Penelope nodded, but she didn’t pay much attention to what Grace was saying.
She thought that the next time she saw him, she would act naturally and not burden him with any psychological discomfort. After all, they were both adults, and a one-night stand wasn’t a big deal.
Thus, she eagerly anticipated the date of the prenatal examination, knowing he would have to be there.
True to her expectations, the man who had been absent for ten days finally appeared in the dining room, engrossed in reading the news while eating breakfast.
Penelope couldn’t eat much before the prenatal examination. She sat there, watching him, until she caught his attention.
“Why are you staring at me?”
“It’s been a while,” she smiled as if a breath of fresh air had just entered the room.
Her smile, which pushed the limits of his cardiac endurance, caused his heart to involuntarily flutter.
He responded with a simple “um,” but inwardly, his heart was beating wildly.
“Thank you for being with me every time,” Penelope said with a smile.
“It’s my duty.” He lowered his head and cut the sausage on his plate.
Duty… Penelope pondered the word. As a father, it truly seemed to be his duty.
“Why are you giggling?” Warren asked, looking at her.
Penelope hid her face behind her hands. “Did I giggle?”
“I’ll capture it in a photo next time,” he said as he wiped his mouth and stood up. “Let’s go.”
“Oh, well,” she followed him with a sense of joy.
The title “the baby’s father” resonated in her heart, and even though she could only say it silently to herself, it brought her immense joy.
Rumbling…
Leaving the hospital, it was time for Penelope’s breakfast. In a coffee shop, she almost ordered all the desserts displayed in the cabinets.
“Can you really finish all of them?” Warren couldn’t help but ask.
“I’m pretty sure I can’t finish them all,” Penelope replied with a smile as she picked up her fork.
“What a waste.”
“I’ve thought about it before. If I ever become rich, I’m going to order all the desserts in a coffee shop.”
“What’s the point of that?”
“To make up for the little girl deep down inside who could only watch others eat desserts,” Penelope said with a smile.
Warren rang the bell for service and added one more of each dessert.
“You really know how to make women happy,” Penelope said as she leaned down to smell the tiramisu, savoring every moment.
“Tell the girl who couldn’t afford dessert that as long as she stays at my place, there will be endless desserts for her,” he said casually, but Penelope didn’t take it lightly.
“If only you were really my uncle!”
“Yeah, dream on!” He raised his coffee cup, hiding his smile.
Penelope smiled and took out her phone to capture a picture of the entire table, extending her hand to include both Warren and herself in the photo.
Warren initially turned his face away, refusing to cooperate.
“Don’t you know I have trouble remembering faces? Having your photo will help me remember you more easily,” Penelope said playfully.
After a moment’s hesitation, Warren turned back, allowing Penelope to take the photo. She never imagined she’d be sitting here with him, a man she thought she’d never see again.
She forgot to tell him that she recognized him instantly when he appeared at the airport.
Penelope looked down at the photo on her phone. There is him, her pregnant belly, the sunshine, and the delicious food. If only her life could stay in this moment forever.
****
Warren noticed that Penelope had recently been going through a period of emotional instability.
At times, she would burst into laughter, while at other moments, she’d sit on the sofa with a serious and dull expression, as if lost in thought – or rather, worry. What was most striking was that this behavior seemed to coincide with his presence.
Whenever he tried to engage her in conversation, she would make a quick exit with an anxious expression.
Once, he halted her in her tracks, and she turned back, her expression blank. “Are you calling me?”
Warren fell silent.
Maybe he was overthinking things; perhaps she didn’t intend to act this way at all.
Warren shifted his gaze from the newspaper to the person seated across from him. “Why do you keep staring at me?”
Penelope gave a silly smile and lowered her head to eat her cereal.
A little later, she tried to sneak a peek at him, thinking that he had turned his attention elsewhere. However, he caught her in the act.
“Just say it,” he encouraged.
Penelope giggled, moved closer to him, and took a seat. She retrieved a piece of paper from her pocket and placed it in front of him.
“This is my progress for the last two weeks. Do you think it resembles you?” she asked.
On the paper, only the upper body was drawn, and the resemblance was far from similar. However, it was the kind of soul captured by the artist that allowed Warren to recognize himself at a glance.
“Not bad, this money was well spent,” he commented, running his thumb over the paper with a smile in his eyes.
While Jackson didn’t accept tuition from Grace and Penelope, Warren, as a businessman, considered time and money as his top priorities. Wasting someone’s time without compensation, even among friends, felt inconsiderate.
Since Jackson didn’t need money, Warren didn’t give him a direct payment. Instead, he catered to Jackson’s interests and acquired a painting by a famous master through an auction at Christie’s. The value of that painting was enough to cover the cost of any master’s class for Penelope.
Penelope touched her chin thoughtfully and remarked, “The eyes weren’t well-painted, and they lack the vibrancy.”
“Come on,” he said with a smile.
“Well, more practice is required,” Penelope replied, looking up as he stood.
He carefully folded the painting and placed it in his pocket. “It’s time for work. Please help yourself.”
Penelope nodded and watched him leave.
The sound of a car in the yard reached her ears, but Penelope’s eyes remained fixed on the spot where he had been sitting. Something felt amiss…
“Hey, why did you take my work away?” Penelope patted the table, finally realizing what had happened.