Unlike Sam Noah’s composed demeanor, Tyler was visibly thrilled. He grabbed his mommy’s hand and exclaimed, “Does this mean Mommy is coming back to live with us?”
Thelma nodded.
Tyler’s excitement grew, and his smile was so bright it was as if flowers were blooming on his face. “Then can Daddy and I help Mommy pack her things now? Let’s go home tonight!”
Thelma crouched down and gently cupped his little face in her palm. “Mommy has to pack more than just the things I need every day—I also need to sort out my thoughts. But I’ll come home tomorrow. You’ll see me after school.”
Though a bit disappointed, Tyler was still happy that his mommy would be coming home. He eventually agreed.
Sam Noah said, “The two of us will take you back.”
Thelma replied, “That’s not necessary. I can go back on my own.”
She said goodbye to Tyler and rode her little scooter back home.
She had already spoken with Samantha, who was overjoyed to hear about her decision to go back, so much so that Thelma almost felt like she was being kicked out.
In truth, Thelma was shocked—devastated even—when she first learned she was married with a child. Just months ago, she was still a college student who had just turned twenty, full of youth and vitality. Marriage and children felt like a distant future.
And to top it all off, her husband was a man she barely knew.
At first, she couldn’t accept this reality. But after calming down, her mind kept replaying Tyler’s downcast expression when he said, “Mommy doesn’t like me,” and the fragment of memory where he toddled unsteadily toward her, softly saying, “Don’t cry, Mommy.” She also thought about the scene where she burned him, and he cried in heart-wrenching pain.
The first time she met Tyler, she envied whoever had the good fortune to have such an adorable and well-behaved child. Now, knowing this child was hers, she felt not only shock but also a faint sense of gratitude.
He was her child, her flesh and blood. She didn’t know why she hadn’t liked him before, but now she adored him. Just looking at his soft, fair little face made her heart swell with maternal affection. Whether it was due to a naturally nurturing instinct or simple compassion, she wanted to be there for him and watch him grow.
She decided she would be a good mother to him.
She wanted to make up for the harm she had caused him in the past.
That night, Thelma didn’t sleep well. She woke up early the next morning. The hotel’s main door hadn’t been opened yet, so Thelma and Samantha went together to unlock it. Samantha reminded her of a few things, like not being too stubborn when she went back and that Sam Noah had worked hard raising Tyler on his own for years.
Thelma obediently agreed to everything.
As they slowly rolled up the shutters, they saw a black car already parked by the roadside. A man stood by the car, smoking. Hearing the sound of the door opening, he turned his head toward them and quickly stubbed out his cigarette, tossing it into the trash can.
Samantha chuckled. “He sure came early.”
