"I feel like someone's watching me," Jacqueline muttered.Serenity chuckled. "Of course someone's watching you! Lots of people were looking your way when you were telling the story."Jacqueline blushed. "Was it bad?""No, it was wonderful!" Serenity assured her. "When Morris hears it, he’ll definitely be thrilled!"Feeling uplifted, Jacqueline smiled again.They got into the waiting car, which slowly drove away from the theater.The young beggar cautiously emerged from behind the old beggar, watching the departing car with a cold expression that a boy his age shouldn't have.Later that night, unable to sleep, Jacqueline made a video call to Fred."Can’t sleep?" he asked through the screen.Jacqueline nodded, explaining, "Every time I close my eyes, I think about the musical and about Morris."After returning home, she had even written notes on the play's content so that she wouldn't miss anything when she shared it with Morris one day."What do you want to talk about?" Fred
"Anything is fine," Jacqueline said. She just wanted to hear Fred play the piano.Fred began with a familiar tune: "Für Elise", a piece that Jacqueline loved.Jacqueline listened quietly. Despite the distance, and although she was hearing it through the phone, she was still immersed in the sound of the piano. This was Fred’s piano.When the piece ended, Jacqueline suddenly asked, "Fred, do you think there will come a day when I also can't hear you play the piano anymore?"Fred was taken aback. "Why do you ask that?""I'm just afraid that one day, you might disappear, like Morris did," she said. Then, realizing how it sounded, she quickly added, "I... I'm not saying you'll go missing. I... I just..."After a brief pause, she continued, "I'm scared that unexpected things might happen. What if we argue? What if you ignore me? What if...""Those things won't happen!" Fred interrupted."But—""Jackie, I'm not Morris," he said firmly. "I won't get into a fight with you. If anythin
"Why are you still up?" Fred deflected."If my son isn’t asleep, how can I rest?" Weston replied. "How are your fingers? Are they sore?"Fred had completely stopped playing the piano lately, so now that he suddenly played it again for three straight hours, his fingers must be sore.Fred shrugged. "It’s fine."His father knew him well; even if his fingers hurt, he wouldn’t admit it."Sometimes, being too accommodating can be a bad thing, you know? It’s good to be kind, but if you’re too generous without setting boundaries, people might take that kindness for granted. They might not appreciate it like they should," Weston advised.Even though Fred was only ten years old, he was mature beyond his years because he had been through a lot."My kindness to her is something she deserves!" he insisted. "Without Jackie, I wouldn’t be who I am today. When other people beat me and yelled at me, Jackie was the one who helped me. She’s never looked down on me."Whether he was the son of a cr
"It’s nothing serious. She should be fine in a few days," Serenity reassured them.They were relieved to hear that."Oh, by the way, I finally get to see the baby with her eyes open! Her eyes really do look like Lucas'," Lisa remarked.The baby had big, beautiful eyes. She would break a lot of hearts when she grew up.When Beatrice finally opened her eyes and Coco saw how much her eyes resembled Lucas', she was actually really happy.It would be a shame if Lucas' beautiful eyes did not get passed down to their daughter.Lucas, however, was not as happy. "If only her eyes were more like yours; that would be perfect. She would look exactly like you," Lucas said, a hint of regret in his tone.Coco brushed aside his regret.Currently, all the children were gathered around the baby, looking at her. Among them, Caden seemed the least interested. He looked at the baby briefly before shifting his attention back to Cynthia. He had been holding Cynthia's hand the whole time, never lett
If Caden continued to need Cynthia to focus only on him, conflicts were sure to arise."Aren't you worried?" Lisa asked. "This can’t go on. Cynthia is already twelve. In a couple of years, she might start dating.""I am worried, but I don't know what I can do," Serenity replied."Have you considered taking Caden to a psychologist?" Lisa suggested."We’ve tried, but Caden is very resistant, so it hasn’t been effective," Serenity explained.Hearing that, Lisa could only sigh.Coco chimed in, "Perhaps things will change in a couple of years. Sometimes, children mature seemingly overnight."Serenity nodded. "That’s true. For now, we can only guide them as best we can."The three women then shifted the conversation to Lisa's future son-in-law.While Caden spoke little due to his introverted nature, Morgan was quiet simply because he couldn't be bothered talking.Whenever he did speak, it was often with a mocking edge.For instance, when Renee saw that the baby wasn't crying, she
Morgan looked at Cynthia flatly and said, "This isn't anything difficult." To him, it was something really simple; only idiots would struggle with it."But... it’s the first time I’ve seen a boy braid someone’s hair," Cynthia admitted. There were certainly no boys like him around her."That’s because you haven’t met enough people," Morgan retorted.Cynthia was left speechless.Now that Renee’s hair was done, she rushed off to play with Jacqueline. Micah approached Morgan and asked him, "Don't you find it a hassle to braid a girl’s hair?""No," Morgan said, his tone toward Micah notably different. They had once gotten into a debate over a computer virus problem. Neither could convince the other, so they ended up playing a game of attack-and-defense with computer viruses to prove their point. In the end, there was no clear winner, but Morgan felt he had the advantage, being two years older than Micah. If they were the same age, he might have lost.After that incident, they had gr
"Because every person should be an independent individual," she explained. "You should live for yourself and have your own interests, not just liking whatever I like."At twelve, Serenity was already in sixth grade and about to graduate elementary school. Growing older had given her a broader perspective."Isn't it good that I like what you like?" he asked."But I want you to have your own interests," Cynthia replied. "You can like things that I don't necessarily like.""I don't want to!" Jacqueline refused almost without thinking. "If it’s not something you like, I definitely won’t like it either!"He was so adamant that it left her momentarily stunned, unsure how to continue.Sometimes, his stubbornness made her feel helpless. Once he made up his mind, it seemed impossible to change it.Serenity, noticing the unusual atmosphere between them, approached and asked, "What’s wrong?"Cynthia shook her head and replied, "It’s nothing, Aunt Serene."Caden stayed silent.Serenity a
He was different. He grew up in the darkness. She was the one who had gradually brought light into his world. Yet, certain things were so deeply rooted that they could not be removed no matter what.He did not want to show his dark side in front of her, so he tried his best to become the person she expected."But..." Serenity hesitated, wanting to say more, but Jackson embraced her. "Stop worrying. Caden is only ten. He's only attached to Cynthia for now. We don't even know if he'll actually fall in love with her in the future or how Cynthia will react, so it’s pointless to speculate. Maybe things won't unfold the way we expect. For now, we just have to wait and see."If he really had to take action in the future, then he would.Serenity could only let the matter rest for now.After all, this was not a problem that could be resolved quickly.Meanwhile, in the Jenkins household, Cynthia was lying in bed, preparing to sleep when she heard two soft knocks on her door. She hesita