The experiences she went through in the past made it difficult for Jessamine to fully trust someone again, and rebuilding trust wasn't an easy task. However, Thaddeus' recent thoughtful gestures in their everyday life truly moved her. She felt scared but couldn't help wanting to get closer. If it weren't for that slight flutter in her heart, she wouldn't have let him have his way in the tent just now.Jessamine knew that, to her, Thaddeus was like a beautiful poppy flower—dangerous yet enticing.She had never fully moved on from their past relationship. Even when she tried to leave everything behind and start anew, seemingly carefree, she would wake up in the middle of the night. She would remember that they were no longer together and feel a pain so sharp that it left her struggling to breathe. Having loved someone for so long and then wanting to completely separate from them was incredibly difficult. It was almost like peeling off a layer of skin.Thaddeus answered with great
She carefully thought about whether they had said anything that wasn't child-appropriate while they were in the tent yesterday. Her mind felt foggy, and she suddenly couldn't remember anything.She had once come across a topic online about unexpected shocking things people have seen. The replies were all over the place, but the most upvoted ones were mostly about accidentally seeing their parents being intimate when they were kids. They didn’t understand it at the time but still remembered it, and as adults, they felt embarrassed whenever they thought about it.Jessamine never expected that she would become the kind of parent the people were discussing in online posts.In contrast to her reaction, Thaddeus remained calm and composed. "Lucas, come here."Lucas didn't obediently go over. instead, he looked as if he had some leverage over his father.Thaddeus took a step forward, effortlessly picked Lucas up with one hand, and carried him into the study.The study door was left op
Lucas peeked his head out the door and saw Jessamine carrying a basin of water to water the flowers outside. Just as Thaddeus had said, she didn't seem upset at all. In fact, she looked more cheerful than usual."Alright, I won't argue with you this time," Lucas relented.Thaddeus sighed in relief. "This is a secret between Mommy and Daddy. Now that you know it, you have to keep it to yourself and not tell anyone else. If others find out, Mommy will be unhappy."Lucas nodded, somewhat understanding the situation. He certainly didn't want to make Jessamine unhappy, so for now, an agreement was made.Thaddeus held Lucas' chubby little hand and gently squeezed it. "Daddy has something to ask you and your sister. Can you call her over now?""Sure."Lucas slid off Thaddeus' lap and went to the living room to find Layla. Soon, the two children squeezed into the study together, with Layla looking very curious."Daddy, why are you looking for us?" she asked.Thaddeus held his legs apar
"Then how about we go visit Great-grandpa today?" Lucas asked.Thaddeus felt relieved about Lucas' grasp on the situation and then turned to ask Layla, "Lucas has agreed. Do you have any different opinions, Layla?"Layla grinned. "I'd like to play with Great-grandpa too. Why don't we set off now?"Thaddeus pulled the two children closer and rubbed his chin on the tops of their heads. "We still need to ask Mommy if she's willing to go.""Okay. Mommy!" Layla shouted.Jessamine came back from watering the flowers. As soon as she stepped through the door, she heard Layla calling out. She put the can back in the bathroom and went to the study to look for Thaddeus and the children."Layla, are you calling for me?" Jessamine asked.Thaddeus stood up from the chair, his eyes filled with a pleading look. "Jessie, I just discussed with the two kids about visiting their great-grandpa today."He stood there looking at her intently, his demeanor clearly pleading to her, waiting for her answ
Thaddeus called Joe and asked a few questions, but didn't mention anything about bringing the children over.In the past, he had often upset Thomas during hospital visits. Eventually, Thomas explicitly banned him from visiting, saying that seeing him would only make him feel worse. So, whenever Thaddeus went to the hospital, he didn't dare show his face. He would only sneak a peek in the hallway and have a chat with the doctor about the patient's condition.This time, he felt confident he could earn some favor from Thomas. The idea of elevating one's status through kin was well-received by Thomas.The car stopped at the hospital.Thaddeus opened the door and helped the children out of the car. He reached out to take their hands. Layla cooperated and allowed Thaddeus to hold her hand. Lucas, however, resisted and ran over to Jessamine. In the end, both parents each held one child's hand as they walked toward the hospital.At that time, Thomas had just finished his IV treatment,
Thomas wondered if his hearing had gotten worse as he aged, making him confused in broad daylight. He sat there feeling lost after adjusting his blanket. He laughed at himself with a sigh, questioning why he was getting worked up for nothing. Thaddeus had promised to arrange a suitable time to meet, and if the children were coming, he would've definitely called in advance.Thomas picked up his phone and stared at it blankly for a moment before deciding to call Thaddeus. He wanted to ask when he would bring the children over. Before he passed away, he wanted to enjoy his time with his great-grandchildren. Otherwise, how would he explain it to his late wife in the afterlife?As the call connected, the doorbell rang outside.Thaddeus didn't hang up or answer the call. He simply held Layla's hand with his left hand and walked through the door.Thomas lived in a suite within the hospital, separated from the main corridor by two doors. The sound of the doorbell echoed, and even though
Thomas laughed heartily. "Great-grandpa is already so old. How can I still grow taller? If I did grow any more, I'd turn into a monster."Lucas sat on Thomas' lap and touched his arm. "Great-grandpa, you're too thin. You need to eat more."Thomas, after hearing what Lucas said, smiled even more happily and hugged the children tightly with both hands."Oh dear, you two little ones are so smart. You know that eating well helps you grow taller and stronger. Great-grandpa doesn't want to turn into a monster, but I'm already too old to grow taller. I'll just have to wait for you two to grow up."Joe pushed the lunch box forward again. Since Thomas didn't want to give in, he set his sights on the children instead. "Mr. Lucas and Ms. Layla, would you two like to join your great-grandpa for a meal?"With a small grin, Layla said, "Of course! I like Great-grandpa the most."Joe smoothly opened the lunchbox and placed the dishes on the table one by one, then took out the utensils.Lucas w
"Grandpa, I heard some news here and there. Noah used to have a very good relationship with his wife, but then there was an accident and his wife went missing," Thaddeus explained.Thomas' expression froze momentarily. He realized he had misunderstood earlier. Upon hearing about his daughter-in-law's accident, a trace of regret appeared in his expression. "Did that person… pass away?"Thaddeus shook his head. "I'm not sure. There was an avalanche and the person just disappeared."Thaddeus didn’t dare say that the person was gone. Firstly, he was afraid that Thomas would be heartbroken. Thomas was quite a faithful believer and couldn’t bear to hear about such cruel things. Secondly, he felt that the person going missing might not necessarily be a bad thing. Perhaps the person was living well somewhere else in the world.This was especially what he felt after reuniting with Jessamine—that nothing was absolute. Of course, he hoped that the mysterious young aunt, whom he had never me