Every day Evelyne would go home feeling tired. When 6pm rolled around, she wasted no time in chatting or joining the other employees for a drink.
"No? Come on, Evelyne! Go out with us once in a while. We can sing karaoke while we unwind!" invited one of the employees on the same floor as her.
"No, thank you. I have other things to do. I'm sorry," she said as she packed her bag.
She immediately left the company to pick up her son from daycare. Luckily, Luke is not a child who tantrums and fusses easily. He was happy to make friends with anyone.
It made Evelyne feel relieved to see him.
"Thank you for looking after Luke today," she said to the daycare teacher.
"No problem, it's our job. Luke is very active at daycare, he likes to make creations like making shapes from macaroni and glue," said the teacher.
"Look at this, mommy, I made a ship with macaroni!" Luke proudly showed the paper he had made.
Smiling, Evelyne gently rubbed his head. "Luke is a smart boy. Mommy is proud of you."
The two of them finally walked to the house and chatted along the way.
"Mommy, when will Uncle Daniel come again? He promised to take me to the amusement park!" Luke asked while holding his mother's hand.
"Hmn... I don't know either. Daniel is busy with his work. We can't always ask him to accompany us, Luke," she replied.
"Humn..." The boy looked a bit glum as he continued to watch her. "My friend at daycare told me that he often rides on his father's shoulders. They walk together around the park."
Hearing his story was enough to make Evelyne feel sad and guilty. She knew it wasn't her fault that Luke was born without a father around.
However, the current situation did not allow her to tell the truth about his father's whereabouts.
Moreover, Tristan already had a fiancée. If she said this, again she would be considered a jinx for ruining his relationship with Victoria.
"Mommy, why you just keep quiet?" asked Luke who looked worried.
"Hmn? Oh... No, I'm just a little tired, honey. Tonight we have carrot chicken soup, how about it?" she replied, trying to change the subject.
Eagerly, Luke nodded happily and he couldn't wait to get home and eat his mom's soup.
As the night wore on, Evelyne sent him to bed and waited until her son was fast asleep. She noticed his innocent face and slow breathing.
Her hand kept gently rubbing his head, feeling so sad every time Luke started talking about fatherhood. While he desperately needed a father figure beside him, Evelyne was busy with work that made Luke have to be in daycare.
"Am I a bad parent?" She muttered.
She kissed his forehead, then went to her own room to rest. Hoping that everything would pass quickly, and that maybe someday she could find a father for her son.
"If Tristan can even move on from our old life. I should also be able to forget him and move on to a new life with someone else."
*****
The next day, Evelyne woke up early as usual to drop Luke off at daycare. She woke up at six in the morning and immediately made breakfast. Sleepy, Luke ate his breakfast while Evelyne combed his hair.
"Finish your breakfast, mommy can't be late for the bus," she said.
"Umn... Okay," he replied.
As she was busy taking care of her son, the sound of a bell being pressed was heard.
Ding dong!
"Huh? Who came to visit so early in the morning?" she muttered as she was making a sandwich for Luke's lunch.
"Let me open it!" Luke jumped out of his chair and ran to the front door.
Not long after, Luke's voice called out that it was Daniel. He invited him to come into the kitchen to meet Evelyne.
"Mommy mommy! Uncle Daniel is here!" he said happily.
"Daniel, I didn't know you were coming." Evelyne put the sandwich she made into the lunch box.
"I'm sorry I came all of a sudden. I just wanted to see how you were doing. I hope I'm not interrupting at all," the man said and sat down at the dining table.
She said that his arrival was not intrusive at all. It's just that right now he's in a hurry to take Luke to daycare and then catch the morning bus.
"I see. No need to catch the bus, I'll drop you and Luke off." He ruffled Luke's giggling hair as he finished his breakfast.
"Uncle Daniel came because you missed mommy?" Luke asked innocently.
The reflex question made both Evelyne and Daniel flustered. Daniel tried to deny it and said that he was worried about them both, that's why he came.
"I'm just worried. Plus it's been a while since I last came, so I thought I'd see you two," he replied.
"Really?"
"Luke, don't ask Uncle Daniel anything like that. Now get your shoes on and let's go to daycare," Evelyne said.
Luke giggled and ran to the front door to put on his shoes.
"Sorry about what Luke said, Daniel. He's still too innocent to understand what he said."
"No problem. I agree with what Luke said anyway." Daniel smiled softly as he looked at him.
They both stared at each other. A gaze that seemed to imply something between the two of them.
However, that gaze was immediately interrupted when Luke called out to them from the front door.
"Mommy! Uncle Daniel, let's go to daycare!" he shouted.
"Yeah, I'm coming, honey!" Evelyne grabbed her black coat and bag and followed after her son.
Daniel was still sitting there smiling as he watched her walk away and go after her too.
They dropped Luke off at daycare. Daniel ruffled the boy's hair then watched him walk in to his friend.
"Morning Leon!" he said.
"Oh hi Luke! I see you didn't just come with your mom. Is he your dad?" Leon asked innocently.
Luke shook his head. "No, he's not. He's my mommy's friend!"
From behind them, Daniel and Evelyne could hear the conversation. It was a bit awkward between them. But they chose not to talk about it.
After making sure Luke entered the daycare, Daniel drove him to work. During the ride, they were silent until Daniel struck up a conversation.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" Evelyne asked back.
"About your ex husband. You work under his control, it must be a lot of pressure for you," Daniel said as he focused on driving.
Evelyne was silent for a moment, thinking about the answer she would give. But she only replied that she was fine because the job as a secretary to a CEO was very tough and stressful. So this was normal for her.
The man nodded in understanding, though he still felt worried about her situation.
Upon arriving at the company, Evelyne got out of the car while leaning into the car window to thank him.
"Thank you for driving me and Luke. You helped us so much. I owe you, Daniel," she said.
"No problem, I offered to help you guys. But if you want to repay me, maybe dinner at your place on the weekend would be a good idea," he replied.
She smiled. "Sure. Weekends at 7 o'clock sharp."
At the same time, a man who had just arrived in his car noticed the interaction between Evelyne and the person in the car.
The man narrowed his eyes sharply and his hand gripped the steering wheel of his car so hard that his knuckles turned white.