Holden hesitated. He was about to say goodnight, but now he held back. He listened intently, curious about the unexpected interruption.

A few silent beats passed before a drowsy female voice said, “Apologies, Melon borrowed my phone to ring you. Is it too late? Did we wake you?"

Hearing her voice, something inside Holden fluttered momentarily.

He brushed it off and replied, "It's alright. I'm fond of Melon. If it makes him happy, that's what counts."

There was a gentleness in Holden's voice that he didn't even recognize.

She replied, trying to hide her own tiredness, “I'm relieved we didn't disturb you. Melon just really misses his father." Ariana's voice had a touch of apology.

Holden merely hummed in response, secretly longing to continue the conversation.

"I'm here whenever he wants to talk. Don't sweat the small stuff."

Ariana sounded apologetic.

"Thanks. I promise to keep a better eye on him."

The conversation wound down after that. Holden picked up on Ariana's struggle to keep her eyes open. He bid her goodnight and disconnected.

After parking his car, Holden found himself deep in reflection. He couldn't shake off the sound of her voice.

What was it about Ariana's voice that drew him in?

He pulled out his phone and scrolled through Ariana's online profile.

Even though they'd only recently connected, their chat history told another story.

Reminiscing about the past, Holden thought about the time Ariana tried to return the figurines. She had asked Shawn for his contact.

Holden had felt a tug of uncertainty, wondering if he should have revealed himself as, well, Holden Fredrick.

But if he had, what would've changed?

While going through the messages, Holden's finger paused on Shawn's chat. With a hint of curiosity, he clicked on the link Shawn had dropped earlier.

A humorous scene greeted him on the screen.