When Bertie heard these words, it struck a chord deep within his heart; he loved Annie dearly... If she was still alive, if she still remembered him as her father, would she love him as well? He wondered if the girl would be around this age by now. In a fleeting moment, Bertie suddenly longed for his daughter.
"What's your name, young lady?" Bertie asked in a fatherly tone, perhaps due to his longing for his daughter, feeling an inexplicable closeness to this girl.
"Uncle, my name is Monica," she said in good spirits, willing to share. "It means 'family happiness, peace, and joy.'"
"Monica, you must be the apple of your parents' eyes."
The girl smiled, "They both love me very much," yet she didn't reveal her true parentage to him.
As they waited in line, the two of them exchanged some words, chatting like friends, and time flew by. After buying breakfast, they each went their separate ways.
When Monica returned home, Algerone and Belinda happened to be coming downstairs, and they were somewhat surprised to see their daughter entering through the living room door.
"Monica, you're back from outside?"
"We thought you were still asleep and wanted you to rest a little longer."
"I bought breakfast for you!" Monica raised the bag in her hand, smiling. "Freshly made red bean cakes! Come and try them!"
The two elders came downstairs, and Monica quickly went to pour some milk. "The line wasn't too long today."
"You're really considerate."
"Haha!"
Then the three of them enjoyed breakfast together in harmony. They didn't talk much, as they all knew they were going to meet their long-lost relative soon, something they had agreed upon the day before. Every time Belinda thought about this matter, she felt a sense of loss, like the feeling of a heartbreak, her emotions heavily suppressed. Algerone, as a man, naturally had a stronger capacity to bear this, but he couldn't help feeling reluctant and unwilling to dwell on it too deeply.
"What about Tristan?" Algerone asked. "Is he coming too?"
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