Monica's POV
My weekend passed in quiet solitude. My phone buzzed constantly with Colby's apologetic messages – work emergencies had consumed his schedule, making it impossible for us to meet. I tried not to feel disappointed, reminding myself we were just friends.
Paula brightened our Sunday, lavishing attention on Austin throughout the day. She'd brought him an elaborate gift from Windsor – a Buckingham Palace building block set complete with streets and an authentic double-decker bus featuring working lights and a wind-up mechanism. Austin's face lit up with pure joy as his small fingers worked the colorful pieces.
"Paula, you're making the rest of us look bad," Natalie joked, watching her son's delighted giggles as he built and demolished his creation repeatedly.
