Chapter 34
Chapter 34
It was approaching one o’clock in the afternoon. The lunch was a bit late. But Zoe had prepared a sumptuous spread.
As Daniel had to leave for something, it was only Olivia and Andrew for lunch.
Zoe brought out dish after dish. After just a glance, Olivia turned her attention to rolling up Andrew’s sleeves. It was already May, and the weather was warming up.
Andrew had begun wearing thinner clothes – short–sleeved shirts and thin little button–ups. When he came back home at noon, he was already wearing short sleeves with a baseball jacket on top.
However, his clothes had been changed after washing his face just now. Although the sun outside was bright, the ground hadn’t heated up yet, and indoors was cool. So, Olivia found him a long–sleeved T– shirt. The sleeves were long, so they needed to be rolled up during meals.
She finished rolling them up and turned around to find the table already filled with dishes. Some of them were spicy.
Olivia was surprised, her slender phoenix eyes lifting in curiosity. “Can
Andrew handle spicy food,~” d
Zoe came over with a plate of spicy chicken, chuckling as she placed it in front of Olivia. She arranged the dishes and pointed at the several plates in front of Andrew. “Andrew will have these dishes while the rest are prepared for you.”
“Oh, and this.” Zoe hurried back and, after a moment, returned with a glass of yogurt. She handed it to Olivia. “Ms. Taylor, this one is for you.”
Olivia stared at the glass of yogurt in a daze as if a hole had been opened in her memory. Some blurry fragments flashed through her mind.
“I want something spicy, really, really spicy!” The girl pouted, hanging onto the man’s back.
“Too much spice isn’t good for the stomach.” The man’s tone was resolute. While his figure was fuzzy and his expression unclear, his gentle yet firm tone was palpable.
“Just have a glass of yogurt. Don’t forget, I’m a doctor, the best doctor.
Drinking yogurt before a meal can protect the stomach lining,” The girl said self–assuredly. Her gaze shifted to the man, wanting to see if he could find any more excuses to stop her from eating spicy food.
This time, the man didn’t find an excuse. Instead, he directly held the girl’s head and leaned in for a kiss. His voice was as gentle as a spring breeze. “Be good, okay? Don’t eat anything too spicy today.”
“You’re cheating!” The girl surrendered playfully, like a shy little deer. The distant and hazy fragments of memory were blurred, but the emotions flowing between the two couldn’t be obscured in any way. This was the love between a man and a woman.
“Olivia?” Andrew’s clear, childlike voice pulled Olivia back from her memories. “What are you thinking about?”
Olivia touched her temple, pushed down the strange fragments in her mind, and smiled at Andrew. “I’m thinking that today’s dishes are really delicious.”
Hearing that, Andrew glanced at the dishes on the table. He stuck out his tongue and said, “So spicy! You are so amazing and able to handle spicy food.”
She stroked Andrew’s soft hair. “When you grow up, you will be able to handle spicy food too.”
Andrew nodded. “Dad said the same, too. He said I take after Mom, so I can handle spice.”
Mom?
Olivia raised an eyebrow. This was the first time Andrew had mentioned his mother.
Interestingly, Andrew was quite different from other children raised by a single parent. No matter how lively and outgoing, most single children would be somewhat sensitive and avoid discussing their missing parents.
But Andrew was different. He seemed to have no such worries at all and didn’t act like a typical single– parent child.
Previously, Olivia had avoided this topic, fearing it might hurt Andrew. But now that he had brought it up himself, she was curious and asked, “Do you know about your mother?”
“I know.” Andrew nodded thoughtfully, extending his tender chubby fingers, and started counting them one by one. “Mommy likes spicy food, she is good at medicine, she is beautiful…”
He counted several characteristics in one breath until he ran out of fingers and put his hand down somewhat reluctantly.
Then he lowered his head and raised his eyes, looking at Olivia several times.
With tension and curiosity, Andrew tentatively asked, “Olivia, are you good at medicine?”
Medicine?
Olivia’s gaze deepened, then she shook her head. “I’m not.” Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
“Not?” Andrew looked up in shock, astonished and uncertain as he gazed at her. His tiny chest heaved, and his eyes quickly reddened. “You really aren’t?”
His voice had a teary tone.
Olivia was genuinely taken aback, and her mind went blank for a moment. She rarely had moments of losing her composure like this, and she couldn’t control herself. She blurted out and said, “I actually know a little.
“What does ‘a little‘ mean? Andrew looked nervous, grabbing onto her clothes.
Olivia explained in a warm voice. It means I used to know, but I’ve forgotten some.”
So, does that count as she knew or not?
Andrew was torn, his little brain working hard to think for a while. He wasn’t entirely sure, so he decided to ask Daniel in the evening. Having found a solution, Andrew became cheerful again and leaned against Olivia’s embrace. He said, “Dad said my mom is a fairy in the sky. After giving birth to me, she went back to heaven. She’ll come back when I grow up and find her.”
After saying all this, Andrew quickly lifted his eyes to glance at Olivia. He then lowered his head and twisted his chubby little fingers. “I’ve met many aunties but haven’t told them I’m looking for my mom.”
Olivia was slow on the uptake and only realized the implications after hearing these words.
Was Andrew finding his Mom?
And now he found her?
Suddenly, Olivia didn’t know how to respond. She could sense the anticipation in Andrew’s expression. He must see her as his mother.
She couldn’t bring herself to say no, so she remained silent. Thankfully, Zoe brought the last dish over. “Ms. Taylor, please eat quickly. The food is getting cold.”
Olivia quickly handed Andrew the knife and fork. “Let’s eat.”
“Okay.” Without receiving an answer, Andrew’s mood was a bit down. However, he was an optimistic child. Seeing the delicious dishes on the table, he brightened up again. He skillfully picked up a piece of his favorite rolled omelet to eat.
Although he was only four years old, his knife and fork skills were impressive.
He could pick up large pieces of omelet, thin bean sprouts, and even round meatballs.
Today’s dishes suited Olivia’s taste, and she ate quite a lot. She continued eating until her lips turned a satisfying shade of red due to the spiciness. before finally setting down her knife and fork.
Andrew was also eating happily, his eyes curving with a smile as he watched Olivia eat the spicy food.
Daniel had mentioned that Andrew’s mother loved eating spicy food.
When the lunch ended, Zoe brought over a glass of coconut juice, claiming it could help alleviate the spiciness.
Olivia didn’t think much of it. Many people enjoyed having coconut juice after eating something spicy. However, as soon as she took a sip, she froze.
There was a faint and familiar herbal scent in the coconut juice.
Olivia had a sensitive palate. Since childhood, whenever her,grandpa, Isaac Smith, brewed some medicine, she could distinguish the ingredients by tasting just a bit.
This time was no exception. With a single sip, she could discern every single herb used.
Olivia pinched her fingers, maintaining a calm exterior while her inner confusion grew.
How could this be such a coincidence?