Albert was like a deliveryman and sent various kinds of foods to them every day, saying they were from relatives and couldn't finish them.
Kate was grateful for his kindness and was thinking about how to return the favor. Then he thought of something.
She called Albert over. "Pearson, I have some wool at home. How about I knit you a sweater with it? It may not look good, but it must be warmer than those in the supermarket."
Albert said, "Knitting is very troublesome. You don't need to do that."
Kate smiled, "Not at all. Let me take your measurements. The sweater can be finished after Christmas."
Albert tried refusing but agreed when he saw Kate insist it.
So a few days before Christmas, Sophia saw Kate knitting. According to the color, it should be a man's sweater.
Sophia smiled, "Mum, are you knitting for… Andy?"
Kate looked up at her and shook her head. "No. It is for Pearson. "
Sophia was surprised.
Her mum didn't even knit for her. Why did she feel that Albert was more like Kate's kid?
Kate didn't knit very fast. According to her progress, it would take more than a month to finish it.
Andy came a few times but didn't come up. He just called Kate to meet downstairs and delivered some presents.
Sophia felt that Andy didn't come because of her, so she said, "Mum, you can invite Andy home. Don't worry about me."
It was not easy for Kate to support the family alone. Sophia hoped she could find a good man.
Kate was embarrassed, "He didn't say he was coming up. How could I take the initiative?"
Sophia wanted to persuade Kate, "Just be together. Don't wait. Even I got worried."
But she couldn't say that. They could just take their time. She could only express her willingness to accept her mother's remarriage.
The day before Christmas, Kate put on makeup early in the morning and went out in her new down jacket. Before she left, she told Sophia, "I'm not coming home for lunch today. Get yourself something to eat or go to Pearson."
During Christmas, takeout workers had holidays, so Sophia couldn't buy takeout. Thus, she could either go to a restaurant or cook at home. It was not that Sophia didn't want to learn to cook; she panicked when she saw the fire, so she didn't want to go near the kitchen. There was no induction cooker at home. Buying one would make Kate suspicious, so she just gave it up.
She knew Kate was having a date with Andy and would not ruin it. "Don't worry. I'm fine," she said sensibly.
Kate was relieved to go out.
Sophia didn't go to Albert. She went out to a restaurant for lunch and packed a meal back, which could be her dinner after being heated up in the microwave. It was cold in winter, and food didn't go bad even if it was not in the fridge.
It was more than eight o'clock in the evening, and Kate had not come back yet. Sophia was worried and called to ask when she would be back.
Kate said, "I'm eating now. We'll watch a movie later. So I may go back later, at about eleven o'clock."
Hearing that, Sophia stopped asking. She heated the meal but then found that it didn't taste good, far less delicious than it just made. She ate a little and stopped eating.
She went into the bathroom and was going to take a shower and then check her phone before going to bed. Recently, she was quite popular on the Internet, and her followers were increasing wildly every day. Her followers were very enthusiastic, and sometimes she interacted with them.
The water was hot. She went into the bathroom and closed the door. Although it was winter, it was warm in the house. So it was not cold to take a shower at home.
She had just started taking a shower when she heard the doorbell rang. She guessed it might be Albert, but now that she was the only one in the house, she could not open the door at the moment and had to ignore it.
After the bath, she walked out of the bathroom with a bath towel.
As she walked through the living room, she saw Albert sitting on the sofa. She was so frightened that she almost screamed.
Albert stayed. Seeing that Sophia was wearing only a bath towel with her white shoulders and long legs exposing, he could not help but have a fever on his face.
"How did you get in?" Sophia remembered that the door was closed. Did Kate give him the key?
Albert said, "I rang the doorbell, the door opened, and I came in. I wondered why nobody's here."
"How was that possible?"
Her security door opened as soon as the doorbell rang? What kind of security door was that?
As she spoke, she realized that she was only wearing a bath towel. She hurried back to her room, closed the door and changed into a housecoat, and then came out.
She still doubted about the door issue and could not help but ask, "My mum gave you the key, did she? It's all right. You put your key in my house. Right?"
Albert shook his head, "No. I don't have the key. I pressed the doorbell and the door opened. I don't know why."
Sophia couldn't figure it out. How could the door open itself?
She thought about it and said, "How about it… you go out and press the doorbell again?"
If the door opened when the doorbell rang, it would be unsafe. She should fix it as soon as possible.
Albert was also puzzled. Thinking it was a good idea, he got up, walked out and closed the door. Later, he rang the doorbell outside.
Sophia stood there, holding her phone in the video mode to see what would happen. But the door didn't open. Sure enough, it didn't open when the doorbell rang.
She was about to open the door when Chubby ran out of the bedroom and jumped on the stool by the door to change shoes. He jumped up and clawed to the doorknob. His two back paws pressed against the wall, giving strength to his front paws to pull the doorknob. With a clatter, the door opened.
Sophia was stunned.