<b>Chapter </b><b>530 </b>


    By your there


    Our eyes met, and Jared quickly masked whatever emotion was in his eyes, recing it with a faint smile. “Wee home.”


    I nodded, then took Yvonne’s hand and started walking toward the exit, with her chattering away the whole time.


    Jared fell into step beside us, grabbing the small suitcase from my hand and leading us to the <b>car</b>.


    To outsiders, we looked just like a happy family of three–a sweet daughter, a caring husband, and a beautiful wife.


    As we walked out, we definitely caught people’s attention; some looked envious, others were just stunned.


    Jared was behind the wheel, and on the way home, Yvonne and I sat together in the back while he kept his eyes on the road.


    “Mom, did you have fun in Braylin? I heard it’s really cold there. Did it snow?” Yvonne asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.


    “Yeah, it snowed!” I said, thinking back to Braylin’s first snowfall. The snow drifted down all night, and by morning, the whole city was nketed in white.


    “Was work super busy? Did Dad pile a bunch of stuff on you? Did you even get any time to rest, or to be with Ryan?” Yvonne asked, her head resting on myp, firing off questions as they popped into her mind.


    I paused, a bit taken aback.


    I could feel Jared watching me through the rearview mirror.


    “No, I can handle it,” I replied quickly, then changed the subject by asking Yvonne about her schoolwork.


    I didn’t want to give Jared an opening to make a fuss.


    Victoria, how about having lunch at my mom’s ce?” Jared asked.


    “Thanks, but I should head home and tidy up first. My parents areing overter this afternoon,” I replied, gently turning him down.


    Jared didn’t insist. He dropped Yvonne and me off downstairs, then headed off on his own.


    After I finished unpacking, I took Yvonne to the supermarket. These days, we felt more like friends than mother and daughter.


    “Mom, I really want your fishball soup! Will you make it for me, please?” Yvonne said, clinging to my arm as we wandered through the seafood section.


    I nodded. Making fishballs isn’t exactly quick work, but it’s a specialty from my hometown and one of my best dishes. The broth is super tasty, and Yvonne has loved it ever since she was little.


    <b>10:48 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>5 </b>


    After we finished shopping, we headed home for a bit, then decided to hit up the nearby mall,


    Yvonne had grown a bit, so I wanted to pick out a few new outfits for her.


    There were tons of kids‘ clothing stores around, so we started browsing through them one by one. Yvonne’s style had definitely evolved–she was really into sporty looks now.


    We walked into an international sports brand store. As Yvonne and I browsed through the racks, I noticed <b>a </b>group of three or four girls nearby chatting away in Englysian. They looked about eleven <i>or </i>twelve, <b>already </b>tall for their age, and they all carried themselves with confidence.


    My Englysian had improved a lottely, so I could understand most of what they were saying. They were discussing some backpacks on disy. One girl in a id jacket put her phone to her ear and said in Englysian, “Let me get my dad toe pay for this.”


    I watched these preteens for a moment, then looked at Yvonne, barely over six years old. Suddenly, I wished time would slow down.


    “Ms. Murphy…” Just as I was helping Yvonne try on a jacket, a deep male voice called out behind me.


    I jerked my head up and saw Edward standing at the entrance. He looked genuinely surprised to see me.


    The girl in the id jacket walked over to stand beside Edward, her bright eyes studying me for a moment before she turned to him and asked, “Dad, is she your friend?”


    Edwardposed himself and, with a businesslike tone, said, “This is my daughter, Nora.”


    I regained myposure and reached for Yvonne’s hand. “And this is my daughter, Yvonne.”


    “Hey, little one! I’ve got a small present for you,” Nora said, fishing out a cute doll from her bag and handing it to Yvonne.


    Yvonne beamed as she epted the doll, her eyes crinkling with joy. “Thank you, big sis!”


    I grabbed the first excuse I could think of and hustled Yvonne out of the store.


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