The trip to the Bastier estate turned out even better than I had expected.
Fortunately, Angela and Lionel really hit it off, and it seemed to me that they had a good time together.
I watched them from afar, trying not to interfere, but still noticing every little detail: how Angela smiled a little shyly, how Lionel, who was reserved at first, gradually began to respond to her more confidently. I found this scene almost touching. Perhaps this is how what we later call friendship begins.
It was a real relief for me. Not a huge one, but still noticeable. I suddenly felt that at least one of the problems that had been weighing on my life lately had finally moved forward. Maybe for the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to relax a little.
On the way back, I watched Lionel, whose behavior had not changed at all since we left the estate. The boy was still silently watching the passing landscape from the carriage window.
