She grasped the doorknob, turned it, and gently pushed the door open. Inside, she saw Jessica sitting on the bed, softly sobbing.
Dolores entered the room and closed the door. Hearing the noise, Jessica quickly wiped her face. “Why aren’t you keeping an eye on those two kids outside? What are you doing here?”
“I came to check on you,” Dolores reached out to hug her. “Mom, let’s forget about what happened in the past, okay?”
Resting her face on Jessica’s shoulder, she added, “I’ll support you when you’re old. And when I’m old, I’ll ask Samuel to support me…”
“What are you talking about?” Jessica patted her daughter on the back. “You’re still young. I think Dr. Herbert is a good choice.”
Dolores scratched her head. She always feared that Jessica would say that.
“Lola…”
“Mom.”
Dolores knew what Jessica was about to say. In fact, she had considered accepting Sampson, but it seemed impossible now.
If she were to uncover the truth about her car accident in the past, she could never be with Sampson.
“Mom, Sampson’s mother approached me before.”
“What?” Jessica was quite shocked. Holding her daughter’s shoulders and looking at her, she asked, “What did she come to you for?”
Dolores pursed her lips, contemplating how to dispel her mother’s concerns. Then she spoke honestly, “It was six years ago. She saw Sampson and me together, so she mistook it for love. Later, she deliberately came to me and told me that I wasn’t suitable for her son. She said, based on his background, he should find someone who matches his identity and background.”
Jessica’s lips parted, but she couldn’t utter a word for a long time.
Finally, tears welled up in her eyes once again.
“Mom, why are you crying again?” Dolores reached out to wipe her tears.
She tried so hard to divert her mother’s attention.
Why was she crying again?
“How can I not be upset?” Jessica felt depressed at the thought of Sampson’s mother humiliating Dolores. “If it weren’t for me in the past, you…”
“Mom, let’s stop talking about the past,” Dolores knew what Jessica was worried about. She patiently explained, “I don’t love Sampson. Even if I marry him, I wouldn’t be happy. Mom…”
Dolores held her hand. “You want me to be happy, don’t you?”
“Of course,” Jessica wished for her daughter’s happiness, even in her dreams.
Dolores was still young. Jessica prayed that a good man would come along and love her.
“Do you believe me?” Dolores asked again.
“Yes, I do,” Jessica looked at her daughter. “You’re the best in my heart.”
She watched her daughter struggle bit by bit, reaching her current status today, despite the difficulties and hardships. Now, Dolores finally had her own career.
In Jessica’s heart, her daughter was the most capable woman.
“If you believe me, please don’t worry about my marriage. Things will work out eventually,” Dolores seized the opportunity to convince Jessica.
She didn’t want her mother to keep worrying about her marriage and nagging about it all day long.
Both she and Jessica felt the pressure.
Dolores didn’t want Jessica to blame herself, as her mother always believed that everything that happened to them was her fault.
“Mom, look. I’m only 24 years old. I’m still young, and there’s a long road ahead of me. Maybe I’ll meet a man who doesn’t care that I’m a single mother and is willing to take care of Samuel and Simona with me.”
Jessica wasn’t sure. “Are you sure you’ll meet such a man?”
Who could predict what would happen in the future, anyway?
“Maybe. If you keep nagging about it, I’ll feel stressed. I can’t just find someone randomly. The man I’ll marry must be able to accept Samuel and Simona. Otherwise, I wouldn’t consider him,” Dolores wanted Jessica to understand clearly what was on her mind.
Jessica knew how important those two kids were to Dolores. Back then, Dolores was even willing to give up her own life to keep them. Jessica understood their significance to her.
“Okay, I won’t nag about it anymore in the future. If fate brings your Mr. Right, he will appear naturally,” Jessica stroked her daughter’s hair. “I won’t pressure you.”
Through Sampson’s situation, she had also realized something.
With Dolores’ status, even if there was a man who liked her, his family might pose a significant challenge.
Who would be willing to let their son marry a single mother with two kids?
She understood why Sampson’s mother disagreed. Naturally, men from such families would seek someone more suitable for marriage.
But Jessica still felt sorrow for her innocent daughter.
Upon hearing Jessica’s promise, Dolores felt a wave of relief. She had been so stressed when Jessica kept nagging about her marriage all day long. She had even lost the courage to have a conversation with her mother, fearing that Jessica would bring up the topic again.
Now, everything was settled.
Right then, the doorbell rang. Dolores stood up. “It must be the pizza delivery.”
She walked out of Jessica’s room and opened the door. It was indeed the delivery person in a yellow uniform.
“Hello, ma’am. Takeout delivery for Dolores Flores.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Please sign here.”
Dolores signed her name on the receipt and tipped the delivery person. Carrying two boxes of pizza back into the house, she placed them on the dining table. “Samuel, Simona, go and ask Grandma to come out for dinner. I’ll pour some milk for you guys.”
“Okay,” Samuel replied, tightly clutching his sister’s hand as they made their way toward Jessica’s room together.
Dolores turned back to glance at her son, a warm smile lighting up her face. She knew that Jessica was feeling down today, and if she went to her directly, her mother might not come out. So, she asked the two kids to call her instead. Jessica wouldn’t refuse her beloved grandchildren.
Pouring the milk and placing the glasses on the dining table, Dolores prepared their plates for dinner. She then opened the pizza boxes, revealing the delicious aroma that filled the room.
Samuel and Simona walked out of Jessica’s room, holding her hands on either side. Dolores pulled out the chairs for them, knowing that Jessica would surely join them for dinner when her grandchildren called her.
“Simona, we’re having pizza today. I didn’t cook,” Dolores explained, gesturing toward the table where two large pizzas awaited them.
Jessica glanced at the spread and saw that they would have enough to satisfy their appetites. “Our Simona is truly a foodie,” she teased her granddaughter.
Simona wasn’t quite sure if that was a compliment or a complaint. Blinking her eyes, she asked innocently, “What does ‘foodie’ mean?”
“It means you have a good taste in food, you enjoy eating, and it seems like eating is one of your favorite things to do,” Samuel explained to her.
Simona blinked back at her brother. “So, it’s a compliment, right?”
“Yep,” Samuel confirmed.
Casting a sideways glance at her brother, Simona exclaimed excitedly, “Wow, then Samuel is a big foodie! He loves to eat!”
Samuel was left speechless.
Jessica found their conversation amusing, and the heaviness in her heart dissipated. “Grandma said you’re a foodie,” Samuel playfully placed a slice of durian-flavored pizza on his sister’s plate.
“I know. I’m saying you’re a foodie too. I’m complimenting you,” Simona happily accepted the pizza from her brother and took a bite. With a satisfied expression, she declared, “Yummy!”
Samuel sighed inwardly, feeling slightly exasperated by his sister’s persistent need for praise.
“Grandma said you’re a foodie,” Samuel pointed out as he handed her another slice of pizza.
“I see. So, you’re a foodie too. I’m praising you,” Simona replied, taking the pizza from him. With a joyful expression, she munched on it and exclaimed, “Delicious!”
Samuel looked at his sister helplessly. Turning to Dolores, he asked, “Mom, who does Simona take after?”
The room fell silent for a few moments.
“I’m your mother, so of course, she takes after me,” Dolores placed a glass of milk in front of her son. “No talking during meals.”
Samuel pursed his lips, feeling a little disheartened.
After dinner, Dolores cleaned up the dining table while Simona asked Jessica to take her for a walk. Sneaking into the kitchen, Samuel held onto Dolores’s legs and acted like a baby. “Mommy, can you give me the tablet and smartwatch, please?”
“Tell me, did you do something wrong?” Dolores looked down at her son, her expression filled with concern.
Samuel’s disappointment was evident. “Never mind if you don’t want to.”
Giving up on the idea of seeking revenge on the man who had betrayed his mother was out of the question for him. Moreover, what he did to that man was merely a small humiliation compared to the pain he had caused by abandoning them. They were still suffering from the loss.
Releasing Dolores, Samuel trotted back to his room, his determination unwavering.
Dolores wondered whose temperament Samuel had inherited. She sighed, placing the glass in her hand down on the counter and drying her hands. She felt the need to have a conversation with Samuel, as the burden of Matthew in his heart seemed too heavy for him to bear.
Dolores couldn’t shake off the uneasiness that lingered within her.
As she approached the door of her son’s bedroom, her cell phone in her pocket suddenly rang, causing her to inhale deeply in anticipation of the upcoming call.