Rosie extended her hand to touch Summer’s lips as she spoke.
Summer was bending down and squatting in front of Rosie, who could easily reach the bite mark on her lips.
A fleeting sense of embarrassment appeared on her face. Just as she wanted to say something, footsteps rang out behind her.
Leonardo had come in.
“Mommy’s lip is injured, Daddy!” Rosie immediately shared what she had just discovered.
Summer was struck dumb while Leonardo glanced down at her. “Really?” he said frivolously.
“Yeah.” Rosie ran up to him, held him by the hand, and walked him up to Summer. “Look, heeeeere…”
Still angry, Summer glared at him. She bent down to pick Rosie up before she headed upstairs.
“Your mouth, Mommy…”
Rosie continued to take particular interest in her wounded lip as she curled her little hands around Summer’s neck.
“I’m fine. It doesn’t even hurt.” Summer quickened her steps up the stairs and carried Rosie into the bedroom where she used to stay.
She locked the door behind her as soon as she stepped into the room.
Seeing that, Rosie looked at her in puzzlement. “Why lock the door, Mommy?”
“Bad people will come in if I don’t lock the door.”
“What bad people?”
“People with evil intentions.”
Rosie titled her head and scrunched up her brows as if she was confused. “Daddy is here. My daddy… Leonardo… beats bad people.”
Her sentence sounded disjointed, with pauses in between. It seemed like she was thinking about how to string her words together.
Her mind was working fast, but her ability to express herself was struggling to catch up.
That was the first time Summer had heard Rosie say such a thing, and she became curious. “Really? Your daddy beats bad people up?”
“Mhm…” It looked like Rosie had thought of something, but under Summer’s watchful eyes, she still could not find the right words to express. So, it was better to just summarize them with an “Mhm.”
Rosie clenched her fists as she stood in front of Summer and looked up with a solemn expression.
Summer could not help but chortle and pat her on the head. “You’re right.”
She brought Rosie to the sofa and let her play with her toys there.
After some time, someone knocked on the door.
“Mrs. Emerson, Little Miss, lunch is ready.” It was the maid.
Summer was surprised that it was not Leonardo.
“We’ll be there right away.”
She brought Rosie to the door, and the moment she opened it, there was no maid outside but Leonardo.
He looked a lot calmer than Summer, who appeared surprised.
“Lunch is ready.”
There was no obvious expression on his face or emotion in his voice.
Summer took a deep breath and walked ahead with Rosie.
…
The maid had prepared lunch, and it was basically a feast.
It reminded Summer that the meals she prepared for Leonardo in the past were indeed a little too rustic.
At the dining table, Summer and Rosie sat next to each other while Leonardo sat across from them.
A maid was standing by, and the dining room was so quiet that she could hear a pin drop.
Of course, after Rosie had her fill, the place immediately turned noisy.
Rosie loved food. She would really focus whenever she ate. But just as she was about to finish, she would become playful, fiddling with the chopsticks, spoons, and dishes. She could always find enjoyment in anything.
Once she was done, she began to climb down from her chair in search of entertainment elsewhere.
As the chair was a little too high for her, she sought help from Summer. “Mommy…”
The moment Summer carried her down the chair, she immediately scampered away.
Silence returned to the dining room.
“Rosie’s like you,” Leonardo suddenly said.
She looked at him, and he continued, “Personality-wise.”
Summer acknowledged with an “Oh” before she lowered her head and resumed her meal.
In reality, she already had her fill, but she did not feel like leaving the dining room just yet. It seemed that she subconsciously wanted to talk to Leonardo.
He looked milder today than before.
She thought of what he had said earlier, about remembering their time in the Golden Cauldron. At that time, they already had mutual feelings for each other, so she could infer that Leonardo also had feelings for her now.
The living room was silent once more.
“Carl and the others will be back in Hoover tomorrow.” It felt like Leonardo was trying to find a topic to talk about. He mentioned Carl, and once Carl came home, Jessica would follow.
Summer nodded but said nothing.
Leonardo was a man of few words, so he soon became quiet again.
They had known each other for so long and even borne a child together, yet they were strangely distant right now. She did not know why she had such a feeling.
Summer put down her chopsticks and looked up at Leonardo. “I’m going home now.”
Leonardo suddenly looked up and squinted at her. “Going home? Which home?” His tone sounded threatening.
“My rented apartment.” Summer explained nicely to him, “I think this still isn’t the right time to move into your house.”
Leonardo’s eyes sank, and he corrected her, “This is our home.”
Knowing his temper, Summer did not want to harp on the issue. “I’m leaving now.”
Leonardo looked intently at her, but he did not say that it was okay or not okay.
So, she took it as consent. She got to her feet and walked out.
Rosie had almost dozed off on the sofa after playing for a while in the living room.
“Are you tired?” Summer patted her on the head. “Mommy’s leaving now.”
It seemed like Rosie became alert all of a sudden as her eyes opened wide. “Where are you going?”
“I’ll come again tomorrow.” Summer chortled.
Rosie had gradually gotten used to having Summer not living with her, but it was still hard for her to see her mommy leave. “Okay.”
“Good girl. Let me bring you upstairs and put you to bed. I will only leave after you fall asleep.” While she spoke, she brought Rosie back to her room.
Rosie lay in bed and was close to dozing off. “Don’t go, Mommy…” She held Summer’s fingers and mumbled.
Summer left after she fell asleep.
Yet, on the same night, Leonardo and Rosie showed up at her doorstep with luggage in hand.
Bewildered, Summer gawked at the luggage in his left hand and then at Rosie in his right. “What are you doing?”
“Family should stay together.”