Reyona and Maxwell went together to take the kids from school that day.
Despite their fears that some unrelenting reporters might have decided to call them about what happened or ambush them for an interview about what they felt about Thomas's death, nothing of such happened.
The school was also free of any lurking reporters or paparazzi.
It was either they had decided that Thomas's death was not as worthy of news as his scandal had been, or they were still jeering up to blast the family with all they got later.
Whatever it was, they were glad as they waited in silence in front of the school for closing time.
Soon enough, school was over for the day.
Maxwell came out as the students came out en masse.
Soon enough, they saw Allysyn and Junior.
Junior was skipping alongside Allysyn while dragging his backpack along and shouting some words at a friend who was going towards another car parked close by.
He was being his jovial self as he waved hard at the friend and asked him not to forget anything tomorrow.
But Allysyn…
"Look, Allysyn! It is Max!" Junior shouted in excitement.
The girl raised her downcasted head and looked past Maxwell to Reyona in the car.
"Oh damn!" Reyona thought in anguish as she got out of the car as fast as she could.
She hurried past Maxwell as Junior launched himself into Maxwell's arms.
Reyona got to Allysyn, and she saw that she was not wrong after all. The girl had a glazed look in her eyes.
The fact that she was holding back her tears as she looked up at Reyona broke her heart.
She bent down as fast as her belly would allow.
Just to be certain, she asked "What happened?"
Allysyn's first tear spilt as she quickly swiped at it while looking beyond Reyona to see if Junior had seen her.
The latter was busy chattering to Maxwell.
Reyona quickly gestured to Maxwell, even without turning to face him, and Maxwell took Junior to the car,
Allysyn continued in a shaky voice. "I… Amelia brought a phone. I… I saw… I didn't tell Junior. I…"
Reyona turned sideways so she could hug her tightly to her body.
"I am sorry, Allysyn. I am so sorry that you had to find out like that."
Allysyn sobbed against her body for a while before moving back. "You will not tell Junior, right?" She asked urgently.
"You don't think we should?" Reyona asked to get the girl to stop crying while thinking.
"He is too small." That was all Allysyn said.
Just as you are. Reyona thought with overwhelming sadness.
"We will talk about it," Reyona said as she wiped the remnant of the tears on Allysyn's face. "Would you like to go to the car now?"
Allysyn cleaned her face again, and then she asked hopefully, "Did you bring Skippy?"
"I couldn't run fast enough to catch him," Reyona answered. "I think you are the only one he will ever like." She said mournfully.
Just as she had hoped, that got a hint of a smile out of Allysyn.
Reyona swiped at the lone tear that came out of Allysyn's eyes again and asked "Shall we?"
Allysyn nodded, and they went to the car, hand in hand.
Junior had requested that they go to an ice cream parlour on their way back home.
Allysyn had no protest about that, but she said she wanted nothing.
Junior couldn't understand how anyone could turn down ice cream.
He asked if he could have Allysyn's portion and Maxwell said, "Why not?
Reyona had no protest about that.
She was busy thinking of something else.
Just as they parked in front of the ice cream parlour, Maxwell's phone buzzed, and he checked the message from Reyona.
He looked at her with raised brows.
Reyona shrugged. Why not? Allysyn was right after all.
There was no point in ruining Junior's mood by telling him anything now.
He could learn all he needed to learn at a later age.
For now, there was no crime in letting him live in the bliss of ignorance.
Such would not work with Allysyn.
The girl was much too discerning for her good.
Reyona felt this might be the right time to let her know the whole truth anyway.
It might seem a bit cruel to tell her such right there, but then she felt it might help the girl grieve a little bit less.
Or maybe not.
She had no assurance that anything was going to make any difference.
She just knew that she would have wanted to know the whole truth if she were in Allysyn's shoes.
If the girl chose to keep on grieving after she understood the circumstances, at least she would be doing so without a wrong identity.
Maxwell nodded to let her know he was in agreement with whatever she thought was right to do in those circumstances.
Then he called out to Junior that they should go check out the varieties of ice cream.
"Maybe we can even check out the games in the next store." He said as he helped Junior down.
"Yes!" Junior hooted as he pumped his fist in the air.
Reyona turned back to see Allysyn looking at her.
She immediately realised that what she had intended was easier thought than said.
How was she supposed to explain to a grieving girl that the father she had always known was not her father and her real father wanted nothing to do with her?
**********
They arrived home in near-silence.
Reyona was seated in the back with her arm around Allysyn while Junior was having the best time of his life riding shotgun.
Cluelessly, he was going on and on about how he was going to tell his friends at school the next day that he sat at the front while Allysyn sat at the back.
Amazingly, Allysyn still found enough strength in her to respond to him when he looked back at her and poked his tongue out at her.
Reyona couldn't even begin to fathom how incredible this little girl was.
She held Allysyn tighter to herself and kissed the top of her head while trying to hold back her tears.
It was not fair that one so young should have to deal with such knowledge of how crappy the world could be.
She had tried to tell Allysyn the current situation in the most cushioned way she could.
After asking a few questions, the girl had remained quiet since.
Her tears had stopped but Reyona knew this was far from being over.
She just hoped they would be able to provide the best avenue she needed to heal right.
When she looked at Junior chattering away at the front, she hoped his innocence would be protected for a long time.
For much longer.
Maxwell's phone started ringing.