Chapter 34 Being Independent

Ava's Pov

We were sitting on the living room floor, Tommy proudly showing me the collection of leaves he’d gathered at the park. His little hands were busy sorting them by size and color, his face glowing with excitement. Each leaf had a story, and he was eager to share them all with me.

“This one,” Tommy said, holding up a bright red leaf, “is the best one, Mama. I found it right by the big tree where the squirrels play. Do you think we can keep it forever?”

I smiled at his enthusiasm, gently brushing my fingers over the leaf. “Of course we can, sweetheart. We’ll press it between some heavy books and make sure it stays just as beautiful as it is now.”

Tommy’s eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands together. “Yay! I can’t wait to tell Papa when he comes back from his shower.”

I nodded, but as I glanced up, my eyes caught the clock on the wall. My heart skipped a beat. It was almost two.

“Tommy, I need to get ready for work,” I said, standing up quickly. I could see the slight dis