Laughter and playful shouts echoed from outside.

Every so often, Finnian called out, “Dad!”

And Dorian would always respond in a gentle voice.

Listening to the sounds outside, I was calculating my next steps in my mind.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when my phone rang.

It was my mom.

She asked if I’d had a birthday meal yet or at least some cake.

It was then I realized I hadn’t eaten anything all day.

Before hanging up, she anxiously asked when I’d be coming back home.

In the five years since I left, my visits could be counted on one hand.

At first, it was because my job was still unstable.

Then Dorian said it was too much hassle to keep going back and forth.

As I stepped out of the room, Finnian suddenly threw a toy at me.

“Why are you here? Are you trying to take my dad away again?”

Before I could say anything, Aurelia bent down and apologized to me.

“Sorry, Evangeline, he’s just a kid. Don’t take it to heart.”

From the other room, Dorian said with a stern look:

“It’s nothing to apologize for.”

“Besides, if Finnian is reacting this way, maybe you startled him before.”

He then moved to stand protectively by Aurelia and her son.

“Evangeline, surely you’re not going to argue with a five-year-old?”

“If you do, I’d be embarrassed for you.”

I stayed silent, but somehow all the blame was on me.

“Carry on,” I said. “I’m just here to grab something.”

I opened the fridge door.

The spiced honey cake I had painstakingly made was gone.

I glanced at the living room.

There, on the table, was a cake, messy and half-eaten.

Dorian caught my gaze and said indifferently:

“That cake was yours? Finnian said it didn’t taste good, so he left it.”

“If you want, I can get you another one.”

I tossed the cake I had worked hard on into the trash and said calmly:

“No need.”

With that, I opened the door and stepped outside.

I had barely taken a few steps when Dorian came running after me, grabbing my arm.

“Evangeline, where are you heading?”

I looked at him in confusion.

This was the first time Dorian had left Aurelia to follow me outside.

“Why did you come after me?”

Dorian seemed taken aback by my question.

In the past, his coming after me would have filled me with joy.

No matter what he had done before, I would have forgiven him.

Dorian’s expression faltered, as if he hadn’t expected my reaction to be so indifferent.

“I... I saw you leave without saying anything, so I came to check.”

I shrugged it off.

“I’m just going out to find something to eat.”

At that moment, Aurelia approached with Finnian.

“Evangeline, Finnian just said he wants to go have fondue. If you don’t mind, join us.”

“Think of it as my way of making it up to you.”

“I don’t like...”

Before I could finish, Dorian had already accepted on my behalf.

He told me to get the car.

Since I had already decided to leave, I didn’t want to argue with Dorian.

So I went along with it and headed to the garage to get the car.

When I drove back, Dorian naturally got into the back seat with Aurelia and Finnian.

It was only after we were on the road that he seemed to realize this was awkward.

He tried to explain, a bit uncomfortably:

“Finnian is still young and clings to me, so I...”

I glanced at the rearview mirror, seeing the picture of them as a close-knit family, and cut him off impatiently:

“It’s good that you’re sitting together. After all, the front passenger seat can be dangerous.”

My words seemed to stun Dorian.

He had said something similar to me once before.

Back when we argued about the front seat.

He had said, frustrated:

“What’s the big deal about the front seat? It’s not even safe.”

For the rest of the drive, I felt like an outsider, observing the cheerful interactions of the people in the back seat.

After getting to the bistro, the three of them went inside first.

When I parked the car and entered, I noticed there were only three place settings on the table.

Dorian looked a bit awkward and was about to call the waiter for another set.

Suddenly, Finnian burst into tears and shouted:

“I don’t want to eat with the stranger! Mom says she’s trying to take Daddy away!”

“I don’t want to...”

Aurelia quickly covered his mouth, looking at me with an apologetic smile.

“Evangeline, he’s just a child. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Dorian held Finnian in his arms, trying to calm him down.

He glanced at me as if I had committed a crime.

I chuckled softly and said to Finnian:

“Little one, your dad will always be your dad. I’m not taking him away.”

My words caused Dorian's expression to shift dramatically.

Before he could respond, I turned and walked to a table in the corner and sat down.

I enjoyed my meal by myself.

The laughter from their table occasionally reached my ears.

It didn’t bother my appetite in the slightest.

On my way home after eating, Dorian called me.

“Evangeline, where are you? We’re done with dinner. Why don’t you wait for us in the parking lot?”

Hearing his presumptuous tone, I wondered how lowly he thought of me.

After being treated like that, did he really expect me to go back with them?

“I’m already by the front door,” I said evenly.

My words made Dorian instantly angry.

“Evangeline, what’s that supposed to mean? Why would you leave on your own when we came here together?”

I replied calmly, “Aren’t you going to catch a show?”

With that, Dorian was left speechless.

Before leaving the restaurant, I had already seen Aurelia’s post on Facebook.

“Finnian has always wanted to go to the theater with Mom and Dad, and now it’s finally happening.”

The picture was a selfie of the three of them.

A friend had commented below:

“You two are finally together! Congrats!”

Aurelia replied with a bashful emoji.

Dorian was silent for a few moments before awkwardly suggesting:

“We could all watch the show together. You always said I never went to plays with you.”

I laughed and said without hesitation:

“No need, enjoy the show.”

With that, I hung up the phone.

I didn’t care how Dorian reacted on the other end.

When I got home, I received a notification from work.

They informed me that my request to return home had been approved and advised me to wrap things up soon.

This was the first good news I’d received in days.

When Dorian returned, I was organizing work documents for handover.

He was still upset about my demeanor on the phone earlier.

He grabbed some clothes and headed for the shower.

By the time he came out, I was already in bed, ready to sleep.

Dorian stood by the bed, staring at me intently.

His gaze was so intense that I could feel it even with my eyes shut.

Just as I was getting annoyed, the phone rang.

“Evangeline! Isn’t today your birthday? I’ve brought some company perks for you!”

My manager’s booming voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

I watched as Dorian’s face turned awkward with every word my manager said.

After hanging up, I got up and went out to thank my manager, then returned with the items.

When I opened the door, I saw Dorian rummaging through the fridge.

I glanced at him, then put the items down and went to rest.

Dorian came in after a while and said uneasily:

“There’s no pasta in the house, but I wanted to make you something...”

I yawned, cutting him off.

“No need, I’m quite full.”

Dorian’s expression grew more anxious.

“I forgot today was your birthday, I’m sorry...”

I replied nonchalantly, “It’s fine, it’s just a birthday.”

“It doesn’t really matter.”

With that, I turned off the light and went to sleep.

A restful night.