Chapter 6 A stranger

Aiyana completed her class at one o'clock in the afternoon. She still had sufficient time before Poppy returned home; the little girl had ballet lessons today. A week ago, Poppy expressed her desire to join ballet, and after a few arguments with Matthew, they agreed to let their daughter do anything she wants.

Today, having received her husband's permission yesterday, she changed into more elegant attire and went out for brunch with Margaret, Esther, and Brittany. They are the wives of Matthew's colleagues and close friends, and Aiyana felt happy when they expressed their desire for her to consider them her friends as well. They head to a posh restaurant downtown.

When they had finished brunch, it was 3 p.m. Aiyana was astounded that someone would carelessly spend $350 on tea and cake, especially considering that they partake in this extravagant tradition a whopping four times a week.

After the brunch, they go to Aiyana and Matthew's new house. She hosted her guests in the outdoor living area, and before long, Linda showed up with tea and snacks.

The three ladies elegantly sipped tea; they have very good table manners.

"So, Matthew hired a chef for you? I never expected he would be so thoughtful." Brittany said.

Aiyana simply smiled; they had no idea the reason behind it. Matthew simply wasn't certain if Aiyana was capable of performing simple tasks, so he hired Linda and the others.

"What a beautiful house he bought for you as well. This must be a wedding gift." Esther popped the question. Taking in the sights of the garden surroundings

"He never stated it, but I suppose yes."

After being married for a month, Aiyana was unaware that Matthew had already purchased this house and had planned to ask her to move in.

"It's nice, but don't you think it's a bit monotonous, Aiyana? It would be wonderful if you could give it a bit of a makeover; the living room is still quite plain and dull." Esther said.

Aiyana stopped sipping her tea, set down her cup, and threw a glance at the living room. She never gave renovating the house a thought. To her, this house seemed already too perfect, especially considering her lack of experience in decorating the interior. She was afraid that she would mess up if she made any changes.

"I haven't thought about that yet."

"Esther is right; you should search for references before purchasing any furniture."

"Yeah, giving this house a little touch. I'm sure Matthew won't mind either," Margaret said with a wink.

Aiyana nodded and thanked them. Maybe they were right. She was beginning to contemplate their suggestion when Esther's voice suddenly interrupted her.

"Sorry, Aiyana, I don't mean to intrude. If you don't like my suggestion, feel free to ignore it. I just recall how much Sophia used to enjoy decorating the house. She always had a knack for turning a boring atmosphere into a lively one."

"Esther, stop it. You only remind me of Sophia and make me sad. but yeah, you're right."

"You may learn from now. Matt would also appreciate it. He likes to do it too."

Aiyana's jaw dropped like she had bitten off more than she could chew when Matthew's late wife's name was brought up. Sophia. Matthew's better half, the woman who brought Penelope into the world, was the epitome of perfection. Matthew's friends used to come over to their house and be welcomed by the cozy atmosphere of their house. Now, it was completely different with her, who had absolutely no skills doing the same.

Aiyana's chest felt tight for some reason. She could no longer enjoy her small tea party with these ladies. Her mind wandered, preoccupied with something else.

Even after her guest finally left at dusk, the gravity of those words continued to hang heavy on her. In the vast expanse of the living room, Aiyana couldn't shake off the feeling of a bit of sadness and loneliness.

She shook her head, attempting to regain her concentration. She headed to the kitchen, snatched a glass, poured in some ice-cold water, and downed it in one gulp. However, it is unable to make her forget their words and feel better.

Linda, sensing that something was amiss, asked, "Is everything alright, ma'am? You seem quite tense."

Aiyana wiped the water from her lips and shook her head, saying, "Nothing. I'm just thirsty."

"Mommy, I'm home!" But then Aiyana's mood instantly lifted as she heard the cheerful voice and the sound of footsteps. She smiled widely as Poppy sauntered into the kitchen and dashed towards her, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

"Sweetheart, how was the ballet class?" She gently ran her fingers through Poppy's red curls.

"It was really fun! I made a lot of new friends!"

Aiyana smiled, and for a moment, she could momentarily forget all the things that caused her heart to feel sorrow. Linda had begun preparing dinner, while Rue had prepared Poppy's bathwater.

"You're tired and hungry, aren't you? Would you like to take a bath first and then have a meal with Mommy?

"I wanted to bathe by myself! The girl responded with a cheerful tone. "Mommy can help me with homework later."

Aiyana planted a gentle kiss on her daughter's crown. She sent Poppy to have a bath first while she assisted Linda with the dinner.

Dinner was finally ready, and Aiyana was about to ask Penelope to have dinner before doing her homework. She made her way towards the stairs, through the living room, when she suddenly stopped as she noticed her daughter had already slipped out of her uniform and was now rocking her comfiest PJs. Her hair was still slightly damp from her bath.

Aiyana froze on the spot. Poppy was in the living room with a stranger; the mysterious man was down on his knees, wrapping Poppy in his arms.

Who is this man? Since when was he here? How did Poppy know him? Aiyana was so taken aback.

She walked towards them and locked eyes with him.