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Now that he had a fresh cut. Adam and Aurora moved on to Their second stop, to meet Aurora's friend. They pulled up to a white, two-story, U-shaped building.

Fred dropped them off at the entrance before parking the car around the back. When they walked in, a young woman offered to give them a tour. When Aurora let her know they had an appointment, she escorted them to a room on the upper floor.

No sooner had the woman left than she returned, following an older woman. The woman and Aurora greeted each other with a hug and poked fun at each other's figures.

After they had exchanged greetings, Aurora introduced Adam to her friend, Rochelle. The woman complimented his eyes and cheeks, saying he'd be very handsome when he got older.

Richelle's assistants served tea, and the two women chatted away. Adam couldn't follow their conversation, though it seemed like they were discussing an event. He tried to keep still, but soon he was shaking his feet. Now he regretted not bringing his game.

Rochelle and Aurora were looking through a catalogue when Aurora laid her hand on Adam's leg and tapped his knee. When he looked at her, she gave him a slow nod without taking her eyes off the book.

Adam hadn't been following the women's conversation, but Aurora's request caught his attention.

"I'd like to commission a portrait of Adam with us."

The boy turned to Aurora sharply. She really was going out of her way to act like he was her son. The more she showed him off, the more he worried about when he was no longer with her and someone recognised him.

"I'm free this week; you can come by when you're ready."

Aurora nodded in agreement to Rochelle before announcing that they needed to leave for another appointment.

Aurora ordered Fred to drive faster so they could arrive well in advance of their appointment with the designer.

Adam remembered that Sophia said she should rest between stops, but they hadn't. Looking at Aurora now, he saw that she looked a little pale. He ordered Fred to pull over at a convenience store, saying it was an emergency.

The boy dipped into his mother's purse and pulled out a 10-dollar bill. When the car slowed in the convenience lot, he quickly jumped out, rushing inside. He returned with a bottle of water and a straw. Handing the drink to Aurora, he ordered her to take a few sips. When she declined, he got upset.

"You really are a masochist."

"Where did you learn that word?" She demanded.

"Sophia, she said you have a weird affection for pain, like a masochist."

"Don't you ever use that word again, and give me that water."

Aurora snatched the water from him and drank greedily. After drinking half the bottle, she leaned back in her seat, exhaling loudly. Satisfied that she had relaxed, Adam ordered Fred to switch off the AC and put down the windows as they continued to their next destination at their previous pace.

The fresh air revitalised Aurora, and Adam breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried about them having an accident since this was the company's car and the only medicines they had were the ones Aurora carried with her.

The decorator's office was in a large warehouse. Despite the bland exterior, the interior was lavishly furnished and decorated. They met in an open office with a woman named Carolyn.

They sat at a large, ornate table where Carolyn had fabric samples and a laptop displaying pictures of the house and how she intended to decorate it for the upcoming season. She showed Aurora each room and the designs as well as the cloth from the samples. Again, Adam was bored to the point of restlessness and could hardly sit still.

"Can you show me Adam's room?"

Carolyn navigated to her plans for Adam's new curtains and upholstery.

"Sweetheart, do you like this new look for your room?"

He leaned over Aurora's lap, looking closely at the pictures on the screen.

"Can I get blue and red instead?"

Carolyn handed them another set of samples, but Aurora asked that the boy be shown the bolts of fabric so he could decide. Agreeing, Carolyn directed one of her interns to escort Adam through the red and blue fabrics in the cloth store room.

Adam walked around the storeroom, looking at the different bolts of cloth. It didn't take him long to decide on the colours based on the designer's plans. When he returned, Aurora was looking at curtain samples and commented on the ties.

"I've never seen these tiebacks before."

"You're right, they're new."

"The design is beautiful; I didn't notice them in your plans."

"We offer these tiebacks for spring and summer. And these," she said, drawing Aurora's attention to a different style on the opposite wall. "for fall and winter."

Aurora nodded enthusiastically at the woman. The three of them sat down at the table again to discuss the plan's adjustments. Carolyn made notes of Adam and Aurora's wishes and promised to have an update by the end of the week.

Their itinerary completed, Aurora suggested that since it was near midday, they should stop at a nearby restaurant for lunch. They ate and ordered takeout for Logan.