Sky had been on a plane several times, but she was still enthusiastic. Since the plane took off, she didn't look away from the window."Mama, look! There are several new buildings over there." "Mama, look! The sunlight is so beautiful." "Mama, look! That cloud looks like a duck." While Sky kept to comment on everything she saw, Edmund watched in silence. He couldn't reply because Alice was sitting between them. According to the plan, he had to avoid contact with his wife until he found a way to restore his pride. Alice noticed his silence. She glanced occasionally, checking. Edmund was keeping himself busy with the tables on his tablet. His expression was still gloomy. An hour passed, Sky finally got bored. She started drawing in her new book. At that moment, Alice whispered for a piece of paper and borrowed a pencil. "Are you okay?" Alice wrote it down on paper. Then, without making a sound, she put the message on the tablet. Edmund flinched when he saw Alice's hand in front
Alice grimaced. She felt like she just became an impolite daughter-in-law. "Sorry, we didn't mean to make fun of your mother." "It's okay. You're not wrong. She does look like a chef or florist. She also likes to eat and gets angry." Edmund shrugged in a leisure way."Is my grandmother fierce?" Sky whispered, quieter. Edmund fell silent again. "Yes, very fierce. She doesn't hesitate to be rude to people she doesn't like. Therefore, if you meet her, you have to be careful, especially if I'm not with you." Sky's brows furrowed in horror. "She could just spank my butt and pinch my ear?" Edmund nodded. "Therefore, you should be polite to her. On your first meeting, be sweet and compliment her. My mother likes compliments." "But, Uncle Ed, she's my grandmother and I'm her granddaughter. Shouldn't she like me? Why do you ask me that?" Edmund blinked once. When his senses returned, he quickly faked a smile. "That's just a preca
Fifteen minutes later, Alice turned around, lying straight facing the ceiling above her, whispering, "Ed, how about we switch positions? I think I'm more comfortable on the right. I can sleep faster if I see Sky." "That's a good idea. I feel more comfortable near the wall," Edmund answered casually. But when he realized Alice's call just now, he spun around. "What did you just say?" Alice blinked and became wide eyed too. Her head lifted from the pillow. "I suggested you to switch positions." "That's not it. Your call just now .... What did you call me?" "Oh," Alice's lips trembled faintly, "Ed. Does it sound strange?" Edmund let out a chuckle. Compassion flooded his heart. "You know what? That's how you used to call me. Thank you, Alice. I'm so happy you call me Ed again." Alice blinked at his excitement. She couldn't deny that her chest felt warm. "I'm glad you're happy. I was worried that it sounded awkward."
"Alice? Is that really you?" A man walked slowly. His gaze was locked on her face. "Y-yes. It's me," Alice answered stiffly. Suddenly, the man pinched her cheeks with both hands. He examined Alice's face from various angles, looking for something there. "You're not another woman in disguise, right? Your face isn't the result of plastic surgery?" After taking a deep breath, Edmund waved his hand. "Scott, enough. You're making my wife uncomfortable. Back off." Instead of walking away, Scott hugged Alice, jumping up and down. His laughter overflowed with tears. "Alice, you're finally back. Oh, thank God. This is the greatest miracle of my life!" While Alice grimaced to fake a smile, Edmund struggled to pull Scott back. However, Scott still felt at home hugging Alice. He even made her sway like a penguin with him. "Uncle Ed, who is he? Is he the driver who picked us up?" Hearing that sweet voice, Scott finally let go of the
Sky was stunned to see the magnificent building in front of her. She sighed, "Uncle Ed, you live in the palace?" Edmund smiled slightly. "Yes, I live in the most beautiful palace in the world because you are the princess." Sky laughed lightly. "I don't have a dress and a crown, Uncle Ed. How could I be the princess? All I have is a backpack and a journal." "Yes, you are, Sky. You are a princess who changed the world. You have your own style and it's very cool. Now," Edmund held out his hand, "are you ready to see our palace?" Sky grabbed his index finger. "Yeah!" Then, Edmund turned his head to the side. He offered his other elbow. "You ready?" Alice blinked. She stopped looking around, fixed her gaze on Edmund. "Yes." She awkwardly linked her hand to his muscular biceps. Together, they stepped inside. As soon as they passed through the door, Sky got amazed again. "Wow, Uncle Ed, this really is a palace!"
"Sometimes, I pray that you're safe from the river. Sometimes, I pray that you're at peace up there. And occasionally, I cursed you because you broke your promise. How could you disappear like that? Weren't you serious when you said that promise? " The curve of Alice's lips turned stiff. She glanced at Edmund, asking for clue. Before the man had time to give a code, Emma had hit her lightly on the arm. "You promised to be my bridesmaid!" As Emma grimaced in annoyance, Alice grabbed her hand. "Sorry, I myself can't understand what I did before. But, you and Henry are still married, right?" Emma wiped her eyes and gave a limited nod. "I did. Two years ago. And you weren't there." "Even though I didn't attend your wedding, my prayers and support are still with you. Congratulations, Emma. Sorry if I said it very late." Emma shook her head quickly. "Better late than never. I'm grateful you're still alive. Don't disappear again becau
"That's a good idea," Alice said quietly. "You don't want to come with me and Sky? This is your first day back here. It would be more fun if we went around together," Edmund whispered. "Uncle Ed, I think it's okay if Mama choose Aunt Emma. They haven't seen each other for a long time. They must have a lot of stories to talk about, like me and my animal friends." Hearing the defense, Edmund could no longer complain. Smiling again, he took Sky around with Henry and Mrs. Klein. "Alice, how about we go to our place? We can chat while eating biscuits and drinking tea, like the old days." Alice nodded slightly. After Emma conveyed her request to a servant, they went to the north pavilion. "So, how are you doing all this time?" Emma asked as they sat opposite each other at a round table. Alice blinked awkwardly. She wasn't sure how much Emma had heard from Edmund. Lowering her head, she answered, "I lived in a conservation area in the
"This is a really cool room, Honey. Do you like it?" Alice rubbed her daughter's head."I really like it!" Sky jumped a few times before pointing down. "Mama, look at this." Alice looked down. It turned out that they were stepping on a brown carpet that curved to form a path. "If we follow it," Sky walked quickly, "we'll come to the wardrobe, bookshelf, study table, tent, and my bed! I really can't wait to climb up there." Sky pointed to the top level where a folding table and a small window were located. "Then if we continue, we'll come to a special window for scouting, a toy box, and a giant map." Sky stretched out her arms on the side of the wall where all the continents lay. "This is my favorite part, Mama. Uncle Ed and I plan to mark all the cool places with stars, just like what we did with my globe. Only, this one is bigger! I really like my room!" Sky pressed herself against the wall, spreading her arms as wide a