Dean furrowed his brows, realizing that the lover Ellinor mentioned was Theo.
What a waste for such a cute gal to marry into the Blanchet family!
âEllinor, where the heck did your mom go?â Alyssa asked again, more intently this time.
This question made Ellinor frown slightly, and a look of annoyance crossed her face.
After noticing Ellinorâs discomfort, Dean had to step in âEnough, Alyssa! Why are you so nosy today?
Stop digging into Ellinorâs past. We invited her over to thank her for her help, not to make her uncomfortable!â
I Alyssa noticed the unease on Ellinorâs face and apologized, âEllinor, Iâm sorry. I didnât mean to dredge up your past.â
Ellinor shook her head, âItâs okay; youâre just concerned about me.â
Alyssa was still unsure, âEllinor, would you mind if I asked you one last question?â
Dean frowned, âWhat more do you want to know? Enough with the questions; let Ellinor enjoy her meal!â
Ellinor calmly responded, âItâs fine, Iâm full. Grandma Alyssa, go ahead and ask.â
Alyssa studied her face, âEllinor, did you have any moles removed when you were younger? Maybe one between your eyebrows?â
After his wife asked her question, Dean paused, then understood his wifeâs suspicion and started observing Ellinorâs face as well.
Ellinor shook her head, âNo.â
Alyssa pushed, âAre you sure? Could your family have removed it and you didnât know?â
Ellinor laughed, âGrandma Alyssa, you said that was your last question. Can I not answer this one?â
Alyssa still held hope, but all she could do was give an awkward smile, âSorry Ellinor, I shouldnât have asked so many questions. Are you full? Try some dessert! Here, how do my cookies taste?â
With that, Alyssa presented a box of cookies to Ellinor.
Ellinor didnât hesitate, taking a bite and expressing her appreciation, âMmm! Delicious, but not too sweet, and the flavor is much richer than store-bought cookies.â
Alyssa beamed, as if sheâd been praised by her own granddaughter, âReally? If you like them, have more! If itâs not enough, I can bake more for you!â
Ellinor waved her off, âOne is enough; my husband doesnât want me to eat too much sweet stuff. Heâd scold me if he knew.â
Dean became a bit unhappy after he heard her say that, âEllinor, how dare Theo criticize you? Doesnât he treat you well?â
Ellinor shook her head, âSo far, Mr. Blanchet has been very good to me. His limiting my sweets is for my health, not to restrict my freedom.â
Deanâs displeasure with the Blanchet family was clear. He huffed unhappily.
âEllinor, if you ever change your mind and decide you donât like Mr. Blanchet anymore, let me know. I can introduce you to someone better anytime.â
Someone better than Mr. Blanchet?
She doubted that such a person existed in the world, at least not in her eyes.
Ellinor couldnât help but smile, âThank you for your kindness, but I might not need it.â
Dean, both sympathetic and worried, said earnestly, âYou silly girl. Youâre so young, and youâve already given your heart to one person. You should go out and see more before making a choiceâ
Ellinor raised an eyebrow, teasing, âGrandpa Dean, are you implying that you had other options besides Grandma Alyssa?â
Dean shot her a glance, struggling to find a good response.