The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Brandon's frustration was as clear as day when he furrowed his brows as Sophia, distracted, quickly dodged to the side, her hands

pushing him away just as he was about to plant a deeper kiss.

He turned to look at her.

Sophia, stiff as a board, craned her neck toward Theresa.

Brandon followed her gaze with a knit brow and immediately spotted Theresa, clutching a teddy bear and looking up at them both

with wide-eyed curiosity.

Brandon: "..."

Reacting in a flash, he snatched a towel from nearby and draped it over himself, stepping forward to shield Sophia with his body.

After a deep breath to steady himself, he faced Theresa and asked, "Theresa, when did you wake up?"

"Just now."

Theresa's reply was sweet and obedient, her eyes still hungrily taking in the sight of Sophia hidden behind Brandon. She turned to

him with a puzzled look and asked, "What are Mommy and Daddy doing?"

"Daddy was just..."

For the first time, Brandon found himself at a loss for words.

Sophia's face was already so hot she felt like she could fry an egg on it. She was a mix of annoyed and embarrassed, having almost

been caught in the act by a kid, no less.

She quickly adjusted her appearance, using Brandon as cover.

Theresa, not having received an answer yet, furrowed her delicate brows in confusion, "Hmm?"

Curiosity was getting the better of her as she inched forward, trying to get a better look at what Sophia was up to.

Brandon crouched down, steadying her with a hand on her shoulder, "Daddy was kissing Mommy."

Sophia: "..."

Theresa's eyes lit up: "Like Leonald's mommy and daddy?"

Leonald was a playmate from her neighborhood, a little over a year older than her.

She often saw his parents playing with him, holding hands or his dad wrapping his arm around his mom while they walked. She

even caught Leonald's dad sneak a quick kiss on his mom's lips, leaving them both looking super chummy and happy. That's when

Leonald would pull faces, pretending to be shy by covering his eyes and yelling, "Eww, gross!" But it was clear to anyone that they

were all having a blast.

She was envious; she had never seen her own parents like that.

Her parents didn't stroll hand in hand or arm in arm, shopping together like Leonald's did.

Although Theresa's parents often took her out for fun, she felt they were nowhere near as affectionate as her godmother and her

mom seemed to be. They always walked separately, and when her mom talked to her dad, it was no different from talking to Kent,

Don, or anyone else. Theresa couldn't put her finger on it, but she just knew her parents were different from Leonald's or anyone

else's.

Hearing her dad say he was kissing her mom, Theresa was surprised and thrilled, feeling like her parents were finally like everyone

else's.

Moved by the sudden spark in her eyes, Brandon softened and gently nodded, stroking her hair, "Yeah, just like Leonald's parents."

Sophia didn't know the couple Theresa referred to as "Leonald's mommy and daddy," but Theresa's burst of joy at Brandon's

answer touched her too.

She realized how distant she and Brandon must have been before, for even a young child to be so shocked by their affection.

Theresa's eyes, now brimming with joy, were wide open, filled with amazement and a touch of careful hope, as if afraid it might

disappear. Her voice softened with emotion, "Then... are my mommy and daddy like... other mommies and daddies now?"

Her questionplicated the look in both Sophia and Brandon's eyes.

Brandon, still stroking her hair, nodded slowly and firmly, "Yeah."

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Theresa was already wrapped up in immense joy, not even bothering to look at Sophia, just giggling at Brandon with a silly smile.

Brandon, too, found himself smiling at her laughter, patting her head again before suggesting, "How about you go brush your teeth

with Mommy now, Theresa?"

Theresa nodded vigorously, "Okay."

Brandon glanced over at Sophia with a gentle voice, "You take Theresa to wash up, and I'll grab a quick shower. Can you handle it?"

Sophia caught a glimpse of his towel-wrapped figure and, trying not to let her mind wander, she nodded lightly, "Yeah, | can do

that."

"Theresa's toothbrush and toothpaste are in the master bathroom, the pink one."

Worried that she might not remember or know, Brandon patiently explained, "Just squeeze the toothpaste for her; she knows how

to brush her teeth."

Sophia nodded, "Okay."

Leading Theresa out of the

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Theresa looked up at Sophia, puzzled, "Mommy, why does Daddy need to shower again?"

"Daddy... just did sexercise and got sweaty," Sophia tried to stay calm as she offered a plausible excuse.

Theresa, still young and aware that her dad often exercised on the balcony treadmill, nodded in understanding, "Oh."

She obediently headed toward the master bathroom.

There, Sophia saw another set of male grooming products on the washstand and frowned, glancing back at the firmly shut door of

the public bathroom.

Theresa, thinking Sophia didn't recognize her toothbrush, pointed at a cute pink electric one on tiptoes and said to Sophia,

"Mommy, that's my toothbrush."

Sophia snapped back to the present and flashed her a grin, "Yeah, sure thing."

Then she picked up Theresa's toothbrush, squeezed stoothpaste on it, and handed it over.

Theresa took the brush and started brushing like a pro, clearly she had been around the block with that routine.

Sophia was kinda taken aback by how slick Theresa was at it, figuring Brandon must've taught her well. He didn’t let the family

dough spoil the kid.

She dug that parenting style of his.

By the tSophia got Theresa all cleaned up, Brandon had finished his shower and stepped out of the bathroom.

He had washed his hair too, now all

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Sophia had never seen him like this and was momentarily transfixed until Brandon cleared his throat, snapping her out of her daze.

While toweling off his wet hair, Brandon glanced at her thoughtfully: "Theresa's here."

Sophia: "..."