“Good afternoon, Carey,” Alessia greeted sweetly, her manners impeccable.

Carey beamed, nodding with obvious approval. “Well, aren’t you lovely? So polite, too. Brendan, is this your eldest daughter or your youngest?”

Brendan’s expression cooled just a fraction as he replied, “She’s my only daughter.” Years of holding a senior position had trained him to keep his emotions in check, and with Carey’s straightforward nature, she didn’t notice the subtle shift.

“Really?” Carey frowned, a vague sense of confusion nagging at her.

She remembered when the Morton family first moved in–they’d run into each other and exchanged a few brief words. Carey’s memory was of a group of well–mannered boys, bustling about, hauling boxes and helping with the move. There’d been only one girl, dressed in an expensive–looking dress with a wide, elegant sunhat perched on her head. That girl had stomped around, loudly complaining about how rundown, dirty, and cramped the place was. When she saw Carey, she just gave a dismissive snort and swept upstairs, radiating arrogance.

Carey couldn’t recall the girl’s face, just the impression she’d left–and it wasn’t a good one. But the girl standing here today seemed like a completely different

person.

Still, if Brendan said Alessia was his only daughter, there was no point dwelling on a puzzle with no answer.

“Carey, my mom made these seaweed rolls. Would you like to try one?” Alessia offered, handing Carey a fork and smiling softly in a way any adult would find endearing.

these? Well, then, I have to give them

waited quietly while Carey tasted the food, and

people to try her recipes. We all say

replied, father and daughter

the school? That’s a fantastic idea! There are so many

the other day, a few

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15:36

out to buy whatever junk they can

drew her foot back and launched into a spirited rant about the trials of raising children, while Alessia listened with a gentle smile, chiming in now and

Carey? My mom’s upstairs right now making sandwiches, seaweed rolls, and even some tea eggs. She’d be thrilled if you stopped

Carey slapped her

the others, too? If you like what you see, you can be our

she nearly forgot the trash bag still in her hand. Even as she finally walked away,

the doorway, waving until Carey disappeared from

know Carey had kids?”

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