Penelope was stunned for a moment. She sat on the edge of the bed for a while and then lay back down. “Eating at night just adds extra fat. I’ll have it tomorrow,” she said.
In this situation, he had to play his trump card. Penelope was about to fall asleep when she felt Chris, their child, moving closer to her. “Chris, what are you doing?” They looked at each other in bed.
Chris had slept a lot in the afternoon, and now he was full of energy. His father had put him in bed, and now he thought it was playtime with his mother. Penelope turned around and gently smoothed his hair back.
Warren lay down beside Penelope. “I know you’re not feeling well, but you’re good at adjusting your mood. It’s only been one night. Isn’t that enough?” He hugged her.
Penelope gently touched Chris’ head and replied, “I don’t have negative energy. I just feel uncomfortable.”
“What’s bothering you?”
Penelope remained silent, bowing her head and holding Chris close.
“You thought he was a heartless person who abandoned your family. But the reality turned out differently. So you’re upset that you’ve hated someone who didn’t care. It’s not worth it, right?”
Penelope looked up, her emotions complicated.
“What’s wrong?”
“If you keep this up, I’ll seek revenge,” she teased with a playful squint.
“What did I do?” Warren was puzzled.
Penelope pouted, “What else can you do? You’re right.”
He smiled softly and kissed her face. “I won’t do it next time,” he promised.
Chris watched his parents kissing and reached out to separate them.
“Chris…” Penelope covered her mouth, surprised.
Chris reached for his father and said, “Dad… Dad…”
Warren took him into his arms and gave him a light pat on the butt as if playfully punishing him.
Penelope asked, “Where’s Daisy? Has she come back?”
“She’s back from a big shopping trip,” Warren replied, thinking about the shopping bags scattered around the floor. He was glad he had married a frugal wife.
Penelope said, “Even though she’s always lived a comfortable life, her feelings are the same as mine. For kids without parents, no matter how happy they seem, their hearts are still empty.”
“I can’t change your past suffering, but in the future…” Warren held her and reassured her, “Don’t worry. Chris and I will take care of you.”
Penelope smiled and rested her head on Warren’s shoulder. She reached out to stroke Chris’s cheek and said, “It might be a few more years before Chris is ready for that.”
Warren looked down at Chris with tenderness. “I believe in him. No matter what, he’ll protect you just like I do.”
****
Two weeks before the wedding, Penelope personally went to see Grandma Duncan.
“You want Asher to walk you down the aisle at the wedding instead of your father?” The old lady seemed a bit surprised.
“Yes. I want to be comfortable on such an important day, and I don’t want Asher to feel too pressured,” Penelope explained. “He’s my best friend, and I met Warren through him. It makes a lot of sense to us.”
The old lady pondered momentarily and said, “You do know that Asher should technically call you ‘aunt’? If he takes you to the wedding, it’s not proper etiquette!”
Penelope replied, “I’ll only get married once. I don’t care about the formalities or the traditional way of doing things. I don’t care if others might tease us. As long as we’re happy, their laughter won’t matter for long.”
Grandma Mrs. Duncan thought it over, looked at Penelope’s sincere face and decided not to complicate their relationship.
“Well, it’s your choice.”
“Thank you. I’ll bring Chris to visit you tomorrow,” Penelope said with a smile.
The old lady chuckled and felt at ease.
Penelope returned home with joy. When she walked in, she noticed suitcases scattered around the house. In the living room, Jason was having a friendly conversation with Warren. Both of them were successful businessmen and seemed to be enjoying their chat.
“Where’s Daisy?” Penelope asked.
“She’s upstairs trying on clothes,” Mrs. Brown informed her.
Penelope greeted Jason and headed upstairs.
Daisy stood in front of a mirror, examining the bridesmaid dress that Jason had sent based on her instructions.
“It looks good. You’re not trying to outshine me, are you?” Penelope pushed the door open.
Daisy snorted and replied, “I just want your wedding to be perfect. If my dress is too flashy, does that ruin your day?”
Penelope glanced at her and said, “Don’t worry. You’re not that important.”
“Young Master!” Mrs. Jones’s voice echoed from the hallway.
Penelope turned around and saw Chris stumbling over himself.
“Oh my goodness!” Penelope and Grace rushed to pick him up.
He was dressed in a gray striped shirt and black baseball trousers and even had a tiny bow tie around his neck – a real little gentleman. With his adorable face and happy smile, he easily stole the spotlight from his dad.
“Mom…” He took a few steps forward, and Penelope scooped him up into her arms.
Daisy playfully teased him, “If she’s your mother, then who am I?”
Luckily, Chris didn’t inherit his mother’s face blindness. He joyfully shouted, “Aunt…”
Daisy smiled and showered him with kisses. “Baby, you’re much cuter than your parents!”
Penelope turned to the out-of-breath Mrs. Jones and said, “Please go rest. I’ll take care of him.”
Mrs. Jones sighed, “The young master is growing so fast. I can’t keep up.”
In his mother’s arms, Chris glanced at Mrs. Jones with a watchful eye and said, “Go…” while stretching out his chubby fingers and pointing.
Penelope patted his head and scolded gently, “Don’t be impolite.”
“Woo woo…” Chris pushed Penelope away and wiggled down to the floor.
“What are you up to?” Penelope smiled at him, knowing he was about to find his father to complain.
He searched around the room, calling, “Dad?”
Penelope shook her head and remarked, “Being handsome alone won’t cut it. He doesn’t seem very smart.”
Daisy replied, “You’re smart. Why can’t you recognize people?”
Penelope let the comment pass. Daisy changed her clothes and took Chris downstairs. “Let’s go, Chris. Aunt will take you to your dad.”
Penelope warned, “Hey! Spoiling him will cause problems!”