After ending the call with Kane, Alia Garcia took a while to recover.
Last night, the kids had asked why Uncle Kane hadn’t co to play with them recently, wondering if he had left again.
She didn’t know how to respond.
The adult world was too complicated, and even though the kids were precocious, they probably didn’t understand all the twists and turns.
And now, he was really leaving.
Alia didn’t feel reluctant to let go.
She just hoped that he could heal from his wounds soon, withdraw himself, and start looking for the right person, the right love.
After pulling herself together, she fell into a new quandary.
Olivia Williams had reached out to her, the issue was resolved—she felt she should at least inform soone about it.
But, recalling that "face-touching" mont, her cheek involuntarily twitched uncomfortably, as if his rough fingertips were still there.
Worried that if she didn’t tell him, he would be preoccupied with the situation and not at ease in the operating room tomorrow, or that he might seek George Hart again, causing father and son to argue.
So, after a brief hesitation, she still dialed the hospital ward’s telephone number.
The caregiver answered, "Hello."
"Please tell Christopher Hart that the woman called . Tell him not to worry anymore and to focus on recovering," she said.
"Why not tell directly instead of always having soone else relay the ssage?" His voice followed imdiately, laced with a tease and a hint of displeasure.
Alia was slightly taken aback, "You’re still awake?"
"No... I’ve been envisioning you over and over in my mind, Alia, you—"
"I’m hanging up!" As usual, Alia didn’t wait for him to finish, decisively cutting the call.
————
The problem that had troubled Alia Garcia for so long finally had a breakthrough, and, uncommonly, she managed to finish work on ti and get ho before the kids’ dinner.
Benny Palr’s villa was well-located, not too far from her studio, with good anities and convenient surrounding life—supermarkets, malls, parks, you na it.
Since the move, the kids had gotten used to the environnt and were quite fond of the place.
Seeing mom return, Ethan, who was playing in the living room, imdiately rushed over and unexpectedly asked, "Mom, why are you ho so early today?"
Holding her youngest son’s chubby cheeks, Alia feigned displeasure, "What, you don’t want mom to co ho early? Are you causing trouble again and afraid of being scolded?"
"Not at all! I’ve been good! It’s my little sister; she got into trouble again today and cried!"
"Your sister got into trouble and cried? Why?"
"She broke brother’s favorite model. Brother wasn’t happy, but he didn’t say anything to her, and she just started crying on her own..." Ethan finished, his brow furrowing in confusion, "Why do girls like crying so much?"
Listening to her son, Alia’s gaze drifted to the living room, but she didn’t see Noah or Hope.
Aunt Harper stepped forward to take her bag, "Ma’am, dinner is ready."
"Okay." After sending her youngest son off to continue playing, she washed her hands and then went upstairs to find the children.
She found Noah engrossed in a book in the study.
"Noah, it’s dinner ti."
Hearing his mother’s voice, Noah quickly turned around, his eyes lighting up, "Mom, you’re ho!"
"Yes. We can have dinner together tonight, and afterward, we’ll walk Little Dunham."
"Great!" Ever since that accident, Alia hadn’t been able to properly spend ti with the children, and the little guy had long been looking forward to mom accompanying them to eat and play.
"Where’s sister?"
Noah’s face fell slightly as he said in a low voice, "Sister is in the room I share with my brother..."
"What is she doing in your room?"
Noah didn’t explain but instead took his mom’s hand and pulled her toward his and his brother’s bedroom.
Reaching the door, he didn’t knock or push it open but gently turned the doorknob, opening a small crack.
Alia was puzzled.
Following her son’s actions, she also looked inside the room—only to see her little girl sitting alone on the floor, busily doing sothing with a focused look, but occasionally lifting her arm to wipe her face...
It looked like she was wiping away tears.
Noah then closed the door again.
"Sister took my model to play with, and it accidentally fell and broke apart on the floor. I didn’t say anything to her... Although, I really wasn’t happy in my heart."
The model was a gift from dad; he had spent a lot of ti assembling it and intentionally placed it high up, repeatedly warning his brother not to touch it.
Unexpectedly, sister had climbed up on a stool and onto the table to reach it.
"She broke it, and I said I would reassemble it, but she wouldn’t have it and cried and yelled at to get out, so she’s been trying to fix it herself... for a long ti now..."
After finishing, Noah silently looked at his mother, his big eyes blinking innocently, evoking both pity and heartache.
Alia had spent a few months getting to know her daughter and had gradually figured out her little girl’s temperant.
Sensitive, competitive, and a bit willful and capricious.
It wasn’t surprising, since Christopher had overly protected her from a young age, spoiling her too much, which inevitably led to so personality flaws.
But her intent to repair the model herself showed that she realized the mistake and should face the consequences. She surely felt embarrassed at heart, and that’s why she sent her brother away.
Sighing helplessly to herself, she patted her son’s head to comfort him: "This isn’t your fault, don’t bla yourself, you’ve done very well."
With that, she pushed the door open and entered the room.
Quietly walking up to her daughter, Alia sat down beside her and gently asked, "Baby, what are you doing? Can mommy join you?"
Hope had just wiped her tears, trying to fit a piece together, but she wasn’t strong enough and couldn’t get it to snap in.
Hearing the voice, the little girl imdiately looked up and, the next mont, burst into tears with a wide-open mouth.
"Mommy... wuwuwu, I secretly took brother’s toy, and I accidentally broke it, I wanted to put it back together... but I’m too clumsy, I can’t do it... wuwuwu, mommy, I didn’t an... didn’t do it on purpose..."
Even though Alia knew her daughter was spoiled, every ti she saw her cry, she couldn’t help but feel heartache and quickly reached out to pull her into a hug.
"Alright, mommy knows, baby didn’t an to do it, baby wants to fix the model and give it back to brother, right?"
"Mm!" said the little girl, sobbing convulsively in her mother’s arms, unable to speak clearly, "But... but I can’t... I’m so upset... brother, brother is... might... might be mad... mommy, will... will you... won’t send away, wuwuwu..."
Alia kept comforting her daughter and was shocked when she heard this.
Why would she think that?
Lately, the relationship between the three siblings had clearly improved.
Look, the little girl was calling for her brother without thinking, which showed that deep down, she recognized her elder brother’s place.
But why would she think that mommy would send her away?
"Baby, don’t cry..." Alia cupped her daughter’s soft and cute little face, gently wiping away her tears and softly asking, "Has mommy been unkind to you? Why do you think mommy wants to send you away?"
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