Chapter 219 Mom, I'm Sorry

Chapter 219 Mom, I'm Sorry

Harold's hands trembled every time he picked something up.

He could have thrown these things away, but he couldn't bear to. These were all he had left that connected him to the past. If these were gone too, he'd feel like he had no connection whatsoever to that part of his life.

When Ethan got the call and rushed to his house, Harold was sitting on the living room floor, surrounded by several empty bottles.

Ethan frowned and took the bottle from his hand. "Why are you drinking like this again?"

Harold looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "Ethan, am I a real asshole?"

Ethan sighed. "You really are kind of an asshole."

Harold seemed to be talking to himself. "I used to think she couldn't live without me. Now I realize it's me who can't live without her. But it's too late."

Ethan sat down next to him and patted his shoulder. "At least you figured it out. That's better than staying clueless forever."

Harold stared at the ceiling. "I went to the cemetery today and promised her father I'd let go. Ethan, do you think I was wrong from the very beginning?"

Ethan was quiet for a few seconds before speaking. "Your mistake was realizing your own heart too late."

Harold lowered his gaze, his expression softening. He didn't say anything more.

The next day, Harold went to pick up Jessica from kindergarten.

Jessica wore a pink backpack and had her hair in two little pigtails. When she saw him, her eyes were gentle, but her smile lacked the carefree happiness it used to have.

"Daddy." Jessica held his hand and walked with him for a bit, then suddenly asked, "Is Mommy never coming back?"

Harold stopped in his tracks.

He crouched down and looked into Jessica's eyes. Those eyes were like Eleanor's—bright and round.

He said slowly, "Jessica, your mommy has a new life now. We should be happy for her."

Jessica asked again, "What about you, Daddy?"

Harold answered, "I'll always be with you."

Jessica stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded without crying.

Harold held her hand and led her toward the car. He suddenly remembered something Eleanor used to say: "Jessica's still young, you need to spend more time with her."

Back then he didn't take it seriously at all. Now he finally remembered.

That evening, after Harold put Jessica to sleep, he sat alone in the living room.

He took out his phone and opened his chat history with Eleanor, scrolling way back to a long time ago. Back then, Eleanor would message him often, almost every day.

"Harold, Jessica said 'daddy' for the first time today. When are you coming home?"

"Harold, I made your favorite dish. It's waiting for you in the kitchen."

"Harold, good night."

Hundreds of messages. He hadn't replied to a single one back then.

Harold read through them one by one. By the end, tears were falling silently down his face.

Not long after, in the kindergarten classroom, the teacher was giving the children an assignment.

"For today's art class, everyone draw a picture with the theme: The person I love most."

The children picked up their brushes.

Jessica drew a woman with long hair, next to a tall man, and an elderly woman with gray hair. On one side of the picture was an uncolored figure.

The teacher came over and asked who she'd drawn. Jessica pointed at the picture. "This is Mommy, this is Daddy, this is Grandma. This uncolored one is my mommy's boyfriend. He's really good to Mommy."

She lowered her head and added quietly, "I didn't understand before and said things that hurt my mommy. But I know Mommy still loves me."

That drawing later won an award. At the ceremony, Jessica held the picture and said into the microphone, "The people I love most are Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, and myself. I hope Mommy is happy."

She paused, then continued, "I wasn't good before. I said things that hurt Mommy. I made Mommy go away."

The audience fell silent.

She went on, "But now I know Mommy loves me. I hope Mommy is happy. Thank you, everyone."

Warm applause filled the room.

Maya sat in the audience, watching her granddaughter on stage, her eyes welling up.

That evening, Maya showed Eleanor a photo of the drawing.

Eleanor looked at Jessica's childish drawing, at the outline labeled "Mommy's boyfriend," and was silent for a long time.

Maya spoke up. "She's grown up. Eleanor, give her a chance."

Eleanor clutched her phone, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Terrence walked over, glanced at the screen, and gently held her hand. "She's still young. Give her a chance."

Eleanor nodded.

The next day, Eleanor sent Harold a message: "I want to see Jessica on the last weekend of this month."

Harold replied quickly: "Okay, I'll bring her."

On the day they met, Eleanor chose a children's playground.

When Jessica saw her mother from afar, her eyes immediately turned red, but she held back her tears. She ran over and stopped in front of Eleanor, looking up at her.

"Mommy."

Eleanor crouched down to meet her eyes. "Jessica."

Jessica couldn't hold it in anymore. She threw herself into her mother's arms, tears streaming down. "Mommy, I'm sorry... I'll never say you're a bad mommy again... When I grow up, I want to be strong like you..."

Eleanor held her. She didn't say "it's okay" or "I forgive you," but this time, she didn't push Jessica away.

When it was time to part, Jessica held onto Eleanor's hand and wouldn't let go.

"Mommy, can you play with me more often from now on?"

Eleanor paused, then crouched down and looked into Jessica's eyes. "Of course I can."

Jessica's eyes lit up instantly. "Really?"

"Really."

Jessica smiled so happily, her eyes crinkling, showing her two missing front teeth.

Terrence walked over and stood beside Eleanor.

Jessica glanced at him, looking a bit nervous, but still gathered her courage. "Hello, Uncle."

Terrence crouched down to her level. "Hello, Jessica."

Jessica asked seriously, "Uncle, thank you for being good to my mommy. Will you always be good to her?"

Terrence's expression softened. "Yes, I'll always be good to her."

On the way back, Terrence drove while saying, "She's a good kid."

Eleanor nodded, her eyes a bit red.

Terrence glanced at her. "Are you crying?"

Eleanor sniffled. "No, I just feel... she really has grown up."

Terrence reached over and held her hand, saying nothing more.

The car moved slowly forward in the twilight, lights glowing outside the window.

Eleanor looked at those lights, remembering her days at the Hernandez mansion. Back then she'd always sit alone with the lights on, waiting for Harold to come home, but all that ever came was disappointment.

Now it was different. Now she had someone by her side who would stay.

Soon it was the day Ralph was discharged from the hospital. The weather was beautiful, the sky clean and bright.

Eris went to the hospital early in the morning, carrying an insulated bag with homemade chicken soup inside.

"Ralph, I made you soup. Drink it while it's hot."