In the well-lit foyer, Leonel shrugged off his coat, handed it to the help, and then made his way over to them. Since they didn't reside with their folks anymore, he brought a gift for his visit-some black tea that Waylen had taken a liking to recently.

"I'm here to pick Alexis up." Leonel's tone was polite and composed, as if they were still the picture of marital bliss. Truth was, their union wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, but they kept up appearances, and Waylen could only pretend not to notice.

Waylen still held out hope for them to get along swimmingly.

Accepting the tea, he grinned and said, "This is top-notch. Thanks a bunch!"

Leonel leaned in, took a seat, glanced at his wife, and then asked softly, "Mind if I have a game of chess with your old man first?"

Though he acted like he was seeking permission, his mind was already made up.

Over the years, despite their rocky relationship, his business had thrived, leaving him with few chances to visit Waylen. Among the younger crowd, only Leonel could play chess or have tea with Waylen.

Nodding, Alexis stood and declared, “I'll wait for you upstairs."

Leonel felt a twinge of disappointment. “It won't be that long. Can't you stay?"

“My back's killing me," she replied, rubbing her waist before ascending the stairs.

Once Alexis had disappeared upstairs, Waylen set up the chessboard and casually inquired, “Have you and Alexis been at odds lately?"

Leaning in, Leonel made a move and assured him, "Don't worry. We're good!"

Bathed in the light, he looked quite dashing in his white shirt and black pants. Waylen seemed satisfied with Leonel, yet he fretted over the couple's compatibility.

Distracted, Leonel lost the game in under 20 minutes. With a faint smile, he picked up the chess pieces and arranged them on the board.

“You're still quite the player!"

Waylen's gaze grew pensive.

After a moment, he chuckled, "Go find Alexis!"

Standing up, Leonel said, "Alright, I'll take Alexis home first, and I'll bring Evelyn and Daniel over for dinner on Saturday! It's getting late. You should go to bed.”

Waylen nodded in agreement.

Upstairs, outside Alexis' bedroom, Leonel paused.