Ariana reached out to wipe the grime off his face and said with a teasing tone, “For whom?"

Holden grinned and kept his messy hands away from Ariana. He leaned in and replied, "For you, of course."

He then said, "Don't be mad. Melon's just a kid. He's pure-hearted, and he couldn't tell if that woman was bad news. He followed her because he felt sorry for her and wanted to protect Adele. I've already talked to him about it."

“Okay, I'm not mad anymore." Ariana pushed his face away with a playful smile, then looked at the mess around them. She sighed and said, "Clean up this kitchen. I'll handle the cooking."

"Sure!" Holden tidied up the kitchen while Ariana started cooking. As Holden was cleaning, Melon peeked his head in from the doorway, grinning at him. Holden shot him a playful wink, knowing that their plan to make Ariana laugh had worked, and she wasn't mad anymore.

The following morning, as the first light of dawn crept through the window, Holden woke up.

He looked over at Ariana, who was still sleeping soundly in his arms.

Overcome with affection, he gently kissed her on the cheek and neck, cherishing the moment.

Before long, the sounds of the morning stirred Ariana awake. She yawned, muttered something incoherently, and rolled over, trying to continue to sleep. Holden stayed in bed a little longer, snuggling closer to her, finding it difficult to pull himself away. After a while, he got up and got ready to go to Mistlyn.

It was only when Melon's voice came from outside that Ariana finally woke up. She rose, quickly freshened up, and helped the children wash up before they all went downstairs for breakfast.

By the time they reached the dining room, Holden was already there, waiting. He waved, and the children rushed to him, laughing as they jumped into his arms. Ariana smiled warmly and took her seat beside him.

The house had been lively with activity over the past few days, a stark contrast to its usual quietness.

During breakfast, Melon was chatting animatedly with Adele, occasionally pausing to sip his milk.

Adele, typically reserved and a bit slow to engage, seemed much more enthusiastic with Melon present.

She spoke more than usual, clinging to Melon like a little shadow, and every so often, she would hug him.

Ariana watched Adele with a mixture of pity and fondness. Even though Adele was Sadie's daughter, the fact didn't diminish Ariana's deep affection for the girl. She found Adele incredibly sweet and well- mannered.

After breakfast, Holden kissed Ariana and playfully pinched her cheek.

"Take care of the kids. I'll be home before you know it," he said.

Ariana nodded and watched him drive off before she returned inside to get some work done.

Outside, Adele and Melon were full of life, running around energetically. Every now and then, Adele would burst in to place some of her tiny cakes on Ariana's desk and scamper back outside.