Grace courageously sent Daniel a message, anxiously awaited a response. When it remained unanswered, she decided to call him before Emily returned. After a few tones of dialing, a heavy voice came from the other end of the line.
“Hello,” Daniel’s voice came from the other end, a wave of relief to Grace.
“Uncle, it’s me,” Grace said softly, her voice full of innocence, bringing a faint smile to Daniel’s lips. Despite his desperate longing to be close to his daughter, he still tried to hold back, resisting the urge to meet her.
“I know. What’s wrong?” Daniel asked in a warm voice, trying to remain calm.
“I sent a message, but you didn’t reply,” Grace said.
“I’m sorry. I haven’t seen your message,” Daniel said gently.
“Can we meet today?” Grace asked hopefully.
When she received no answer, Grace finally spoke again. “Do you want to keep a child waiting here for too long? I snuck out of the house to see you,” she lied.
Daniel’s voice filled with panic. “Where are you now?” he asked anxiously.
A faint smile played on Grace’s lips, please with her successful lie to Daniel.
Emily entered the car with light steps.
“That’s all, Uncle. You have to come,” Grace pleaded firmly, before turning off her phone and quickly hiding it behind her car seat.
Once Emily got into the car, she immediately started the engine. Their journey to the bustling shopping center continued smoothly. Throughout the ride, Grace secretly peeked at her phone, hoping to see a reply from Daniel.
“Are you hungry?” Emily asked as they reached the shopping center.
With a cheerful smile, Grace looked at Emily and said, “Yes, Mom! I’m hungry.”
Emily smiled back, pleased by Grace’s enthusiasm. They walked into the shopping center together, with Emily holding Grace’s small hand tightly. They searched for a restaurant with a menu that appealed to a child’s taste.
“I want this one, Mom,” Grace said excitedly, pointing to the menu.
The friendly waitress was happy to serve them and took down Emily’s orders. Meanwhile, Grace took advantage of the moment to discreetly share her current location with Daniel.
“What are you so busy with?” Emily muttered, watching Grace keep her head down.
Finally, Emily noticed that Grace was playing with her own phone.
“Since when has this phone been in your hand?” Emily asked confused, realizing it had been in her bag before.
“Sorry, Mom. I picked it up earlier in your bag. I just wanted to play a game,” Grace explained, only to receive a heavy sigh from Emily in response.
“Okay, but just for a moment, okay?” Emily said with a gentle smile.
“Yes, Mom. I promise,” Grace replied.
Not long after, Grace’s eyes widened with a big smile as she saw Daniel’s arrive at the restaurant door.
“Wait a minute, Mom,” Grace said, quickly getting out of her seat.
“Grace, where are you going?” Emily asked, but Grace ignored her and ran towards the door.
“Grace, wait!” Emily exclaimed, running after her. She finally caught up to Grace and saw Daniel standing in front of them.
“Uncle!” Grace cried happily, running towards him. Daniel was surprised to see Emily, not expecting her to be there.
“Come on, Uncle! Let’s go inside,” Grace invited, pulling Daniel’s hand excitedly. She then also pulled Emily’s hand, who was still standing there, surprising and confusing them both.
The three of them sat down at a table in the restaurant, a hush falling over them. Grace sat next to Daniel, while Emily sat opposite her. Emily’s gaze was filled with regret and a hint of guilt. She knew her daughter was the reason of this awkward situation.
“I’m sorry for my daughter’s behavior,” Emily said. “You may leave if you have other business. I understand you must be busy.”
“Uncle can’t leave,” Grace whined, her tiny hands gripping Daniel’s arms tightly.
“Grace!” Emily exclaimed, her eyes blazing as she glared angrily at her daughter.
Grace’s eyes reddened, struggling to hold back the tears welling up.
Daniel remain silent, his heart breaking at the sight of Grace, who clearly adored him. If only fate had not been so cruel to him, he would not have left Emily and their daughter. Guilt consumed him, but he couldn’t ignore their safety.
Seeing Grace on the verge of tears, Emily felt a mixture of sadness and anger, but she couldn’t entirely blame her daughter. After all, Grace seemed to have a deep connection with Daniel, explaining her strong affection for him.
“Uncle won’t leave, right? Let’s go for a walk together,” Grace asked, her eyes sparkling with hope. Her voice trembled slightly, as if pleading.
Daniel was silent. He wanted to hug his daughter tightly, to comfort her, but he knew it was impossible. He had to go, he had to protect them. However, looking at Grace’s innocent face, he couldn’t resist.
With a thin, forced smile, he replied, “Okay.” Hearing Daniel’s answer, Emily was a little surprised. Her eyes remained fixed on Grace, who was still holding Daniel’s hand tightly.
As they exited the restaurant, Grace cheerfully pulled Emily and Daniel’s hands, making them walk hand in hand. Although awkward, an unexpected scene unfolded. They looked like a complete little family, an image that felt so foreign, yet so moving.
The sound of music and dazzling colorful lights greeted them as they entered the arcade. Grace ran straight to the claw machine. “Uncle, I want to play this!” she pleaded, her eyes sparkling with hope.
Daniel smiled, touched by Grace’s enthusiasm. “Alright, let’s try it,” he said, leading her to the machine.
Daniel showed Grace how to play the machine, her tiny fingers deftly following his hand movements. Grace was very enthusiastic, her eyes glued to the cute teddy bear hanging inside the machine. After a few tries, Grace finally managed to grab the cute teddy bear she wanted.
“Yeay! We did it!” Grace cried happily. She hugged her teddy bear tightly, as if she couldn’t believe that she had gotten it.
Daniel and Emily smiled at Grace’s excitement. Their gazes met for a moment, a meaningful, yet unspoken look. It was as if something was implied, a feeling that was difficult to express. However, they quickly looked away, each lost in their own thoughts.
They continued their adventure at the arcade game.
Until they stopped at one of the photo booths.
“Mom, let’s take a picture of the three of us here!” asked Grace, her index finger pointing to the photo booth, eager to capture their moment together.
Emily hesitated. “Grace, are you done playing? Let’s continue playing some of the other games, okay?”
“No, Mom. Come on, Uncle, let’s take a picture together!” Grace insisted, pulling Daniel and Emily’s hands towards the photo booth.
Daniel and Emily exchanged glances, their eyes filled with doubt. They were forced to follow Grace, their hearts pounding erratically. Grace, oblivious to the tension between them, seemed overjoyed and eager to pose.
“Uncle, Mom, let’s go!” she called again.