She half blinked, looked up, and shook her head. “I am fine, mama, just a little dizzy.”
“How come? Did you catch a cold last night?”
Joe pulled out the medicine and handed it to her, “Take the medicine quick.”
I took over and fed the child. Soon her physical symptoms were much better, and I was relieved.
“How can you be sick now?”
“Her condition is getting worse.”
“Then what? Will she?”
I swallowed half the words, not daring to say the rest.
“Do not worry, I am already looking for Lance, and there will be a clue soon.”
“But how can he operate on us?”
“The doctor is focused on saving people, and the child is so small, he will surely save her.”
After hearing his words, it seemed to comfort me, I hugged the child tightly and calmed down.
I carried the child into the room and covered the bedspread, but she did not close her eyes.
I patted her chest and whispered, “Close your eyes and let us sleep for a while.”
She shook her head. “I do not want it.”
“Why?” I asked doubtfully.
Her soft voice reached my ears and made me sad, “I am afraid that if I close my eyes, my mother will disappear.”
I touched her head and said softly, “No, my mother is always with you.”
“Really? You do not want to leave me home alone?”
I backed away and nodded, “You can be sure when you wake up, your mother will be by your side.”
“Well, good.”She closed her eyes. I was glad to give her a smile, and thanked God for giving me a really good gift. But because of my carelessness, God put too much pain on this gift. I hope I can bear it for her and let my children go.
I took a leave of absence from my boss and stayed home with her today. When she woke up, it was already afternoon. I cooked a meal, looked at her with a smile and said, “Little baby, get up and eat.”
“Good.” She answered me wisely.
We sat at the table and ate, these days I was busy with my work, did not really look at my daughter, she has grown so big.
“Mom, you eat too.”
Looking at her beautiful appearance only warmed my heart and I nodded, “Let us eat together.”
Just as we were making up, the doorbell rang and I got up to answer the door. It was Joe.
“Joe, why are you here? Should not you be at work at this hour?” I was confused by his sudden appearance.
“I do not have anything important to do when I go to work. I just want to sit there. It’s better to come to you.”
“Do not bother, I can take good care of the kids.”
“Then that means you will not welcome me?”
“Of course not. Come in.”
As he came in, I closed the door. The child was very excited when he saw him. “Uncle Joe, great, you came to play with me again.”
“I am still pulling Uncle Joe. Uncle is also very busy. You can not bug him all the time.”
Every time I want to argue with her, my words become soft.
“But I like Uncle Joe and want him to be with me all the time. I wish he was my dad.”
Hearing her talk about it again, I looked at her and felt the awkwardness of the current atmosphere.
I had to quickly change the subject, “Eat fast.”
As I walked back to the table and sat down, the kid was still glued to Joe, making me feel redundant.
“Eat well. Uncle Joe will eat too.”
Seeing my serious look, Joe quickly spoke up, “Nothing, leave her alone.”
“You are just spoiling her too much.”
“Is not the little princess used to being spoiled?” Joe looked at the child and said softly.
“Uncle Joe is very nice. Mama does not want you because she does not have visions.”The girl began to whine.
“Eat fast.” I would not let her tell me what to do and admonished her.
“The children’s words are impertinent. She has not had a father since she was a child. Of course she’s very eager for fatherly love.”
Joe’s words remind me of all the years my child cried too much with me, not just because she was poor, but because she was a fatherless child. I see it in her eyes and it hurts my heart.
Joe was talking about fatherly love, and somehow Gavin came to mind. I sighed and pulled my thoughts back. Have not I been tormented enough by him? Why are you thinking about him?
She does not need a father for my child, she should just have me. Even if someone really does find a support for her, it definitely will not be him. I did not reply to Joe’s words, I just smiled.
After dinner, the two of them lay on the sofa.
“So full.” The child touched his round belly and said very affectionately.
“Who made you so gluttonous? It’s good now.”I teased.
Then she walked up to Joe and said, “Uncle Joe, my mommy does not take care of me.”
“How come? Mommy loves you the most. It’s really because you are too greedy.”
When Joe did not help her, she started to flirt, “Ah, you do not like me anymore.”
“How can that be? Everyone loves the little princess the most. Well, uncle and mother are taking you for a walk, OK?”
At Joe’s gentle and loving words, she smiled triumphantly, “OK.”
I really can not help her. What else can I do? We came down the stairs .
Gavin’s perspective
After what happened last night, my relationship with Aure became even stiffer . Not wanting to have to deal with it that way, I decided to make it clear to her, hoping that everyone could open their hearts.
I came down the stairs to her residence, but before I got off the bus, I looked up and saw a scene that made me angry.
Aure was walking with the man and the child, talking and laughing.
She told me just last night…
Today is so unconscionable. Did she really just want me to not get involved with that man?
The lovely little princess seems to like the man a lot and circles him all the time.
The scene was so dazzling that I felt uncomfortable. I did not get off the bus and drive away from the place. I managed to stay up until evening and dialed her phone.
“Hello.”
Came the cold voice again, a far cry from what I was seeing today.
“Come to me, now.”
Irritated, I hung up the phone. If she dared to be like that again tonight, like last time, I was going to have to punish her properly. Luckily, though, she was on time this time, and she arrived shortly after I hung up the phone. Did that mean there was still a place for me in her heart?
“She’s very punctual today.”
I said coldly. I wish she could joke with me like a common lover, but something like that is just delusional between me and her.
“Well, I have to go home and take care of the kids.”
“Do you really see yourself as that kind of woman?”
I am eager to hear her answer.
I saw her lips open slightly, “It is not my original intention to become such a woman, but Gavin is such a man, and he especially likes to force others with his own consciousness.”
“You mean I forced you?”
“Some words do not need to be spoken clearly, so they are meaningless.”
In that case, you should not talk about feelings.
I took him straight back to my room and lingered in her body.
After that, she was still dressing and getting ready to leave without melancholy. I caught up with her, grabbed her hand and pressed it against the wall, “You will move in with me in the future.”
She still rejected me, “No, I live in this dilapidated apartment.”
“I gave you this, just take it.”
She grinned, and that smile made my heart tremble, “No.”
“You have turned me down repeatedly for this man. I saw it today. Your family of three is very happy when she goes for a walk. Then let me ask you, what do you see me?”
“I am sorry Gavin, I do not know what I have done to make you misunderstand me. There has never been a relationship between us.” What she said made me completely furious. Will not she be moved no matter what I do?
“You like him that much? Is he the father of your child?”
Her eyes were so cold that for the first time I felt like I was afraid of a woman and her answer.
“Yes, if you want to know that much, I will tell you. Yes, he is the father of my child. Are you satisfied?”
She just told it all!