Despite being a reserved boy, Kyle doted on his sister excessively.
Maya stared at Kyle with shining eyes, unsure of how to express her gratitude. In the end, she settled with a sweet, âThank you, Kyle!â
âGo with Mommy. Remember not to eat too much.â
âDonât worry! Iâm not a three-year-old anymore. I know how to hold back!â
Nina rolled her eyes at her gluttonous sister. Youâre already seven years old yet you still donât know how to keep a leash on that greed of yours! Your self-control is terrible when it comes to food!
âThe three of you arenât coming?â Nicole asked the other three kids curiously.
âMy makeup teacher wants me to practice the latest makeup trends.â âI have to practice my Taekwondo.â âI donât like eating desserts.â
Thus, Nicole took Maya to the dessert store alone.
They entered the store while Mayaâs chubby hand holding on to Nicoleâs hand tightly. She uttered, âMommy, Iâll only eat a little bit. The main reason I wanna come here is because I really like the buttery smell here.â
Nicole glanced down at her daughter. âOkay. Then Mommy will keep an eye on you so you donât eat too much. Breathe in as much of this buttery smell as you want.â
Maya nodded before sighing heavily. Nicole questioned worriedly, âWhatâs wrong, Maya?â
âDaddy promised me he would hire a gourmet specialist to teach me. I guess thereâs no hope for that now.â
Nicole kept quiet as she mentally calculated how much it would cost to hire a gourmet specialist. The number she came up with was rather daunting. When she added up how much she had in her bank accounts, an apologetic grimace appeared on her face.
âMaya, give Mommy two months, okay? Iâll hire a gourmet specialist for you then.â
Once Lane Corporation began to earn a profit and business for her clinic grew, she would have enough to hire one for Maya.
Knowing how hard her mother was working to earn money for them, Maya shook her head. She said in a thoughtful tone, âMommy, Iâm still young. I can always learn when Iâm older.â
Nicole stroked her daughterâs head gently, her heart aching for the child.
Unfortunately, things are a little dire right now. How depressing is it that I canât even fulfill my own childâs dream? If Evan were here, he would have agreed in a heartbeat! Ah, damn it! What happened to not thinking about that jerk?
She sucked in a deep breath to calm herself. After that, she led Maya over to select a few desserts before sitting down at a table.
Unlike all the other times before, Maya did not instantly wolf everything down today. She took her time observing the shapes of the desserts and the distribution of the chocolate and cream. Then, she shut her eyes and inhaled deeply, enjoying the fragrant aroma.
âMommy, you should eat first!â
Nicole leveled a surprised look on her daughter.
Previously, whenever Maya had dessert, she would stuff them down her gullet without a care for anything else. Yet this time, she was actually letting her mother eat first. Growing up by a year really makes a difference, huh.
Taking a bite of the slice of cake, Nicole pushed it toward her daughter. âItâs too sweet. Mommy doesnât like it so you can have it all, Maya.â
Maya cut herself a morsel of cake and ate it. âMommy, since you donât like sweet stuff, Iâll be sure to make you non-sweet desserts in the future!â
Nicole watched the way her daughterâs eyes glimmered brightly. She beamed at the child. âAlright. Mommy canât wait to try it!â
Maya nodded vigorously. âIâll definitely be able to make you anything you want to eat, Mommy!â
âI believe in you. Youâre definitely going to be a world-famous gourmet specialist someday!â
An ecstatic grin spread across Mayaâs face at her motherâs words. Warmth suffused Nicole at seeing how happy her daughter was. So what if I lost that man? I still have my four precious children! Having such understanding and thoughtful kids really is a blessing!
Turning her head slightly, she spotted a man who had a similar build as Evan standing nearby. A woman dressed in extremely sexy clothing was clinging to his arm as they browsed the cakes. A bolt of pain shot through her heart sharply.
Heh! Giving up on someone you love with all your heart feels like a burden in one instant and a terrible loss in the next.
Her breath gusted out heavily.
She was reaching out to wipe away the cream on Mayaâs face when a shrill voice rang out.