After dinner, Hunter Collins sat on the sofa, occasionally glancing towards the door.
Serena came over with a plate and a sweet smile on her face.
"Bro, I made you apple crabs. Cute, huh?"
She was all smiles and innocence. "I also made pear birds and strawberry Santas. Do they look like what they’re supposed to be?"
She pointed to the fruits on the plate with her injured finger.
Hunter Collins noticed at once. "You hurt yourself?"
He took the plate from her and immediately ordered a servant, "Get the first aid kit."
The servant rushed off.
Serena feigned surprise at her finger. "I must’ve nicked it when I was cutting the fruits. It’s nothing; it’s not hurting at all. I didn’t even notice until you pointed it out."
"You nicked your finger, and it doesn’t hurt? You’re lying." Hunter Collins knew her too well.
She’d always been a considerate girl. Once, when she scraped her knee in the garden, she held back her tears to keep everyone else from worrying about her.
Serena hid her finger behind her back, still smiling innocently. "You’re hardly home, and I wanted to make a special fruit plate for you. But I saw other people doing it so easily that I got all flustered and messed it up. It took me forever to make these few shapes. You’re not going to knock me for it, right?"
"How could I?" Hunter Collins’ voice was unusually gentle.
"Even though my shapes look all wonky, I’ll get better if I practice more!" Serena laughed sweetly. "But you’ve got to come home more often; give me more chances to practice. You can’t just come home
twice a year, like this year. I’ve been waiting until my neck’s sore!"
Hunter Collins’ voice was indulgent. "You don’t have to do these little things."
"But I want to make yummy food for you! As long as you come home more often, I’ll do anything."
Serena cooed, "You’re not going to stop eating it just because my fruits look ugly, right?"
Hunter Collins skewered a strawberry Santa with a fruit pick and handed it to her first.
Serena took it happily, grinning from ear to ear. "Thanks, bro. Try one too. It might look ugly, but it’s really sweet."
Just then, Martha came over with the first aid kit and squatted down next to Serena. "You have no idea how much she’s been looking forward to your return!"
Hunter Collins looked at his sister, and his face softened.
Martha chuckled as she disinfected the wound. "By the way, she won first place in her piano competition again!"
She didn’t mention a word about Rosemary being Maestro Melody.
"What would you like as a reward?" Hunter Collins asked softly.
Serena beamed at him. "The best reward for me would be you coming home more often."
Hunter Collins’ eyes softened. "I’ll come home when work isn’t too crazy."
"So that means you’re agreeing? Awesome! I knew you loved me most!" Serena was as happy as a kid who had just gotten candy.
Hunter Collins chatted with her for a while before he finally got up to go upstairs when it was time.
Serena and Martha exchanged a knowing look. They were both pleased. It seemed Hunter Collins still cared about his sister.
He did not just care; she was pretty important to him.
After all, she had been living with this family for eighteen years. Before Rosemary showed up, everyone in the family treated her like a little princess!
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