"Papa, shoot again! Give them a lesson!" Sky exclaimed.
The two men ran faster and faster. Alice could only shake her head watching that."Honey, are you okay?" she asked after Sky stopped laughing."Yes, Mama. I actually feel sorry for them. You saw how they ran? They must have been very scared. Oh, where is Grassy? Poor him. If he had a heart, it would have fallen out when he was hanging outside the fence."Sky spun around looking for her stuffed animal. When she found Grassy lying on the ground, she rushed to pick it up."Grassy!" She hugged the bear tightly. After giving him a kiss, she spoke to Rocky Talkie."Papa, thank you for saving us. Grassy is very happy. Me too! I've missed you since yesterday. Where are you now, Papa?" Sky turned to face the trees. "I can't wait to hug you again."Several seconds passed, no answer was heard. Edmund wasn't visible either."Papa? Do you hear me"Alice," Edmund moved closer to his wife. He stopped at a distance that felt right—neither too close, nor too far to convey a whisper. "Can we talk now?" Alice took a deep breath. Her head nodded faintly. "Yes." "How are you? That guy didn't hurt you, right?" Alice glanced thinly. She didn't expect that Edmund could still make small talk. "Fine. They didn't touch me. Sky protected me well." Edmund nodded. A faint sigh escaped his mouth. "Thank God. Then, how do you feel? Any better?" Alice froze. Her heart was turbulent, awakening feelings that she didn't understand. "You still mad at me?" Edmund asked carefully. Alice shook her head slightly. "I don't know. I also don't understand what I'm feeling right now. But I don't think it's anger." "Are you disappointed?" Alice closed her eyes for a moment. In the darkness and silence, she tried to find the answer. "I
"So, how is it, Darling? Are you still mad at me?" Edmund whispered, stroking the back of Alice's hand. "Come on, don't be jealous anymore. It was just a misunderstanding. I'm sorry if you're upset because I received help from another woman. Next time, I promise I won't touch any woman again. Only you and Sky can hug me. Nothing else," his voice was so soothing."Are you sure it's just me and Sky?" Edmund nodded. "Yes, I am sure." Alice withdrew her hand from him. Crossing her arms, she lifted her chin. "You're lying again." In an instant, Edmund's smile faded. His face turned serious again. "Why are you accusing me of lying?" "What about Mrs. Klein and your mother? You won't embrace them anymore?" Edmund was taken aback. Realizing the joke, he finally laughed. "Gosh .... How could I forget them? Okay then, it's just the four of you. I won't embrace the others." While looking a
Alice shook her head. "No, I'm not sad. I'm just relieved because Sky has been excited again. Her face looked so dim when we just got here. For the first time, I saw she wasn't excited about going on an adventure. She missed you too much." Smiling wryly, Edmund stroked Alice's back. "But now, she's cheerful again. You don't need to worry." Alice glanced at Edmund lovingly. "Yes, because of that, I am very grateful to have you. Sorry we disturbed your work. Scott must have panicked because you followed us here." All of a sudden, Edmund's expression stiffened. After a few blinks, he muttered, "I don't have a job anymore, Alice. How could you bother my work?" Alice's head spontaneously pushed back. "What do you mean?" Edmund took a deep breath. "I resign." "Are you serious? Why? The company is your dream, Ed." Edmund shook his head lightly. "I used to think so. But apparently, I was wrong. Living happil
"You know what, Louis? Papa doesn't work at the company anymore. He resigned so he could go on an adventure with Mama and me. Together, we will travel the world," Sky explained with a cheerful face.Louis' mouth rounded again. "Wow, that's cool. So you're not going back to Flagstaff?" Sky shook her head. "Not in a short time. We plan on traveling the world. Maybe we'll come home sometime." Louis nodded with a sad look. "Too bad, that means we'll likely have a harder time seeing each other again. But I'm happy for your plans, Sky." "Thank you, Louis. If we visit L City, we will definitely stop by your company. Savior Group, right?" Edmund's eyebrows arched high. His eyes twitched to check the memory. "Savior Group? Isn't that the biggest company in L City?" "Yes, that's right. If you come there, tell the receptionist that you are my friend, Louis Harper. They will welcome you and take you to my room."
The woman wearing a butterfly pin nodded. With sparkling eyes, she showed off Sky's photo on her phone. Sky was standing with her arms outstretched. A large waterfall looked so beautiful behind her. "Look at this. Isn't she adorable?" The others nodded in agreement. "Yes, she looks very happy. She must feel free there. Oh, I thought she was going to hug me." "But I think her pose in the photo I received is the cutest." All gazes immediately shifted to the woman in the white blazer. "What photo did you get?" She took out her phone proudly. "Look at how cute her expression is here! If I had been there, I would have pinched her cheeks." The other two women scrambled to check. When they saw Sky standing in the middle of the bridge surrounded by treetops, their laughter spread to the air. "Oh, why does she open her eyes and mouth that big?" "And why does she look like s
Smiling, Elizabeth said, "You are right. I am very lucky to have daughter-in-law and grandchild like Alice and Sky. Therefore, I can't wait to welcome them home." Her three friends nodded. When they were about to reply, their phones beeped. A breaking news notification had appeared. Reading the title, they all gasped. "Did I read it correctly? Giselle became a trending topic?" "Yeah, she's a trending topic." "But, is it true? She turns out to be this embarrassing?" Curious, Elizabeth took her phone. She did a manual search on the topic. When she found it, her breath hitched. Surprise escaped from her mouth. ***Lucas was lost in thought, his gaze fixed out the window. Canis, who was lying beside his chair, looked listless. Maybe he was bored of not getting attention from his owner. But when a knock came from the door, Canis straightened up again. He ran towards the door, pacing as if to te
For a long time, Lucas bent down and hugged his wife's grave. He wanted to give all his attention and affection to her. Unfortunately, no matter how many sweet words he said, no matter how sincere the apology he offered, he realized. His wife would never answer. He could only cry and lament his fate until he fell asleep, hoping that Rachel would come in his dream. When Lucas woke up, nothing had changed. Rachel was still gone and he had to let her go. The only thing he could think of to survive was to return to the forest house—the place he had once promised as home to his beloved wife. *** All the way home, Lucas felt empty. Moreover, Canis was not beside him on the plane. His mind was easily carried away by feelings that he should have reconciled with long ago. "Is it appropriate for me to continue living after what I've done?" "Is there any reason for me to rise again?" "What is the meaning of life to m
"Papa Edmund doesn't mind at all. In fact, he was the one who took Mama and me here so we could meet again. He said he was worried about you. Mama and I need to cheer you up. That's why I made a special welcoming earlier."Sky nodded reassuringly before continued to speak. "Wasn't that cool, Papa? You love watching me and my animal friends work together, right? They are great partners!" Lucas' chest felt tighter and tighter. He didn't know if that feeling was a punishment or a gift. He didn't dare glance at Edmund. His embarrassment was beyond measure. "You don't need to feel embarrassed about me, Lucas. I don't mind Sky calling you Papa. You were once her father. In fact, I'm grateful that you took that responsibility for those five years." Lucas exhaled heavily. He had no other choice, but to stand up and meet Edmund's gaze. "Don't pretend to be nice to me," he whispered. "I don't pretend. I do than