"Um, I understand, Aunty," Aaron said. Chloe noticed that Aaron tried to act normal and accepting as always, but he lowered his head because he was sad. Chloe decided not to confront him about this because she wanted to continue learning about her oldest nephew.
"But you don't need to worry about school," Chloe said. "You will go to the sa school as Mackie. Your little brothers are too young to go to primary school, so they will go to kindergarten and pre-school, okay?"
Aaron simply nodded because he knew Aunt Chloe wouldn't hurt him and his brothers. He was also secretly happy because he could be in the sa school as Boss Mackie, so his Boss could protect him when he was bullied.
In his previous school, Aaron got bullied because he was very poor. He had a few friends, but he wasn't close to them. He could never join them in activities outside of school because he had to care for Gran at ho.
Chloe continued observing the boy and then patted his head. Aaron felt very comfortable being patted by his Aunt.
Aunt Chloe's magical touch made him feel comfortable and safe around her. Unfortunately, he didn't get this from anyone except his late Gran Judith and Aunt Chloe. Not even Grandma Dorothea gave this comfortable and safe feeling in his heart.
Speaking about Grandma Dorothea…
Aaron lifted his head and stared at Chloe, "Aunty, about Grandma Dorothea…."
"Grandma Dorothea is Uncle Vernon's mother. She lives with us to spend her old days," Chloe said. "She's a kind woman, you can rely on her to take care of your brothers as well."
"Uncle Vernon is that scary Uncle from last night, right?" Aaron asked.
Chloe giggled, "He's sure scary, right?"
Aaron nodded in response.
"Well, he's very intimidating. But Uncle Vernon is not a bad person. This building is his, and he's the one who allows us to live here together. He's also the one who will help you to transfer school as well," Chloe said. "He is a good person, he just has a big figure and rarely smiles!"
Aaron stared at his Aunty for a while and then asked, "Aunty loves that scary Uncle very much."
"E—Eh—?! W—What do you an, Aaron?" Chloe panicked when the little boy suddenly could read her heart.
"Um… you are so happy when talking about that scary Uncle," Aaron said. "I'm also happy as long as Aunty is happy too. Aunt Chloe looks healthier with Uncle Vernon than with Uncle Vincent."
Chloe was embarrassed that she had been exposed by the little boy. But he was right. She was much happier with Vernon, and though she rarely said it, she was indeed in love with him.
She thought she'd only see Vernon as the cute little brother she raised years ago when she dated Vincent.
But as ti passed, Vernon showed her he was a big man now. He had his own thoughts and was adamant about wanting to have Chloe by his side.
All of his adult qualities slowly lted her heart, and she began to develop romantic feelings for him.
Aaron saw that his Aunt was embarrassed by this, and he was assured that Aunt Chloe was happy.
Truthfully, Aaron never liked Uncle Vincent because Aunt Chloe looked sad and frail when she was still with Uncle Vincent.
Whenever she visited his ho, she'd always put that joyful expression on her face, but he knew that Aunt Chloe wasn't happy at all.
Because Aaron sotis caught her crying when nobody saw her.
Aaron was scared of Uncle Vernon, of course. Because Uncle Vernon was so intimidating, and he didn't even smile.
But he showed his care with gestures instead of sweet words, proving that Uncle Vernon was better than Uncle Vincent.
"Gran will be very happy, Aunty…." Aaron said. His words completely flipped the joyful mood as Chloe finally rembered her late mother, who died in Chelsea's hand.
She smiled bitterly. She was estranged from her mother, but it seed Aaron and the other boys had fond mories of Judith.
"Really? Will she be happy with what I did?" Chloe asked. Though she knew the real answer was a big no. Judith hated her so much after she decided to leave Vincent.
"Um!" Aaron nodded excitedly. "I took care of Gran every day. She would say that she misses you a lot, and wished she could et you again."
'To force back to Vincent, of course,' Chloe lanted in her heart, knowing that her mother and sister had malicious intentions toward her.
Seeing the sadness on Aunt Chloe's face, Aaron took the initiative to take out sothing from his pocket.
"Aunty, eat this!" Aaron said as he handed candy to his Aunty.
Chloe looked at the candy in Aaron's hand and frowned, "I never know that you like sour candy."
"I don't like sour candy, Aunty!" Aaron replied. "But this is what Gran bought when we went to the grocery store last night…."
Aaron's body trembled as he rembered his mother who killed his Gran again. It beca a core mory that he couldn't forget and made him petrified on the spot.
Chloe noticed Aaron's tense expression and body. She quickly understood that Aaron had PTSD from what happened last night, so she hugged him tight and accepted the sour candy from his hand.
"So you went to the grocery shop with Gran, and she bought you this even though you don't like it?" Chloe asked, trying to shift the topic so Aaron would forget about that bad mory, but she knew that Aaron definitely need to go to child psychologist to treat his PTSD after this.
Aaron felt the warmth of Aunt Chloe when she hugged him. That bad mory gradually blurred in his mind, and he returned to sowhat normal again.
"Um, I don't like sour candy, but Gran wanted to keep it, in case I et you again," Aaron said. "She said Aunt Chloe loves sour candy so much."
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