CHAPTER 5 : Knitting

Evening, no customers were coming to the bakery. Ashly sat while knitting baby socks in the bakery then a customer comes in. She welcomes and looks at the customer, it's Andrew. After Andrew sees Ashly, he smiles brightly to the ears. He goes straight to her and asks what she's doing. She told him that she making socks for the babies. Andrew asked her if he can try it, and she smiles and says sure, Ashly teaches him how to do it and then they knit together. They were knitting without notice Aunt Chin, Sister Jun, and Lany just watching them while smiling. After a couple of minutes, Lan, Leo, and Chua just got back from a walk. They join Aunt Chin and others

to watch Ashly and Andrew knitting together. Chua tells them who he is and continues to tell that he helps Ashly before then they continue watching them. Ashly tells him gently where to pull the thread but he only looks at Ashly's face because he gets mesmerized by Ashly's beauty and pulled the wrong one, Andrew finishes it but it turns into a weird shape. They laugh together but then they're shocked after Leo burst out laughing. They see the other is watching them while laughing and Ashly just continues to laugh together. Chua asks Andrew why he was there and he said he wants to have some cheesecake because people said that this bakery has delicious ones. Two person knows Andrew is lying.....  He continues and says

'When I  came I saw Ashly and forgot about the cake.'                               But then Leo interrupts and says                        `I think you're interested in the owner, not the cake. That's why you forget about it.'                    They just laugh and Andrew does not deny or give any response to Leo's words but he's smiling. Andrew had some cheesecake and then go back. Leo, Chua, and Lany start to sit in front of Ashly while putting their chin and half of their hand on the table with sparkling eyes. Ashly asks why while chuckling after their eyes turn bigger than before. Lan comes and says.                         `They want to know if you are interested in that Mister Andrew, you two look happy together.'                              Chua continues with                `Don't you like him? In the office, he asks me about you. He asks if you have a husband or not, he looks like wants to ask more but at that time I have a lot of work to do. Like I said before, he fell in love with you.'.                       Ashly just knitting without saying anything. Lan tells Sister Jun that he feels something wrong about Andrew but then he says.           `Maybe it's just my feeling'.                Sister Jun tells what happened in the bakery to Brother Han in their house after he comes back from work, Brother Han feels curious about Mr. Andrew and feels like Lan's instincts are right. Brother Han thinks a lot inside his head and It's too weird for someone like him to like Ashly at the first meet, not only with Ashly's pregnant look but if it's someone else, they already think Ashly has a husband. He wants to do a bit of investigation to know Andrew's true identity but he doesn't tell Sister Jun about it. The next morning, Chua comes to the bakery to give some tangerines, his uncle owned a tangerine farm and it bears a lot of fruit so he gives a lot to Chua's family but they can't finish it. Then she off to work. One hour passed, and Ashly noticed something after watering the flower, Chua forget to take her food container. Ashly takes her handbag and tells Aunt Chin she wants to go out for a while to send Chua's food, Aunt Chin is afraid something will happen to her but Ashly wants to go by herself and she promises to call after she arrived. So Aunt Chin just let her go. Ashly took a taxi, arrived, then went to sit at the waiting place. Ashly calls Aunt Chin first to tell her that she is okay and then she calls Chua that she is waiting for her, Andrew was informed by Chris about Ashly because he spying on her. He going down as fast as he can. He acts normal while approaching her, they have a chit-chat. Chua comes with a panicked face, say         `Why do you burden yourself with the food container, I can buy something to eat later.'            Ashly calmly said           `it's not a big deal and I want to take a walk around this city too, I can go by myself.'          Andrew interrupts them and says `What if I go with you, I'm free right now. We can go by riding my car, well it will be more safety and I didn't take a look at this city yet since I arrived. It's quite lonely to walk alone. And don't worry, I will make sure you be safe until I send you back home.'               Chua agrees with that idea, Ashly just goes with it because don't want

Chua worries again and she feels pity for Andrew. On their way, Ashly asks about his family and he said            `My mother passed away and my father is in a coma. I have a stepbrother, it's been a long time since we don't see each other. What about you?'              Ashly replied                `Just a normal life I guess, I don't remember because I lost my memory. My family tells me that my parents and little brother died in a car crash. Only I survive. But that doesn't mean that I can't be happy and also I'm gonna get a new family members'                         Andrew asks her                    `Do you have a partner yet?'                     Ashly answers it and appears question mark why Andrew seems to know that she doesn't have a husband in her head `No I don't have one,..... Right now who's gonna be my partner if my belly is this big?'                               Andrew replies                      `Who knows, you beautiful, and who doesn't want a beautiful wife like you?'                        Ashly answers it with smirking.                  `Maybe...'.                     Andrew continues says.                                 'You don't need to worry about anything right now. I'll be your driver and bring you sightseeing in this city, so right now I'm your partner. Let's go have some fun together.'                    Ashly just treats what Andrew said as a child's words and replies with an exciting voice.                     'Okay, my partner let go! go go go!'.            It sounds childish but Andrew likes it. They go shopping mall and do some shopping, Andrew buys dresses using his money even though Ashly told him not to. They go to steak restaurants and eat some juicy and tender steaks, for Ashly, this is the first time she has had some steak. She eats with gusto, Andrew enjoys watching her eat and orders more steak for her but he barely has some because to him it's just a normal food. Ashly starts talking               'You barely touch your food, are you okay?the food is not to your taste?'.                               Andrew answered with a soft smile.                     'It just..... I like to watch you eat'.                       Ashly asks Andrew with a stone face and full mouths                     'Fun to watch?Am I your entertaining?Do you like this eating show?'                             Andrew sweating, panicked, and stuttered trying to fix his mistake                         'No no no no, it's nn-not lii-like that mmm.....haa.....Ashly trust me I'm not seeing yy-you in that way'                          Ashly tries to hold her laughter but she can't hold it anymore.                               'You wuhuhuhu hahaha haha, haaaa hahaha I'm just hahaha just wahahaha'.                                Ashly breath out to stop her laughter.                                  'Huuu, okay I'm just joking but why are you so panicked? Chua told me that you're a chill person, who always keeps composure and calm when handling big crises. Look, you sweating a lot now.'                                    Andrew looks like just lost half of his life then he put his head on the table while covering his face with his arm, and he remembered what has he done to Ashly. He speaks inside his head that if he didn't make a wrong choice he would have a normal life and a relationship with Ashly without hurting her and feel regret, anxiety, and feel like something piercing in his heart. Ashly put her hand on Andrew's head patting him softly. With a low voice, she says                                      'Andrew....Andrew, why are you sulking? I know your pride hurts a bit but you don't need to take it seriously'.                            Andrew answer.                                  'I just want to look cool and mature in front of you. he continues mumbling without Ashly hearing it.                           'I'm sorry, I just want to have you'                           Ashly continue to say                                      'You don't need to always act cool, it's tiring. Just act foolish or childish, if you are shy just show it to people you are close to'.                                                  Ashly about pulls her hand off Andrew's head but he grabs her hand, with Ashly's small hand, the difference in size between her and Andrew's hands is so big. He goes silent for a moment then he starts talking with his head down without looking at Ashly's face while Ashly tilted her head.                                                     'Can you be the one? ca-can...can you be the one I'm close with?....I'm sorry, don't mind what I've said. It's a such ridiculous request just forget it.'                             He still with his head down but he looks up fastly after hearing Ashly agree while smiling.                          'Sure, why not? Another little brother is not a big deal'.                         After Andrew heard that tears drop from his eye, he feel so happy even though he felt a bit disappointed. Ashly wipes his tear with her hand and then rubs his cheek softly, Andrew holds Ashly's hand, put it close to his face, closes his eyes, and enjoys the moment while hoping it will last forever.