Chapter 10
Alejandro’s gaze swept across the room, his eyes gradually turning unreadable.
He didn’t respond right away.
Sharon held Lynne’s hand and said with quiet understanding, “Thank you, Lynnie. But it’s alright-I can stay anywhere. If Concy isn’t comfortable with it, I’ll move out.”
She gave a light smile, but disappointment still shone clearly in her bright eyes.
Hyman blurted out, “No way!”
Lynne echoed right after, “Don’t!”
Their voices were full of panic.
Hyman looked conflicted.
He thought, “I do miss Mom, but she won’t be back anytime soon.
“Auntie Sharon’s finally back. Letting her stay in Mom’s room for a while should be fine…”
“Auntie Sharon has to stay! Mom was being unreasonable. She should be the one to leave!” Lynne bellowed.
Just the mention of her mother filled her with frustration.
She thought, “Mom’s so annoying, even when she isn’t around.”
She tugged on her father’s hand and pleaded, “Daddy, that room used to be Auntie Sharon’s anyway. Let her stay there, okay? Don’t you love her?”
Sharon’s cheeks flushed red. Pretending to be shy, she quickly covered Lynne’s mouth and said softly, “Lynnie, it’s fine. I can share a room with you if we have to.”
“No.” Alejandro frowned.”You’re not staying with Lynnie. I didn’t bring you here to be their nanny.”
Sharon looked up at him, eyes soft and misty, and murmured, “It’s okay. I don’t mind…”
The look on her face was exactly as Alejandro remembered from years ago, and he froze for a second.
Without thinking, he stroked her hair.”Stay there. It’s just a room.”
“Worst case, when Concetta comes back, I’ll let her share my room,” he thought.
“Lucky her.”
“Yay!” Lynne shouted, brimming with joy, as she clutched her father’s and Sharon’s hands.
She thought, “If only Mommy never came back.”
But then, her excitement faded, as she figured her nagging mother would probably come back soon and ruin everything.
She had blocked her mother’s number earlier and assumed there had been countless calls by now.
With a bit of smug satisfaction, she pulled out her phone, opened her block list, and checked the intercepted calls, something she’d done many times before.
Other than the few calls from earlier, the screen now showed nothing.
She realized her mother hadn’t tried to call her again.
She froze, an inexplicable unease creeping into her chest.
Sharon noticed her staring at Concetta’s number in a daze. She tightened her grip on the girl’s hand and said, “Lynnie, come on. Let’s go eat dinner. After that, I’ll help you and Hyman with your puzzle.”
“Auntie Sharon, you’re the best!” Lynne said.
She immediately brushed away that uneasy feeling and locked her phone.
< Chapter 10
She thought, “So what if M
Chapter 10
Alejandro’s gaze swept across the room, his eyes gradually turning unreadable.
He didn’t respond right away.
Sharon held Lynne’s hand and said with quiet understanding, “Thank you, Lynnie. But it’s alright-I can stay anywhere. If Concy isn’t comfortable with it, I’ll move out.”
She gave a light smile, but disappointment still shone clearly in her bright eyes.
Hyman blurted out, “No way!”
Lynne echoed right after, “Don’t!”
Their voices were full of panic.
Hyman looked conflicted.
He thought, “I do miss Mom, but she won’t be back anytime soon.
“Auntie Sharon’s finally back. Letting her stay in Mom’s room for a while should be fine…”
“Auntie Sharon has to stay! Mom was being unreasonable. She should be the one to leave!” Lynne bellowed.
Just the mention of her mother filled her with frustration.
She thought, “Mom’s so annoying, even when she isn’t around.”
She tugged on her father’s hand and pleaded, “Daddy, that room used to be Auntie Sharon’s anyway. Let her stay there, okay? Don’t you love her?”
Sharon’s cheeks flushed red. Pretending to be shy, she quickly covered Lynne’s mouth and said softly, “Lynnie, it’s fine. I can share a room with you if we have to.”
“No.” Alejandro frowned.”You’re not staying with Lynnie. I didn’t bring you here to be their nanny.”
Sharon looked up at him, eyes soft and misty, and murmured, “It’s okay. I don’t mind…”
The look on her face was exactly as Alejandro remembered from years ago, and he froze for a second.
Without thinking, he stroked her hair.”Stay there. It’s just a room.”
“Worst case, when Concetta comes back, I’ll let her share my room,” he thought.
“Lucky her.”
“Yay!” Lynne shouted, brimming with joy, as she clutched her father’s and Sharon’s hands.
She thought, “If only Mommy never came back.”
But then, her excitement faded, as she figured her nagging mother would probably come back soon and ruin everything.
She had blocked her mother’s number earlier and assumed there had been countless calls by now.
With a bit of smug satisfaction, she pulled out her phone, opened her block list, and checked the intercepted calls, something she’d done many times before.
Other than the few calls from earlier, the screen now showed nothing.
She realized her mother hadn’t tried to call her again.
She froze, an inexplicable unease creeping into her chest.
Sharon noticed her staring at Concetta’s number in a daze. She tightened her grip on the girl’s hand and said, “Lynnie, come on. Let’s go eat dinner. After that, I’ll help you and Hyman with your puzzle.”
“Auntie Sharon, you’re the best!” Lynne said.
She immediately brushed away that uneasy feeling and locked her phone.
< Chapter 10
She thought, “So what if Mom didn’t call? I don’t care.
“She can stay out of my life forever, for all I care. I’ve got Auntie Sharon, and that’s more than enough.”
Menu
om didn’t call? I don’t care.
“She can stay out of my life forever, for all I care. I’ve got Auntie Sharon, and that’s more than enough.”
Menu
