Sienna suddenly turned around just in ti to see Silas half-kneeling on the ground, his large hand gently stroking the armrest of the sofa.
Seeing this made Sienna’s heart involuntarily tremble.
On that rainy night a few years ago, Silas had done the sa thing.
Half-kneeling on the floor, gently caressing her cheek, he asked her, "Sienna, why are you hiding from your big brother?"
"Sienna’s being naughty, how should I punish you?"
That night, a raging storm outside, and inside, everything was enchanting and ambiguous.
Recalling all of this, Sienna’s cheeks couldn’t help turning red; she guiltily shook her head.
"You’ve never been here before."
Upon hearing this, Silas looked at her suspiciously, "But suddenly I have this flash in my mind, a picture of you and on this very sofa..."
Before he could finish, Sienna cut him off.
"We’ve never done anything here."
Silas stared at Sienna’s trembling eyelashes, smiled and said, "Why are you blushing? It’s like you’re lying. Could it be that we actually did do sothing here before?"
Sienna replied firmly, "No. You take Julian to play for a bit, I’ll go make the bed."
She grabbed the bedding from the suitcase and walked into the bedroom.
Watching her like this, Silas’ lips couldn’t help but curve into a beautiful smile.
Just then, Julian ca over holding a box of Legos, "Daddy, it’s Bubble’s birthday next week, I want to give her this castle, but I don’t think I’ll finish in ti."
Silas stared at the beautiful castle on the box and asked, "Who’s Bubble?"
Julian’s eyes widened, "She’s a really pretty girl, with big eyes and really long lashes. When I started preschool, only she didn’t mind that I talk so little. When I grow up, I want to marry her."
At this, Silas tapped Julian’s head, "You’re just a kid and already thinking about getting married?"
"Daddy, haven’t you heard that saying? If you want a wife, you have to start from kindergarten! Otherwise you’ll end up like you, thirty-two and still not married."
"Are you complaining about ?"
"No, but I should remind you, all the n around mom are so outstanding, your rivals are everywhere. If you don’t start paying attention, she might be snatched away."
Silas replied imdiately, "Impossible. Your mom can only be mine."
Julian pouted, "Narcissistic n are pitiful. I definitely won’t be like you. I need to hurry and build this castle to give to Bubble, in case so other kid beats to it and she picks them as her groom."
Seeing him so determined, Silas’ eyes lit up, "I can help you build it, but you have to agree to one condition: you sleep on your own tonight."
Julian’s bright eyes flickered, then he said, "You want to sleep with mom?"
"She’s my wife. Of course I should sleep with her."
"But you two aren’t married yet."
"Soon we’ll be."
"Then wait until you’re married, then you can compete with for mom."
"You don’t want my help anymore?"
Julian pouted and snorted, "I’ll ask mom to help ."
With that, he hugged the Lego box and ran into the bedroom.
Sienna had just finished making the bed and was sitting on it, holding a photo album.
When she saw an old picture of her and her grandpa from before high school, she couldn’t help shedding tears.
Back then, she’d gotten the top score in the county, and her grandpa enrolled her in the top local school.
But that school was extrely strict, with military-style managent and only one break per month.
She didn’t want to leave her grandpa, nor was she comfortable leaving him alone at ho.
She wanted to give up the top school and attend the nearest high school.
But her grandpa stopped her.
Grandpa made her all sorts of promises, saying he’d stay healthy and wait for her to go to college.
She couldn’t win the argunt, so she went to the top school like he wanted.
But one day, while she was in class, suddenly she got a call from ho—her grandpa was seriously ill and had been taken to the hospital.
She imdiately took leave and rushed to the hospital; it was only then that she found out grandpa had had cancer for a long ti.
He’d kept it from her to avoid affecting her studies or exams, never saying a word.
By the ti she learned the truth, it was already late stage—he had less than a month left.
Hearing this devastating news, Sienna wept in her grandpa’s arms for a long, long ti.
She also hated herself for not noticing sooner that sothing was wrong with him.
If she’d known how sick he really was, she never would have chosen the faraway school.
She would have stayed by his side, accompanied him to the very end.
Thinking back on all this, Sienna still felt overwhelming guilt.
She stroked her grandpa’s photo, tears falling one by one onto it.
Julian ca running in just as this scene was unfolding.
He climbed right onto the bed, settled in Sienna’s lap, and as he helped wipe her tears, said, "Mama, don’t cry, okay? When I see you cry, I want to cry too."
His nose was red and his eyes circled with tears. Sienna quickly hugged him close.
And gently said, "Mama’s fine, I just miss Grandpa a little."
Julian blinked his dark bright eyes and comforted her, "Mama may not have Grandpa, but you still have . I’ll always stay by your side."
Hearing that, Sienna’s heart felt warm all over.
Julian didn’t just fill the void as her son, he also brought so many monts of warmth.
She kissed his cheek, saying, "Alright, Julian will never leave Mama. Co on, let’s look at Mama’s childhood photos."
She held Julian close, sitting on the bed and flipping through the album page by page.
Julian’s little mouth kept chattering non-stop.
"Mama was so pretty, definitely the best looking of all your classmates."
"Mama was so cute—just as cute as Julian."
"Mama’s smile is the prettiest, just like a flower."
He even waved to Silas, "Daddy, co look, Mama’s childhood photos are super beautiful!"
Silas ca over, sitting down next to Sienna.
His large hand naturally wrapped around Sienna’s shoulder.
The three of them leaned in close, feeling each other’s warm breathing.
Just as Silas was about to move closer to Sienna, he caught sight of a photo in the album, of Sienna as a tiny child.
Little Sienna had on a pink baby onesie, with a pacifier in her mouth.
Her big dark eyes were staring straight into the cara.
She looked silly and adorable.
Yet, sohow, this photo felt strangely familiar to Silas.
As he wondered at this, Julian pointed excitedly at the photo, "Julian’s photo! Julian’s photo is in Mama’s album! Julian is Mama’s child, not soone else’s!"
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