The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 352

"Sure thing," Grace replied before turning back to the kitchen to get busy.

Brandon took a special look at what she was cooking up - all pretty simple stuff, a bowl of porridge, a dish of greens, with some small side dishes to go with the porridge.

"Grace," Brandon called out to her again, "do you always do the cooking?"

"Not really." Grace answered in between tasks, "Back in Wye City, I was just in charge of looking after the kids. Sophia had hired a part-time cook, but since we've returned to the country, and considering Theresa's getting older and Sophia hasn't found a suitable cook yet, I've been whipping up lunch and dinner. But breakfast is Sophia’s domain. She's super into what Theresa eats, so she always makes breakfast herself, and on weekends too."

"What does she make for breakfast?" Brandon asked.

"Whoa, let me tell ya, it's quite the spread." Grace said, unable to stop herself from counting on her fingers, getting lost in the list, "She whips up something different every day for Theresa, never repeats a dish, and she's all about that nutritional balance. The combos are so fancy; I can't even remember them all. Tried to learn but just can't get the hang of it."

Grace got a bit sheepish as she went on, gesturing towards her own simple fare, "Look at me, I can only manage these basic things. Anything more complicated is beyond me."

"It's alright." Brandon said politely, "You've been working hard these past two years."

Grace was taken aback by the compliment, "I'm just doing my bit; it's nothing really, Mr. Crawley."

"It must be tough handling both the cooking and the kid.” Brandon said, “How about this? I'll hire a dietitian in the next couple of days to take care of the meals at home, and you can focus on looking after Theresa. It should make things easier for you."

"Sophia and Theresa are both a bit on the delicate side, so I plan to have the dietitian get their health back on track," Brandon added.

"That would be great." Grace quickly agreed, "Sophia really depleted her strength having the baby, and then she was so busy with the kid, school, and work that she never had time to recover. She definitely needs to take care of herself. And Theresa has always been frail, just like her mom, prone to sickness. They both could use some good nutrition."

"Alright, I'll get it sorted and let you know." Brandon said, "You go on with your things. I'm gonna check on Theresa."

With that, Brandon went back to the room.

Theresa had been moved to the next bedroom by Grace the night before, since he and Sophia hadn't come home. The little girl was still in dreamland when Brandon’s entrance woke her. She rolled over and crawled out of bed, rubbing her eyes and looking towards the door.

Theresa was momentarily stunned to see Brandon. Having just woken up, her sleepy brain was still catching up to the fact that she had a new dad.

Brandon approached her, "Theresa, don't you want to sleep a bit more?"

Theresa shook her head instinctively, "I'm all rested."

She then looked at Brandon and uncertainly called out, "Daddy?"

"Yeah, it's Daddy." Brandon said as he sat on the edge of the bed and scooped her up, "You awake now?"

"Yeah, I'm awake." Theresa replied softly, finally taking a moment to look around. She realized she wasn't in her parents' room, a puzzled expression crossed her face, but she didn't ask, just looking at Brandon wonderingly, "Daddy, where's Mommy?"

"Mommy’s still resting." Brandon said, "Do you want to go wash up first?"

Theresa nodded, "Okay."

She wriggled out of Brandon's arms, hopped off the bed, and headed to the bathroom. She skillfully grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste, squeezed a small dab on, and began to brush, albeit a bit clumsily. No need for any grown-up help.

"Do you usually brush your teeth by yourself, Theresa?" Brandon stood beside her, picked up the toothpaste, and asked gently.

Theresa nodded, "Yeah, Mommy says I should do things for myself."

"Theresa's so great," Brandon praised softly, patting her head.

The compliment made Theresa especially happy; she turned to Brandon with a big, beaming smile.

Sophia returned to see the father-daughter duo brushing their teeth together at the sink, mirroring each other's movements.