Aurora looked less upset thinking about the good news. She said, her eyes still red, “So many people were against you before and assumed that a young woman like you couldn’t manage the company. They’d rather file for bankruptcy than get into debt. But it turns out that you’re much more competent than they thought you were.”
Experiencing ups and downs, Estelle had become much stronger than before. Still, she could be easily touched by the tender moments her family gave her. And she said, “Mom, don’t worry about me. If Dad could see what I have achieved, he would be proud of me.”
“Estelle, we have always been proud of you regardless of whether you can achieve anything.” Looking at her thin face, Aurora couldn’t help but persuade her, “You didn’t eat properly recently, did you? You’ve lost some weight. I’ll cook some delicious food for you tomorrow.”
It hadn’t been a while since Estelle paid attention to her figure last time. She slightly shook her head and said, “I come home to eat dinner every day, and sometimes I even have some night snacks that you cook for me. I’ve eaten enough food. I don’t gain weight because I’m born this way, just like you.”
Aurora felt sadder when her daughter tried to comfort her. She said, “I don’t want you to be too tired. It’s too late now. Why don’t you go to sleep?”
“Mom, I’m fine.” Estelle smiled at her, “I have just got an important order, so I can’t stop now.”
“But that doesn’t mean you can’t sleep.” Aurora sighed, “If only I had learned something about business. Then I could help you instead of watching you work so hard while doing nothing.”
While they were talking, there were footsteps outside the door. A few seconds later, Yvonne rushed into the study room with a doll in her hands and ran into Estelle’s arms. She sobbed, “Mom, I just had a nightmare.”
Estelle gently patted her back and said, “It’s okay, honey, it’s just a dream. Look, Grandma and I are right beside you, right? Don’t cry, honey.”
Partly comprehending Estelle’s words, Yvonne nodded and sobbed, her eyes red, “Will you make the nightmare go away?”
“Yes. Even nightmares are afraid of grown-ups.” Aurora touched her hair and said in a soft voice, “Let me take you back to your room and sleep, okay? It’s Monday tomorrow. You don’t want to be late tomorrow, do you?”
“But….” Yvonne stopped crying but looked away to avoid Aurora’s eyes as if she wanted to say something to them but didn’t know how to.
Estelle thought she was scared by the nightmare, so she softly comforted her. “Yvonne, don’t be afraid. You can tell Mom whatever the problem is, and I will solve the problem for you.”
Finally, Yvonne said awkwardly, “Mom, I miss dad. Can you let Dad come here to beat the monsters in my dream?”
Estelle knew that she should refuse Yvonne. But as a mom, she couldn’t bear to see her daughter cry. So, she touched Yvonne’s soft cheeks and wiped away her tears, saying softly, “Okay. I will take you to your dad’s place and let you stay with him for a few days. Your dad will tell you many bedtime stories, and you won’t be scared.”
“Will you stay there with me, Mom?” Yvonne tilted her little head and raised the doll, saying, “I have my doll with me, but you have nobody. You will be happy if Dad is with you.”
Amused by her, Estelle said, “I’m always happy.”
“No, you’re lying. You have been upset since we moved out,” Yvonne straightforwardly spoke her mind out loud, “You didn’t have this expression when you were with Dad. Now you always … always pretend to be happy.”
Aurora and Estelle laughed together, surprised that Yvonne could be so sophisticated at such a young age. Then Yvonne explained to them, “Yohan told me the story of Romeo and Juliet, and he said that Juliet was sad when she was separated from Romeo, so I know Mom must also be sad.”
Aurora said hesitantly, “Estelle, what about…”
“Okay. I’ll go with you, Yvonne,” Estelle said reluctantly.
“Pinky promise?” Yvonne reached out her hand, her big eyes blinking. “Then I can be sure you will go.”
Estelle wouldn’t back out once she said it. Then she linked her little finger with Yvonne’s and said, “Pinky promise.
The promise was serious enough for a child, and Yvonne clapped her hands happily when she heard that. “Great! You will go with us! Can we have a day off from kindergarten tomorrow?”
“No.” Estelle still had her rules even though she wanted her children to be happy. She smiled, “If you behave well, I will take you to Dad’s place after school.”
Yvonne ran away blissfully, forgetting about the monsters in her dream. Then Estelle asked Aurora, “Mom, what about you? What will you do if the children and I go to Cristofer’s house?”
“Don’t worry about me. I will join a senior tour group with Paige and Macy. I have been taking care of the children for so many days. I need a break,” Aurora said happily.
Estelle knew Aurora wanted to make her feel better, so her eyes became wet. Seeing that, Aurora touched her cheeks affectionately and said, “Estelle, your dad once told me a story. Do you want to hear it?”
Then Estelle sat in front of her and looked at her.
Aurora said softly, “Have you seen the photos of your dad when he was young?”
Estelle nodded, “Yeah, he’s very handsome.”
“He was so handsome that countless girls wanted to be his girlfriends.”
Estelle grinned, “But Dad only loved you.”
“That’s true. But you know what, he had an ex-girlfriend before me.”
Estelle was surprised. Her mother and father were loyal to each other and always happy when staying together like a pair of lovebirds, and she thought they were each other’s first love. ‘Is there something I don’t know?’ She wondered.
Aurora looked calm when talking about the past, and she smiled at Estelle, “He was a handsome young man with a promising future, so naturally, many girls fell for him. Then he met a girl and dated her for a while.”
“Mom, did dad tell you that?”
Aurora shook her head. “He never talked about it. And your grandparents, the neighbors, and even his colleagues never talked about that. Estelle, it is said that your spouse can be the person who is closest to you and the most distant from you. Once you get married, your spouse is your best friend. But after you get divorced, your spouse will be like a stranger who has nothing to do with you. After I married your dad, we were determined to spend the rest of our lives together. What’s good about telling me about his ex-girlfriend? It could do nothing but upset me.”