Evelyn's plan was simple. She needed something to fill her time. Something that would kill the boredom and teach her a useful skill at the same time.
She couldn't knit scarves all day, of course. But after reading and walking, working with her hands helped her relax and stay active.
When Alexander came home from work, he found her on the sofa. She was completely focused on two knitting needles, moving them clumsily.
"Having fun?" he asked, walking over.
Evelyn looked up and smiled. "Fun!"
Then she quickly corrected herself. "I'm not playing. I'm serious! Look, I just learned today, and it's already turning out okay!" She held up the scarf she had knitted.
"Not bad," Alexander said, glancing at it with a smile.
No matter how ugly it was, he would say the same thing. He didn't want to ruin her happiness. Besides, she was just passing the time. He didn't want her to study too hard.
"You've been knitting all day. Come on, let me take you for a walk."
"All day? I only started this afternoon. And I already took a walk," Evelyn said quickly.
"Then walk with me," Alexander said, changing his approach.
Evelyn looked at him and finally nodded. She picked up her needles and yarn, then stood up and walked out of Sterling Manor with him.
"You just got back. Aren't you tired?"
"It's fine. The night is beautiful tonight. Perfect for a walk. By the time we get back, it'll be time for supper," Alexander replied with a smile.
Evelyn nodded as she followed him.
The day had been cloudy, but the night was clear. The moon was full and bright.
Alexander took Evelyn's hand. They talked as they walked.
Evelyn couldn't help asking about the secretary's office. Even though she no longer worked there, she still cared about the people and the work.
Alexander answered vaguely, then changed the subject. "Tomorrow or the day after, do you want to go for your prenatal checkup?"
"Tomorrow or the day after? It's Thursday."
"Afternoon or morning? I'll go with you."
"No, Lily can come with me. You don't need to take time off."
"It's fine. It won't take long. I want to see the baby too."
"It's still so small. My mom says it's no bigger than a fist. What is there to see?" Evelyn said with a smile.
"Even when it's small, we should pay attention to every step of its growth."
Evelyn almost laughed out loud. Little tadpole.
As they walked through the garden, Evelyn noticed the third sister's house was dark. She turned to Alexander. "Haven't the third sister and her husband been home lately?"
"They seem to be on vacation," Alexander said casually.
"Oh, no wonder I've been walking here every day and their house is always dark," Evelyn nodded.
Alexander didn't say anything more. Evelyn didn't ask again.
After a long walk through the garden, they returned to Sterling Manor. Lily was preparing supper. Alexander went upstairs to take a shower first.
Evelyn sat on the sofa, picked up her basket of needles and yarn, and started knitting again. She was still full of energy. If she didn't have to eat or sleep, she could knit all night.
But even if she had that drive, Alexander wouldn't allow it. So she could only knit a few more stitches while he was in the shower.
After knitting for a while, Evelyn held up the finished part and examined it. She wasn't very satisfied. Some parts were tight, some were loose. It didn't look smooth.
She hadn't mastered the technique yet. It was clumsy and uneven. She needed more practice to make it better.
But she had the time now. Learning this was perfect for her.
When Alexander came downstairs, Lily had already finished cooking the midnight snack and gone to rest. Evelyn put away her knitting needles and walked over. "I waited for you to have supper."
Alexander smiled and put his arm around her, leading her to the dining room.
Evening always passed quickly. The days felt long.
But now she could knit scarves and read books to pass the time.
After reading for a long time, Evelyn felt tired. She put down her book and rubbed her neck. Then she turned to look out the window. She wanted to go for a walk.
Lily was cleaning upstairs. Evelyn thought she could just walk around the house without leaving the gate. So she didn't call Lily. She took her phone and walked out of Sterling Manor.
She hadn't visited her sister-in-law in a while. Thinking of this, Evelyn headed toward Rose Garden Villa.
"Evelyn—"
Hearing her name, Evelyn turned around. It was Audrey.
"Second sister," Evelyn said with a smile.
She realized she hadn't seen Audrey in a while. Even though they lived in the same house.
It was like they were already separated. Sometimes they only met once every few days, or at dinner parties. If they were really separated, they would be even more distant.
As for the separation, Alexander hadn't mentioned it in the past two days. She didn't know what was happening. But no matter what, she still lived in Sterling Manor. When she had time, she would visit her mother-in-law in the main house or her sister-in-law in Rose Garden Villa.
"Going to see your sister-in-law?" Audrey asked with a smile.
"Yes. I came out for a walk and realized I hadn't visited her in a few days," Evelyn replied honestly.
"Do you want to come to my house first?" Audrey invited.
"Second sister, don't you have to work today?"
"I took a few days off."
"Then I won't bother you," Evelyn said with a smile.
"It's no bother. Come on. You rarely come to my house," Audrey said.
So Evelyn followed Audrey to her villa.
"Is your husband home?" Evelyn asked, looking around.
"He went to work," Audrey said, gesturing for Evelyn to sit down.
"Second sister is on vacation, and your husband is working. You can't go out for a walk or travel together. You should ask him to take a vacation too," Evelyn said with a smile.
"I'd like to, but sometimes he's so busy he doesn't even have weekends, let alone vacations. How are you feeling now?" Audrey asked.
"Very good. No special reactions except I want to sleep."
"That's good. When I was pregnant—" Audrey stopped herself. She didn't continue. Instead, she changed the subject. "It's been more than three months now, right?"
Evelyn nodded.