Chapter 150

Ethan chimed in at the right moment, "James, just stay. Amanda won't be back until tomorrow morning, so she won't run into you." Since Ethan had already spoken, James had no reason to refuse. He smiled gently and agreed, "Alright, I’ll stay. I’ll head out after Ella falls asleep." Ella immediately brightened up, lying down obediently and letting James tuck her in. Then she asked Ethan to grab her storybook — she wanted James to tell her a story before bed. James nodded but said he needed to walk Dr. Cox out first. The two kids agreed without fuss. Dr. Cox had really helped a lot tonight, plus he wasn't familiar with Blooming Vista, so walking him out made sense. Dr. Cox was a few years older than James and had a daughter around the same age as Ethan and Ella. On the way, James took the chance to ask how he managed parenting, paying close attention to everything the doctor said. When they reached the gate, Dr. Cox told him, "Kids are actually simple. If you're genuine with them, they’ll