The next day, Ray didn't have to go to work. While waiting for the time to meet Lily, he occupied himself with his usual activity—reading books. Noticing this, Amy, who had taken over the cooking, said:

  "Please, read aloud."

  From an early age, Ray had read books and often did so out loud, which had given him excellent diction, and the characters he voiced sounded as if they were alive. Amy herself didn't share her son's love for books, but she greatly enjoyed listening to him read.

  After breakfast, Ray headed to Lily's house. The girl wasn't one of those who take three hours to get ready, so she came out right on time. When Ray gently tugged on a lock of her hair, she understood what was wanted of her and leaned forward, causing their lips to meet in a passionate kiss. As their tongues intertwined in a dance, the girl didn't fight for dominance, allowing her beloved to lead in their dance. Their lips parted reluctantly, breaking the silvery thread of saliva that connected the lovers' mouths.

  "I don't think we should visit Violet empty-handed," Ray said, giving the girl a tender smile.

  "You're right. Let's stop by a store and pick out a gift. Do you have any ideas?"

  "I have one thought, but first we need to drop by somewhere."

  The bell over the door jingled, and looking up, the old man saw a pretty, short girl. Watching her for a bit, he noticed she was walking around the shop, looking at books. Her behavior reminded him of someone, which made him smile and say:

  "Young dy, if I'm not mistaken, you want to buy a book, but you don't have enough money?"

  Hearing the old man's words, the girl smiled sheepishly and said:

  "You're absolutely right."

  Smiling at the girl, he said:

  "In that case, I have a proposal for you."

  Hearing these words, the girl smiled and replied:

  "Grandpa, I have nothing against older men, you even seem sweet to me, but I have a boyfriend. He's very jealous and not the sharing type, so I can't accept your proposal."

  When the old man heard these words, his face flushed. Looking the girl over, he realized that even after such words, she was looking at him with an innocent expression. The girl was either too naive or too foolish. All he could do was hope that this girl's boyfriend turned out to be a worthy man. With these thoughts, he wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, but the door to his shop opened again. The old man was already thinking about how he'd tease the Kid when he saw the visitor, but the visitor hugged the girl and said:

  "Darling, this old man looks like a pervert. He didn't offer you anything strange, did he?"

  Hearing this question, the girl innocently tilted her head to the side and said:

  "He said he had a very interesting proposal. It seemed to me like he fit into that suspicious list of perverts you talked about. Do you think we should call the police?"

  As soon as the girl finished speaking, the couple couldn't maintain their composure at the sight of the shocked old man and burst out ughing. Finally realizing what was happening, the old man joined in their ughter and, recovering himself, said:

  "Young dy, I wonder how much this guy had to pay you to agree to pretend to be his girlfriend."

  "There's no man in this world who can buy me, because my heart is already taken," the girl replied.

  The old man had asked the question because he worried about the boy. He knew Ray wasn't an idiot, but he feared the pretty girl might have turned his head, given the stark contrast between them. But looking at Lily, he understood her intentions were serious and her feelings sincere. That's why he said:

  "Forgive me if I was too rude."

  "It's nothing, I'm gd Ray has friends who genuinely care about him. Besides, my joke might have seemed too rude too, so I apologize."

  "On the contrary, you really managed to surprise me, and that's not easy. Honestly, I'm surprised this was your idea. You look too innocent for something like this. This guy has really spoiled you."

  "We're going to visit her sister in the hospital. I want to give her the book 'The Little Prince'."

  After buying the book and chatting a bit with old Joe, the couple left the shop.

  On the way to the hospital, Lily asked: