2

After Brendan Forrest finished his examination of Roly, he started working on his computer.

Taking advantage of the momentary pause, Nurse Leigh suddenly asked.

"Why didn't your husband come with you today?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Brendan Forrest's hands froze over the keyboard for a moment.

'Where did I get a husband?' I was about to ask, when I suddenly remembered I had come with my younger brother last time.

That was the first time Roly had an upset stomach, and both Evan Sutton and I were completely frazzled.

The doctors and nurses had mistaken our relationship, but we were in no state to explain.

After Roly calmed down, we completely forgot about it.

For some reason, Brendan Forrest's already grim expression soured even further.

I was just about to explain when someone burst through the door in a flurry.

"What's going on? Did she eat too much again?" Evan Sutton appeared in the doorway.

"Roly, you didn't listen to your mom again, did you?"

Roly didn't seem as uncomfortable as before, and some color had returned to her face.

"I did not! Roly always listens to Mommy! Mommy, Evan Sutton is yelling at me."

For some reason, Roly just refused to call Evan Sutton "Uncle," always insisting on using his full name.

"You little rascal, you have the nerve to tattle..."

Before I could finish, Brendan Forrest cut in.

"The prescription's ready. You can go to the pharmacy and pay. Nurse Leigh, please take them for the IV drip."

Brendan Forrest's gaze never rested on me for even a second. After rattling off the instructions in a brisk, professional tone, he prepared to call in the next patient.

Seeing him act this way, a bitter feeling welled up in my heart.

'This coldness is only to be expected, I suppose. After all, it's been five years since we separated.'

Lost in thought, I found myself staring at him for a moment.

As my gaze shifted, I noticed a packaging bag on his desk.

'Strange... isn't that a bag from my shop?'

Before I could dwell on it, the nurse was leading us out.

Evan Sutton went to pay and pick up the medicine while I sat with Roly in the infusion room.

"Mommy, that doctor was super handsome. Can I ask him to be my daddy?" As soon as the IV was in, the little one added in all seriousness, "Godmother says when you see something you like, you have to make the first move."

Roly's words left me stunned for a long moment.

'For a second, I even thought that through some mysterious bond of blood, Roly had managed to pick her own father out of a crowd.'

'But I quickly dismissed the idea.'

'How could Roly possibly recognize him? She's never even met Brendan Forrest.'

'Then my thoughts turned to Elise Duval, and I cursed her inwardly. What on earth has she been teaching my daughter?'

"Roly, from now on, I don't want you to listen to a word your Godmother says."

"Oh, so you two aren't husband and wife?"

I turned my head and saw Nurse Leigh was still standing there.

I gave Nurse Leigh a small smile and explained, "We're brother and sister."

"Oh, my apologies. I misunderstood."

Nurse Leigh then leaned down and said to Roly with a smile, "Roly, you can't just call any man 'Daddy'! That handsome doctor from earlier is already engaged, you know!"

'So, Brendan Forrest is engaged?'

'Is it to Raina Channing?'

Nurse Leigh's words sent my mind reeling back into the past.

Roly suddenly spoke up. "Mommy, what's 'engaged'?"

I tugged at the corners of my mouth, but a smile wouldn't come. "Engaged means... he's going to have his own family. He'll be someone else's daddy, so he can't be Roly's daddy, okay?"

Roly pouted, looking very disappointed. "Oh. Okay, then."

3

After I graduated from high school, my parents passed away in a car accident.

At the time, my younger brother had just received his acceptance letter from Oakhaven First Central High, and I had gotten my university acceptance letter as well.

Life didn't grant me the luxury of wallowing in the grief of my parents' passing.

As the older sister, I had to take on the responsibility for our family.

I gave up on going to university and went to work in the city to earn money.

You could say I was pretty lucky, though.

At my very first job, I met the master chef who introduced me to the world of pastries, Fredrick Rhodes.

His shop was called [As Ever], and it was located in the University District.

This was also where Brendan Forrest and I met.

He was a sophomore at Crestwood Medical University and would come to the shop every Friday to buy cinnamon rolls.

However, I didn't know any of this when I first started working there.

On that particular Friday, I was looking after the shop by myself.

The cinnamon rolls he wanted had long since sold out.

But he didn't get angry or upset about it. In the end, he left empty-handed without buying anything.

The incident stuck with me for a long time.

When he came back the following week, I handed him his packaged bread and threw in some new desserts I'd been experimenting with, free of charge.

He frowned, seemingly trying to figure out how to refuse me, and didn't reach out to take them.

I don't know where I got the courage back then.

I walked right up, took his hand, placed the bag in it, and gave him a brilliant smile.

After that, Brendan Forrest started coming to the shop more and more often.

Eventually, he was coming in almost every other day to sample my new creations.

Sometimes, he would even stay until I got off work.

We talked a lot on the way as he walked me home.

I poured my heart out to him about my life.

And he told me a lot about himself, too.

He said that his mom was actually the one who loved the bread from our shop, which was why he came every Friday to bring some back for her.

He said he'd never really had a sweet tooth, but after trying my desserts that one time, he discovered they weren't half bad.

That night, for the first time, I felt my heart flutter.

After two straight weeks of Brendan Forrest waiting to walk me home after work, I couldn't hold it in any longer and confessed my feelings to him.

In my memory, he was bathed in moonlight, smiling as he said to me,

"I thought I'd be the one who couldn't wait and confessed first."

Before I could even process what he meant, he pulled me straight into his arms.

...

Roly had fallen asleep with the IV drip still in, so I held her in my arms, patting her back gently and continuously.

My brother, Evan Sutton, had also fallen asleep sitting next to me.

I looked up. The last IV bag was almost empty.

Suddenly, Brendan Forrest appeared before my eyes.

"Why are you always the one holding the child? Aren't you tired? Why isn't he helping?"

The moment he spoke, his words were a resentful, three-part interrogation.

I was baffled. 'What is he so angry about?'

"He worked a full day today, so he's exhausted too."

I glanced at my brother, then back at Brendan Forrest.

"Remember to come back for the follow-up appointment next week."

Brendan Forrest shot an extremely impatient glare at the sleeping Evan Sutton.

Then he turned and walked away without another word.

'Did he misunderstand my relationship with my brother, too?'

I was just about to call out and explain things to him.

But then I thought, 'He's engaged now anyway, starting a new life. Why would he care about an old flame like me?'

'Given our current relationship, there's no need to explain, is there?'

4

Brendan Forrest and I dated for three years.

I got pregnant just as he was about to graduate from college.

That was when I found out he was going abroad for advanced studies.

I was afraid the baby and I would become a stumbling block for him, so I broke up with him.

With my mentor's help, I went to Gallia.

While I was abroad, I studied dessert-making and gave birth to my daughter.

Thankfully, my younger brother, Evan Sutton, was pretty self-reliant.

After he started college, he won a scholarship every year and worked a part-time job, so I no longer had to worry about him financially.

I spent three years abroad studying, raising my child, and just living.

When Roly was two, I returned to the country and opened my current dessert shop.

I named the dessert shop "As Ever," the same name as my mentor's old shop.

After I went abroad, my mentor had to stop running his shop due to health reasons.

The original shop got a new landlord, and it seems it was never rented out again.

So, I discussed it with my mentor and decided to use the old name, as a way to carry on its legacy.

Lately, a delivery guy has been coming to my dessert shop around noon every day to pick up orders.

When I saw the familiar-looking driver arrive again, I greeted him warmly.

"Hey there! It's you again. What's the customer ordering today?"

The driver gave me a simple, honest smile. "The customer wants that new item you just came out with."

"The avocado cheesecake, right?"

"Ah, yes, yes, that's the one."

After I packed up the order, I added a complimentary Earl Grey pearl cake roll—an off-menu item I hadn't released yet.

The delivery driver had barely walked out the door when Elise Duval came storming in.

"Nora Sutton! Have you even been listening to a word I've said!"

Elise stood in front of the cash register with her hands on her hips, an angry look on her face as she pointed her finger at my nose and scolded me.

I didn't dare make a peep. I just put a finger to my lips, gesturing that there were customers in the shop.

Elise marched over and dragged me straight into the back kitchen.

"How many blind dates have I set you up on! You keep making excuses not to go! If you don't find a father for Roly soon, she won't be able to get her household registration. Without that, she can't enroll in preschool. We've already been delayed by half a year because of this! Aren't you worried at all?"

I said helplessly, "I know, I know. But what normal guy would want to get involved with a single mother who had a child out of wedlock?"

It's not like I'd never gone on the blind dates Elise arranged for me.

The guys were always incredibly enthusiastic when they first met me, but as soon as I mentioned I had a daughter, they'd all find an excuse to leave.

"But you can't just give up without trying! I don't care! You have to go to the one I set up for you tomorrow night! Or else you'll have me to answer to."

I shook Elise's arm, acting cute. "I know, I know. I know you're just looking out for me and Roly. I'll do my best~"

Elise and I met when we were abroad; we were roommates.

I told her right from the start that I was pregnant, and she said she didn't mind at all.

She was a student back then, and I would often bring her desserts I made in class to taste.

Day by day, I slowly 'bribed' Elise with sweets, and our relationship grew closer and closer.

Later on, after Roly was born, she would even help me take care of her.

After we both graduated, we returned to the country together.

Coincidentally, she was also a Stellaport local, and my brother happened to be in college here too, so we were still able to see each other often after coming back.