"Uncle Ed, are you sad because of what Mama said?" Edmund blinked and straightened his back. He didn't know when Sky opened the door. As he looked around, she already stepped in with a guilty face. “Please don't be sad. Mama also thought the compass was beautiful. It's just that Mama didn't want to say it. Maybe it's because Mama was embarrassed that her compass was not that nice." Sky leaned against the edge of the bed, right next to Edmund. Edmund smiled wryly at the her misunderstanding. "Rachel also has a compass?" Sky nodded. “But it was broken and never used again. Papa said, people nowadays rely on GPS. That compass is old.” While stroking Sky's hair, Edmund whispered, "Do you agree with him?" "In my opinion, it's true that the compass is old, but it doesn't mean we don't need to use it anymore. People who still use a compass are actually cool." The corners of Edmund's lips turned up. "Do you often disagree with Lucas?" “Papa rarely agrees with my opinion, but I realize
"But Uncle, pangolins are usually active at night. During the day like this, they like to sleep in their nests. That's why we have to be more alert. Look for scratch marks or big holes in the ground. That could be their nest." "How do we differentiate their claw marks from those of other animals?" Edmund asked seriously. "I don't know either, Uncle. That's why, every time we find a hole, we have to check it," Sky said as she continued walking. Her head occasionally turned back. Edmund never got tired of responding with a smile. "All this time, I always hope to see pangolins. I am curious what they look like when they feel threatened. Is it true that they look like balls and can roll?" Her voice sounded sweet."Unfortunately, their numbers are getting smaller now. That's why they are protected animals. I'm confused why naughty hunters still target their meat and scales. Pangolins are wild animals. They should live in the wild, not be killed for food or medicine." Sky stamped her foo
"Do you like children?" Rachel asked when she could no longer hold back her curiosity. Edmund glanced for a moment. With a crooked smile, he focused on the camera. "Not really. The children always like me." "I can understand that," Sky interjected with a faint smile. "You're the best person I've ever known. A little above Uncle Green, but please don't tell him. I'm afraid he'll be sad." Edmund's smile widened. He was actually curious about Lucas' position, but he didn't want to be disappointed. So, handing Sky the photo he had just taken, he said, "And you are the best child I have ever known. Please don't tell the other children. It will be troublesome if they all cry later." Sky giggled again. While receiving the photo paper from Edmund, she stood on tiptoe. "Thank you, Uncle Ed. Now, how about we follow the footprints? Maybe, the pangolin isn't that far away. The trail looks still fresh." "Sky," Rachel stroked her shoulder, "The sun is going down. How about we go home now?" S
Rachel blinked at the portrait of herself. "Gosh, why am I so ugly? You couldn't possibly stick a photo like this in your journal, right, Sky? Mr. Hills, let's take one more picture." Edmund exchanged glances with Sky. Seeing the little girl shaking her head faintly with a mischievous smile, he grimaced. "It's a shame, the capacity is limited. My photo paper will run out if we hope for perfect results. This one is okay. The important thing is that Sky is still beautiful and the pangolins are visible." "Yes!" Sky snatched the photo and secured it in her shirt pocket. "This photo is good. No need to repeat it." Rachel sighed in disbelief. "How could it be good? My eyes are like a sleepy chicken. Let's redo it. Just once is fine." "Don't be sad, Mama. You're always beautiful no matter what the circumstances." "Yes," Edmund continued, "you are always beautiful, Rachel. Don't worry. Now, Sky, can we go home?" "Yeah!" Sky nodded firmly. "Mama, come on, put me down. I can walk by myse
Rachel let out a faint sigh. "My clothes are wet. It would be troublesome if the mattress got wet this season." "You still have time to worry about that?" Edmund turned to the face resting on his shoulder. Rachel raised her head slightly. "I just don't want to bother later." "If not on the bed, then where?" Sky furrowed her brows. Suddenly, Edmund was walking again. "Sky, please open my bedroom door." Rachel was taken aback. "Y-your room?" "Lie on my bed. I don't mind if my bed is wet. I can dry it later." "B-but ...." Too late. Edmund had carried her into the room, setting her down carefully on the edge of his bed. However, Rachel still grimaced. Her body leaned forward. She suddenly forgot to worry about her position in bed with a man who was not her husband. When Edmund took off her raincoat, she could only obey. "Sky, take a quick shower and wear warm clothes. Don't get sick," Rachel said when her daughter finished taking off her own raincoat. "Mama, you don't need to w
"Are you sure he's helping? What if he ruins our dinner? Even his experimental sandwiches taste weird." Sky giggled for a moment. "That's much better than not eating at all, Mama. As Mama always says, we eat to live, not live to eat." Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Sky quickly jumped out of bed. As soon as she opened the door, Edmund came in with a tray. Two bowls on it emitted thin steam into the air. "What is that, Uncle Ed? It smells good." Edmund put the tray on the table. "Sorry, I only found rice and a few kinds of vegetables. So, I made vegetable porridge." Sky stood on tiptoe, peeking. Finding porridge decorated to resemble a clown's face, she giggled. "Oh, Uncle. That's so cute. I can't wait to eat it." "That's for you, Sky. You can eat with your mother." Edmund turned to Rachel. "Can you sit?" Rachel tried to get up, but she ended with a grimace. Edmund quickly stopped her from moving again. "I think you should lie down. I can feed you." Rachel froze. Her
"I'm fine. You don't have to wait for me," Rachel said while blinking in awkwardness.Edmund shook his head. "It's okay. I'd feel uncomfortable if I left you in the bathroom alone. But don't feel uncomfortable. I won't peek. I'll just wait here." "Were you also waiting for Sky like this yesterday?" Edmund chuckled. "Yes. I asked her not to lock the door, then she asked me not to peek. I think she forgot that in Mauritius, she jumped out wearing only duck pants." Rachel smiled amusedly. "Sky is indeed difficult to anticipate." Then, she took care of herself in the bathroom. When she got out, Edmund was still standing in the same position. "What would you like for breakfast this morning?" Rachel widened her eyes when she heard that. "You want to experiment again?" "Yes, if possible. But I'm confused about what to cook because the ingredients are running out. Should we shop in the nearest town?" Rachel shook her head slightly. "No, we can get the ingredients from the back garden.
Rachel nodded. “Please don't take my trust for granted. Take good care of Sky. If something bad happens to her, Lucas and I will kill you." Edmund smiled faintly. “Please watch over us carefully. You will know that I can be relied on and always keep my promises.” "Mama, Uncle Ed, what are you doing there? Are you having fun without me?" Edmund looked up at the veranda. Sky was standing with her hands on her hips. She just made an adorable little stomp. "No, Honey. How could we have fun without you? We're just picking vegetables in the back garden." Rachel pointed to the basket in Edmund's hand. "That's called having fun, Mama. Why didn't you wake me up?" As Rachel walked towards the stairs, Sky followed, shifting like a crab. "We didn't want to disturb your sweet dreams, Dear," Rachel said while hugging her daughter. "How did Mama know I had a nice dream? I dreamed of playing with a baby pangolin! I brought candy to invite lots of ants. It was happy to see lots of food." Rach