Mitchel, with a resigned smile, scooped Melon up in his arms and replied, âI got it a long time ago.
Itâs more convenient this way for me to take care of Melon.
â
Upon hearing Mitchelâs words, Rodney couldnât contain his joy.
A pleased grin spread across his face as he cast a glance at Mitchel and Ariana.
However, he chose to keep his comments to a minimum.
Understanding the importance of pride among the younger generation, he knew that saying too much, especially as an elder, might risk embarrassing them.
The interaction between Ariana and Mitchel was natural and harmonious.
Noticing Adeleâs silence, Mitchel refrained from questioning her presence.
Meanwhile, Melon was excited and introduced Adele to Mitchel, saying, âThis is Adele.
â
Mitchel responded with a smile, crouched down, and gently tousled Adeleâs hair.
Clinging to Melonâs clothes, Adele gazed at Mitchel before softly greeting him.
Just then, Judy announced that Lunch was ready, summoning everyone to the table.
Ariana led Melon and Adele to wash up, and soon, they all gathered to enjoy the meal.
Rodney reminisced about their Last fishing trip with Melon, who excitedly suggested, âWe can also fish here! Letâs go fishing this afternoon, and Iâll bring Adele along!â
Rodney joyfully accepted and took the two children to the nearby lake for an afternoon of fishing, leaving Mitchel and Ariana to enjoy some alone time.
After lunch, Ariana and Mitchel relaxed on the balcony with coffee.
In a moment when Mitchel was distracted, Ariana discreetly swapped his coffee for a glass of milk.
When Mitchel noticed the change, he gave her a questioning look.
Ariana smiled and explained, âIf your stomach isnât feeling well, itâs best not to have too much coffee.
â
Realizing that Rodney must have mentioned something, Mitchel chuckled softly and let the matter slide.
He then pulled out a small box from his pocket and handed it to Ariana, saying, âI found this in Allemicano and thought it would suit you perfectly.
â
Curious, Ariana opened the box to find an intricately designed brooch inside.
She was immediately charmed by it, holding it in her hand with joy.
Feeling a bit embarrassed for receiving a gift without having anything to offer in return, Arianaâs joy was mixed with a touch of sheepishness.
She glanced around.
Then, inspired by the moment, she fashioned a bracelet from the flowers she had nurtured.
Smiling, she presented it to him, saying, âI donât have much to offer right now, so hereâs just a handmade bracelet.
â
Mitchel examined the bracelet, his fingers tracing its delicate form.
Looking up at Ariana with sincerity, he said, âThank youâ
Ariana laughed lightly and responded, âDonât mention it.
Itâs just a small token, and youâve been so nice to me.
Itâs the least I could do.
â
The conversation shifted topics until Ariana, after a pause, revealed, âTheodore is still alive.
â
Mitchelâs hand froze on his cup, his expression flickering before he regained composure and looked at Ariana.
âHolden is Theodore,â Ariana said calmly.
âYes, his mother is the only daughter of Aldus.
After the accident five years ago, the Fredrick family took him in, but the accident caused him to lose his memory.
Heâs been living as Holden since then.
â
Realizing Ariana had already learned the truth, Mitchel was silent for a moment before asking, âSo, what do you plan to do? As you said, his identity has changed.
He is Holden now.
â
âI donât know,â Ariana admitted, pursing her lips and letting out a sigh.