t go looking for her.

The following day at noon, the sun beamed down brightly. The mountain road curved and seemed to

go on forever, with only a few vehicles on the wide path.

A fancy car was making its way to Phoenicia. In the back seat, Nathan appeared aloof and distant, his

gaze profound as he stared

contemplatively out of the window.

Cole was behind the wheel, and Lucas occupied the passenger seat. They were both puzzled about

Nathan’s decisions.

Despite being engrossed in official matters, he had spent hours traveling back to the military base to

complete his duties and was now rushing back to Phoenicia without pausing for a break.

The considerable distance between the two cities and the fatigue from the constant back-and-forth

travel left them silently pondering. They figured Nathan must have his reasons for such actions.

As they drove past a sloping road on a small hill, Nathan suddenly instructed, “Pull over by the

roadside.”

“Here?” Cole was surprised.

“Yes,” Nathan responded indifferently.

The car veered off the main road and parked by the grassy edge of the hill. Nathan opened the door,

stepped out, and strolled toward the dense wild grass. Cole and Lucas stared in bewilderment as

Nathan vanished into the dense thicket.

Cole scrunched his face. “What’s General Morrison doing?”

“Maybe he needs to answer the call of nature?” Lucas suggested.

Cole raised an eyebrow. “You think the general would do that anywhere?”

Lucas grinned awkwardly. “No, then what’s he doing?”

Cole shook his head. He opened the car door and got out. Lucas did the same, and they both waited

silently beside the car for Nathan to

return.

Nathan headed toward a patch of blooming white zinnias. He glanced around, bent down, and picked a

handful of flowers.

After pulling them out, he wrapped their roots with a handkerchief from his pocket to make sure the soil

stayed contained.

Cole and Lucas looked on in confusion. Eventually, Cole broke the silence, “Is General Morrison paying

tribute to a fallen comrade?”

“Maybe,” Lucas replied.

As Nathan gazed at the white zinnias he had picked, his eyes softened with tenderness. He gently

plucked away some wilted. leaves.

Thinking about Suzanne’s happy expression at the sight of the

beautiful flowers, a smile lit up Nathan’s face. He returned with the zinnias.

Shocked, Cole patted Lucas on the shoulder. “D-Did you see that

smile on General Morrison’s face?”

Lucas nodded vigorously, his jaw hanging open.