Laras felt that Bram was only sitting there silently listening to her story, so she assumed he wasn't really listening. "Why are you so quiet?" Bram suddenly asked. "Are you still listening to my story?" "Yeah, I am. Why?" "I thought that because you were so quiet, you weren't listening to me." "No, you're wrong. I am listening. Just keep going." "Okay, should I continue?" "Go ahead!" "I have a friend who helps me. Her name is Sister Regina. We work as a team to help the children study. We don't just need a place to teach them; we're also short on learning materials and other equipment, and what we have is no longer adequate. We need a philanthropist who can help provide them with a free education." "What can we give them? And what kind of help do they need?" Bram cut in, interrupting Laras. "There are a lot of things we need." "Just tell me." Laras then explained in detail what obstacles they were facing there. "First, we need additional classrooms, then various learning materials, more textbooks, and other school supplies. There may still be a few more things we'll need once we see the situation on the ground." "We'll help cover everything they need from start to finish. The foundation I manage with my colleagues will take care of it." "Thank you so much. This truly is an immeasurable blessing from God for us. I hope the foundation you manage will always receive God's blessings." "Amen," Bram replied, affirming Laras's prayer. "So what should we do next?" "First, submit a proposal to our foundation. Just explain all of their needs and make sure nothing gets left out. We'll definitely cover one hundred percent of everything they need." "All right, I'll prepare the proposal as soon as possible. Where should I send it?" "Once everything is ready, you can send it to my email address. It's listed on the business card I gave Sister Retha." Laras remembered that Sister Retha had already given her the business card. "All right. Thank you so much for your help." "You're welcome. I hope we can work together on this successfully." Laras nodded and smiled at Bram, then rose from her seat. She thought Bram would be leaving soon and heading home, but the opposite happened. Bram didn't move from his spot at all. Instead, he simply sat there, staring at Laras. "Where are you going?" Bram asked, his tone slightly mocking. "Isn't our business finished?" "No!" Bram answered briefly and spontaneously. "Not yet? What do you mean, not yet?" Laras asked, puzzled. "There are a few questions I want to ask you." "What are they?" "A little personal, if that's okay?" "As long as it's reasonable and I can answer, I'll answer." "When did you decide to become a nun? Are you ready to live this kind of life?" Laras only let out a soft laugh when she heard Bram's question. But she still answered him. "I decided to join the convent after graduating from Catholic high school. At first, my parents objected, but I couldn't deny the calling in my heart to serve God and others. I stood against my parents' decision until they finally agreed, even though they actually did so reluctantly," Laras replied. She fell silent for a moment, then continued. "Whether I'm ready or not, I can't answer that. The only thing I can do now is focus on my service and leave behind all the worldly things that have always been a part of me. I'm ready to face the consequences, and I'm not chasing worldly wealth either." With deep peace in her heart, Laras told Bram all of this. She answered him with confidence and optimism, always punctuating her words with that sweet laugh of hers—the laughter that always reminded Bram of the kind Laras he had once known.