Upon hearing Mia Foster say this, Melody Zachary took the damp towel and placed it on her face, the cool sensation bringing some comfort to her flushed skin.
Mia Foster set the food box on the desk, and just like yesterday, divided the rice into two portions, one for each of them, and instructed the secretary to brew some tea before sitting down to eat lunch that’s not quite lunch with Melody.
Perhaps it was because Mia had called her proactively, Melody, while scooping rice into her mouth, occasionally looked up at Mia with a smile. "Auntie, eat a little more, you’ve gotten quite thin lately." Mia picked a piece of spare rib and put it into Melody’s lunch box. Melody also picked a piece for her, "You eat too, don’t be like those women outside, always talking about dieting and not daring to eat. My mom told me—oh no, Auntie told me—that actually, men prefer women with some meat, saying it brings fortune."
"Thank you," Mia smiled and began to eat the spare ribs in small bites.
Perhaps due to hunger, or maybe happiness, Melody ate quite a lot. The food left over from yesterday’s lunch delivery was mostly finished today.
After eating, Melody did not hurry to leave. She sat on the sofa, sipping her tea in small sips, secretly watching Mia.
Even though Mia was buried in work, she could still feel someone watching her. She looked up and saw Melody’s hesitant expression, speaking first, "Auntie, if there’s something on your mind, just say it."
Hearing Mia say this, Melody felt a bit embarrassed, placed the teacup on the low table, and said with a smile, "It’s like this... Tomorrow... it’s my birthday... Every year I used to have dinner at a restaurant with Felix and his dad. This year..."
"Auntie, after work tomorrow, we’ll go to a restaurant to celebrate," Mia interrupted Melody. Strong-willed, she felt genuine sympathy for women abandoned by men, especially older women.
"Really? Mia, aren’t you busy?" Hearing Mia offer to celebrate her birthday, Melody was as happy as if she had won the lottery, her eyes sparkling.
"Auntie, you only have one birthday a year. No matter how busy I am, I’ll be there."
"Oh, okay, I’ll go tell Felix right now and have him book a restaurant."
As she spoke, Melody already stood up, grabbed her reusable bag, and eagerly rushed out. Watching Melody’s adorable manner, Mia’s lips curved into a smile, but as the office door closed behind her, the curve of her lips gradually faded.
She... softened again. She could have refused...
Taking a deep breath, Mia reminded herself that she agreed because Melody had just gone through a divorce and was in low spirits, not because she was Felix Shaw’s mother.
The next day before leaving work, Mia notified her family, pretending she was going to a gathering with friends, while in reality, she was helping Melody celebrate her birthday.
She had pre-arranged for her secretary to order the cake and picked it up herself on the way to the restaurant.
In the private room of the restaurant, a large round table that could accommodate twenty people felt rather empty with less than ten sitting around it.
Nicholas Croft, Nathan Moore, and Evander Lancaster had all come over to celebrate Melody’s birthday. By the time Mia arrived with the cake, the group was already gathered.
"Mia, come sit next to Auntie," Melody said happily, patting the empty seat beside her for Mia to sit. She glanced at her son sitting on her left and, pretending to be displeased, frowned and said, "Move over a bit, sit next to Nicholas and the others."
One has to admit, Melody was skilled at dealing with people. She knew what Mia was concerned about, so she deliberately shoved her son away from her side.