Cristelle suggested, “Let’s wait for Cody before we discuss it.”
“It doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that we must keep Candace happy, right, honey?” Linford ruffled her hair, smiling.
Candace thought that her brother would agree to whatever she wanted anyway, so she nodded, “Of course.”
Cristelle was speechless. Was Linford using this chance to get back at their son?
Franco and Cody stayed in his room until dinner.
Cody looked quite serious as he came out from his great-grandpa’s room, holding the old man’s hand. He looked up and saw Linford carry Candace downstairs. He suddenly remembered what Pop had just told him.
Pop mentioned that Clyde’s death was a major blow to Linford. He didn’t remember the past; worse, he just lost his memories.
Linford was like a deadly walking bomb that any moment, would explode and probably avenge Clyde’s death once he recalled his past.
Cody fell even more silent.
Was he too harsh to Linford all this time?
“Cody, performance. The first day of school.” Candace struggled to say these words, jumping off her father’s arms and running toward her brother.
Cody sat back on the couch, “What do you want to perform, Candace?”
Candace bobbed her head and twisted her waist, “We dance.”
Cody looked defeated, “No, you better dance alone.”
“No, we dance together. Mom, you, and I dance. Dad, piano,” Candace hardly explained.
Cody sighed, “You win.”
Cristelle couldn’t believe Cody had just agreed. She cast Linford a surprised look. Linford was smiling at her.
Candace walked to her brother and kissed Cody’s cheek.
Cody giggled as he hugged her sister.
Candace quickly pulled away, twirling in the parlor when dinner started, “Tutu dress. Tutu dress.”
Cody was happy, looking at his sister and trying to speak often recently.
****
They moved into the newly reconstructed apartment the next day. Pop also came along with them.
A long aisle connected the two apartments on the second floor. But the styles of the two apartments were still different. Pop and Lily chose to live on Linford’s side as it was more spacious.
However, Linford decided to live in the bedroom next to Cristelle’s. He even made the doors look exactly the same. They could accidentally walk into the wrong room if they didn’t pay attention.
Of course, that situation would be ideal for Linford. Cristelle secretly thought that she would never walk into the wrong room.
Cody was so annoyed as he noticed his father’s little tricks.
Linford Bradley was a predator!
But Cody realized it was better as he had a smarter way to crash his illusion.
“Mom, can I sleep in your bedroom starting today?”
Cody hadn’t been as close to her as before since he came back from the trip. Cristelle was thrilled, “Of course! Why not? Both you and your sister can sleep with Mom from today.”
Linford was strongly against it, “You’re a big boy now. How can you share the same bed with your Mom? Aren’t you ashamed?”
Cody stuck his tongue out, “Pop told me you peed yourself at my age.”
Linford was embarrassed, “We’ll see, Cody Bradley.”
Cody rolled his eyes and walked away.
Cristelle sighed, “Cody finally decided to stay with me again. Can you stop ruining his enthusiasm? Fritzi just sent our clothes for the performance. Why don’t you help me to fetch them?”
Linford went downstairs to carry the box of clothes upstairs. The box contained the suits and dresses they needed for the performance. Linford had never worn anything made by Cristelle. He was pretty excited.
Cristelle seemed worried, “We already spent so many hours moving back. We don’t have much time left. Can we really make it?”
A wide smile appeared on Linford’s handsome face, “That dance is pretty easy. We don’t even need much time to finish the rehearsal.”
Cristelle trusted him.
They summoned the babies to the dance room after lunch.
Candace was so excited. She couldn’t stop jumping as she entered the new dance room Linford had decorated for her.
Cristelle hurried to stop her, “Honey, be careful with your leg.”
“Okay, Mom,” Candace was so overwhelmed. She hadn’t danced for a while, “Let’s begin.”
Cody was unhappy because dance was one of the few things he was not really good at. He folded his arms and just stood there, pulling a face.
Linford pressed the button as the music started to play.
Candace was so excited.
Cristelle, however, was quite nervous. It had been almost 10 years since the last time she danced. This time, being watched by Linford Bradley, she suddenly felt so nervous.
Cristelle reached her hands to the sky when the music started to flow. She jumped lightly like a butterfly flying up and down.
Even though she hadn’t practiced for years, the way she moved was still elegant and graceful to watch.
Linford’s eyes lit up as he watched Cristelle’s movement. He couldn’t help smiling, and his eyes were filled with fondness.
He had never seen her dance before.
“Wow!, Mom, you look beautiful,” Candace clapped her hands and followed her Mom. She had learned how to dance for a while. It was hard to follow, but the way she tried to catch up was adorable.
Cody just stood there, arms folded, as he stared at Linford coldly. That man couldn’t even take his eyes away when his Mom danced.
How rude.
Linford finally noticed the contempt in Cody’s eyes. He frowned at the boy, “What are you staring at? Go practice with them, or you will make us lose.”
“Humph!” Cody looked away angrily.
Candace came forward to pull at Cody’s arm, “Cody, hurry.”
Dancing was the thing Cody genuinely hated most. And now, he had to do it in front of Linford. That fact made the boy extremely anxious.
But he didn’t want to make his Mom and Candace disappointed. So he mustered his courage and started to dance under Cristelle’s instruction.
Linford burst into a fit of laughter as Cody started to dance. Cody was pulling a face.
Cody was so embarrassed as he stopped dancing. He walked forth, trying to push Linford out of the room, “You need to leave. I don’t want to see you here.”
The boy was trying his best for the family. How could this man just start to laugh at him?
Candace was also glaring at their dad. She tried to shoo their dad away, “Out. Out. Rude.”
“I’m sorry. I won’t laugh again. I promise.” Linford wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, holding his laughter, “I’ll be quiet.”
Cristelle shook her head, “Linford, you can’t laugh at your son. He’s doing great.”
“I’m sorry, okay?” Linford nodded obediently, “I won’t laugh again. I promise.”
At this moment, Franco and Lily also walked in.
“What’s wrong? We heard Cody yelling downstairs,” Lily asked worriedly.
“It’s his fault,” Cody pointed at his father, “He laughed at me when I tried to dance.”
Candace also nodded, “It’s rude.”