Take My Breath Away

By the time Decker finished bathing and walked out of his bedroom, Debbie had already come back to the apartment with Evelyn.

Decker scooped up the little girl. He wanted to take her out to have some fun, but Ramona called out to stop him. "Decker, dinner is ready. You can play with her after dinner."

Annoyed, he was about to retort, but Ramona spoke again. "Come on, all of you. Enjoy your dinner. I have something else to do now. I'll leave soon."

As she moved the dishes from the kitchen to the dinner table, she said again, "I know that Debbie has a huge appetite, so I cooked a few more dishes. I'm not confident about my cooking skills. Please don't mind."

The siblings stood in the living room, watching their mother dart back and forth around the kitchen. When the last dish was served on the table, Ramona untied the apron, hung it on the kitchen hanger and said, "Eat before the food gets cold." After washing her hands, she grabbed her coat and walked up to Evelyn. Caressing the little girl's cheek, she muttered, "What a lovely girl you are!" 'When will I hear you call me Grandma?' she thought sadly.

Debbie silently watched her walk towards the door. She opened her mouth and wanted to ask, "Aren't you having dinner with us?" But while she hesitated, Ramona changed into her shoes and left the apartment.

Decker and Debbie stood in a daze for a moment.

At the dinner table, Debbie grabbed her chopsticks and looked at her brother. Decker didn't move a finger. Sensing her gaze, he stared back at her.

Evelyn sat quietly, her eyes darting between the two adults. She waited for them to start eating.

Finally, Decker grabbed his chopsticks and picked a slice of celery into Evelyn's bowl. "Eat, baby."

"Thank you," Evelyn replied politely. She scooped the food up with her spoon and put it into her little mouth.

Letting out a sigh, Debbie also began to help Piggy with the food. "I bet she hasn't eaten anything yet. She left with an empty stomach. I feel bad, Decker," she said, sounding remorseful.

Decker already knew that, but he said stubbornly, "She… She has something else to do."

"She isn't working anymore, and she doesn't have many friends. What does she have to do?" De

Decker looked at Debbie and she glared back at him.

She took a bite of the drumstick and swallowed it down before ridiculing her brother, "Can't you just be quiet and eat your food?"

He nodded helplessly. "Okay, my bad. I'm sorry, Queen Debbie and Princess Evelyn."

Shortly after that, Carlos arrived at the apartment. When he opened the door and came in, he saw that they hadn't finished their dinner yet. As he changed into a pair of slippers, he said, "I'm hungry."

Debbie sighed. "I've spared some food for you and there's some congee left in the pot. I'll heat the potato pies." She put down her chopsticks to help him get the congee.

Carlos quickly pecked a kiss on his daughter's cheek and then made Debbie sit back in her seat. "I'll do it myself."

She didn't insist and continued to eat her food. "Did you finish your work?" she asked as he was about to go and wash his hands.

"No. An ungrateful guy is bullying my wife and daughter. I had to come and help," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Decker protested, "How am I ungrateful? What did I do wrong?" 'I didn't bully them at all, ' he sulked.

Before entering the bathroom, Carlos turned around and cast him a glare. "Did I say that it was you? You just admitted it yourself."

Decker couldn't find a word to protest.

He had dealt with all kinds of people, including gangsters, in the past. He was good at winning arguments, but he realized that he was always being outsmarted by Carlos.