So he didn’t mind, huh? However, Thelma was a bit surprised; it seemed that ironing his clothes had put him in a good mood? His attitude was truly unexpected for Thelma.
Thelma let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the clothes were already ironed. She picked them up, shook them a couple of times, hung them on a hanger to cool, then turned around to place them on the drying rack, shaking the rack up before turning back to him and saying, “All done.”
He was still watching her, a smile on his face, his gaze seemingly glued to her. Thelma felt increasingly flustered under his gaze, momentarily unsure of what to do.
He probably realized he had lost his composure, and coming back to his senses, he remained calm, showing no signs of panic. He raised his wrist to check the time and said, “It’s time to pick up Tyler.”
Thelma thought for a moment and asked, “Can I go with you to pick him up?”
He looked at her in confusion, “You want to go?”
Thelma nodded.
Once again, it was Sam Noah’s car. As Thelma got in and sat down, a question suddenly popped into her mind, and she couldn’t help but ask him, “This place is a bit far from Tyler’s school. I see there are several neighborhoods nearby, so there must be kindergartens around here. Why do you still send him so far away? It’s not very convenient to pick him up every day.”
Sam Noah replied, “The child wants to see you.”
Thelma: “…”
Thelma recalled the scene from when she first met Tyler, that small, tender body standing behind the railing, looking at her with eager eyes.
If she hadn’t taken a second glance at him that day, leading to her fall and the subsequent series of events, perhaps she would have never noticed him in her life?
Going to school so far away, he just wanted to see his mom every day.
Moreover, because he was afraid that his mom would remember the past and hate him, he didn’t dare to acknowledge her, only calling her “Auntie.”
Auntie, Auntie, Auntie.
Is Auntie smiling at me?
Can Auntie be my mom?
She remembered that innocent, childlike face, recalled the fragments of memory where he cried sadly, and suddenly felt her heart being tugged hard.
A strong, sour feeling surged up, making her nose tingle.
But now she was his mom. She would strive to be a good mother, she would work hard to love him, and she would never let that little guy stand behind the cold railing, pitifully just to catch a glimpse of her again.
Arriving at the kindergarten, the teacher was leading the children playing on the playground. The teacher recognized Sam Noah and respectfully greeted him, “Mr. Sam, you’re here?” When she saw Thelma, there was a hint of confusion on her face, but she didn’t presumptuously greet her. Sam Noah then said to her, “This is my wife.”
He said it so casually and naturally, yet when Thelma heard the words “my wife,” her face inexplicably turned red.
The teacher carefully scrutinized Thelma, seeming a bit surprised, but still politely greeted her, “Hello, Mrs. Sam.”
Thelma felt a bit awkward and nodded at her.
Tyler quickly spotted Sam Noah and rushed over. Only after running up did he see Thelma behind Sam Noah, and his eyes instantly lit up with excitement, “Mom, are you here to pick me up?”
Thelma smiled at him, then walked over and picked him up, saying, “Quickly say goodbye to the teacher and your classmates.”
Little Tyler waved his chubby hand at the teacher and classmates, but he was a bit absent-minded, still a little dazed from being picked up by his mom. It wasn’t until they walked out of the classroom that he reacted, hurriedly saying, “Mom, I can walk by myself.”
Thelma said, “Mom likes to hold you.”
He smelled so good, and he was soft and warm, very comfortable.
In fact, when she first saw him, Thelma had wanted to hug him tightly, but she was afraid he would be scared by this strange auntie.
But now, he was her child, and she could hug him however she wanted, hold him however she wanted; it was only right.
Perhaps it was rare for him to be so close to his mom, his face turned shy and red, his two chubby hands wrapped around her neck, burying his face in her ear, saying in a soft, childish voice, “Mom, am I heavy? If I’m heavy, I can eat less in the future.”
Thelma felt both heartbroken and amused at his words. She rubbed his little head and said, “Not heavy at all. Tyler is at the growing stage; you need to eat more, not less.”
