New chapters of this are always worth the wait.

I'm rooting for Hilda and Elliot to go the distance and make their relationship stick, but I think Hilda is going to have to rip that band-aid off sooner rather than later if she wants to keep this going, or risk having Elliot drift away from her. He has the perception that she doesn't see him as a serious relationship candidate, despite how hard she was trying in this chapter to get a moment with him to explain the situation. Him seeing Basil attempt to move on her twice now isn't helping her cause, neither is Riley and Minnie being around him more often and in his ear to steer him toward thinking that way, since they disapprove of her. She's (understandably) trying to be discreet around Basil, worried that her jealous and petty MAJOR ex-husband that still hasn't gotten over her, will attack her defenseless new minor boyfriend, but Basil will find out anyway, as will everyone else eventually, if she keeps seeing Elliot. She probably wouldn't be too concerned about what the rest of her family thinks, because she would just tell them to "deal with it" if they didn't approve. Perhaps mama Rose will help her prevent Basil from fucking around with Elliot, but that means Rose will have to approve their relationship, which isn't guaranteed. And that can backfire if it alarms Rose enough to keep her son from being around Hilda and her family, out of concern for his safety. I don't think Elliot's father would object too much to the relationship, and more likely be amused and impressed that his mild mannered minor son managed to attract a woman like Hilda.

That leaves the other major obstacle in Hilda's path, Riley. I wouldn't be surprised if those two end up fighting again before the end of the story, to settle what they stared in that alleyway. Riley still clearly has a grudge against Hilda for taking advantage of her friend, and Hilda will get tired of her standing in the way from speaking to Elliot. They are both MAJORS, and Riley is shown to be the type to settle things with her fists. Hilda would accept her challenge to prove that she is serious about Elliot and that she can protect him. Minnie needs some come uppance though. Riley gives her too much leeway in giving Elliot undeserved shit, which makes her read like a grumpy bully that is unpleasant to be around. Hilda probably would have smacked her by now for insulting her man too much, or Rose for insulting her son.

It's a tricky situation, and by the end of this Hilda may decide to let Elliot go to spare him from dealing with her family drama, or Elliot may decide to break it off on his own not wanting to deal with that, but I don't think that's what either of them really wants as of now. Hilda in particular would probably come to regret losing Elliot. It was her that went out of her way to peruse a relationship with him after all. Considering that she is a wealthily, and still very attractive MAJOR woman, who was previously used to having potential suitors come to her, I doubt she would be putting in all this work to get Elliot if she really wasn't that interested in him. If she just wanted him as a minor plaything, she could have a rotation of those at her beck and call if she really wanted to, for much less effort.