Chapter 4

After cleaning up the last of the mess, the doorbell rang.

“Emily? Andy? Are you home?”

Andy’s eyes lit up. “It’s Mr. Anderson!” He ran to open the door.

Outside, a clean-cut and handsome young man bent down, catching the child who rushed into his arms. Seeing Andy’s red and swollen eyes, Mr. Anderson’s voice immediately softened. “What’s wrong, Andy? Did you cry?”

Andy buried his face in his shoulder, whimpering miserably, “Mom’s lunch… it was taken…”

“It’s okay,” Mr. Anderson gently patted his back, his voice warm. “I made new ones, all the things you and your mom love to eat.”

He was very good at coaxing children, and with a few words, he made Andy smile through his tears.

Mr. Anderson then looked up at me, smiling apologetically. “I’m sorry, Emily. Didn’t get an answer when I called, so I got a bit worried and just came over.”

“Please don’t say that,” I quickly replied. “You’re a lifesaver for Andy and me. Just call me Emily.”

Half a year ago, during that car accident, it was Mr. Anderson who pulled us from the mangled car and ran red lights to get us to the hospital.

Later, when he learned we had partial memory loss and were a bit slow to react, he voluntarily took on the task of providing our daily meals and taking Andy to and from school.

When our memories returned, he discreetly stepped back to a respectful distance. But not long after hearing the full story of the accident, he became Andy’s new teacher at kindergarten.

Mr. Anderson’s ears tinged red as he softly said, “Emily, I’ve planned all the hiking routes. Shall we head out?”

Indeed, everything was perfectly organized, just as he said. He naturally took all the heavy items and put them in his backpack. When Andy got tired of walking, he naturally knelt down. “Andy, hop on.”

I felt a little guilty. “Don’t spoil him too much, Mr. Anderson. You’re already carrying a lot.”

He just smiled, his hand hovering gently at my side. “It’s fine, I work out regularly. I’ve got enough strength.”

For some reason, looking at his clear profile, my heart skipped a beat. Even when we reached the rest area and he took Andy to buy water, that flutter hadn’t subsided.

Just then, a childish yet familiar voice came from afar:

“Dad! Let’s go!”

Followed by Olivia’s laughing voice: “Chloe, slow down, be careful not to fall.”

Finally, Steve’s smiling reply: “Chloe, I’m going to catch you!”

I turned my head, and my gaze met theirs across the distance.

The air froze instantly.

Olivia’s face paled. She suddenly pulled Chloe into her arms, her voice trembling. “Mrs. Steve… are you, are you tracking us again?”

“Steve and I really have nothing going on. Chloe just wants a dad so badly, that’s why she spoke out of turn… Whatever issues you have, take them out on me, don’t hurt the child…”

Steve immediately stepped forward, completely shielding Olivia and Chloe behind him, as if I were some kind of monster. His jaw was tight, his brows deeply furrowed.

“Emily, I told you this is therapy. Their emotions are very fragile, and they can’t handle stress. How many times do I have to tell you to get rid of your suspicious tendencies?”

I looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar face before me, and this scene that had countless times made me lose control and break down. Yet, my heart was utterly calm, almost finding it absurd.

You can’t even empathize with your past self. I don’t even know what feelings I have for this man anymore.

If I loved him, I should be angry.

But I waved my hand, my tone light. “I understand, it’s your duty as a psychologist. You don’t need to explain it to me.”

“I’m just here to hike and happened to run into you. You guys carry on. Just pretend I’m not here.”

Steve visibly froze, his gaze fixed on me. “Chloe called me Dad. You’re not angry?”

I was a little confused. “Angry about what?”

He stared intently at my face, trying to find a trace of pretense, but found nothing. His face grew increasingly grim, his entire demeanor colder.

After a long silence, he seemed to reach a conclusion, his voice cold and firm. “Stop acting, Emily. I know you’re pouting. We’ll talk properly later, but for now, you should go home. I won’t hold this against you this time.”

I was about to speak when a clear, pleasant male voice came from behind me:

“Emily, what’s wrong?”

Steve looked in the direction of the voice and suddenly froze.

“What happened?”

Mr. Anderson, holding a sticky-faced Andy who was covered in candy, walked quickly to my side.

I stepped forward. “What took you so long? Did Andy get greedy again?”

Catching Andy’s pleading gaze, Mr. Anderson smiled, rescuing him. “Just one small marshmallow for energy. Here’s yours.”

He said, conjuring a larger marshmallow from behind his back and handing it to me.

I instinctively smiled, just about to take it—

“Emily,” Steve’s cold voice cut in. “Who is he?”

Chloe, peeking out from behind him, whispered, “Why is Mr. Anderson here?”

I paused, realizing that since Olivia and Chloe appeared, Steve had never been to the kindergarten, nor had he ever cared who helped us after the car accident.

This was the first time he had seen Mr. Anderson.

“This is Mr. Anderson,” I introduced. “He saved Andy and me after the car accident six months ago.”

When it was time to introduce Steve, Mr. Anderson had already naturally extended his hand with a smile. “You must be Chloe’s father, then? Pleasure to meet you.”