On a weekend morning, Gerald decided to take the whole family out for a drive in a stretch limo.
Nicole was the happiest of them all.
For years, no matter how hard the family tried to cheer her up, she always seemed down.
It wasn't that she didn't care about the kids' feelings; she just couldn't get over losing her little daughter.
Then, their third son also died.
Josephine was a constant ache in her heart, and losing another son nearly broke Nicole.
But Nicole knew her son had died a hero, for the country and the people. After the initial grief, she could accept it.
But Josephine's loss was different. It was an accident, a regret, a dark spot in her life that shouldn't have been there.
Now, with Josephine back, the heart that had slowly died from losing two kids seemed to come alive again.
For years, she barely joined in any activities. Even when her family dragged her out for fun, she tried not to bring them down. But she was never truly happy.
But now, you could see her joy. She held Josephine's hand and pointed out buildings along the road.
Since she rarely went out, many places had changed, and even she didn't recognize them. So, Ulysses helped fill in the gaps.
Laughter and joy filled the back of the car, while Gerald drove up front, occasionally joining in. This atmosphere made him feel incredibly peaceful and content.
His success in politics was partly due to the Clarence Family's connections. But it was also because he had the courage and responsibility. He wanted to rise higher and go further, so one day, he could find Josephine and give her a better life.
Before they left, Gerald had made all the arrangements. So when they arrived at the hot spring resort, they checked in directly.
The family stayed in a whole villa, complete with its own butler and servants.
Josephine had never gone out to play with Stuart before. When she was abroad, she was busy with work, and even if she took Jeffery out, it was mostly to parks and amusement parks.
This was the first time the whole family went out together.
While soaking in the hot springs, Gerald took the two boys to another area.
Nicole and Josephine stayed in the women's exclusive pool, which was said to be good for beauty and skincare.
"I've always imagined what it would be like to bring my daughter to a hot spring," Nicole said with a smile, looking at her. "Today, that wish has finally come true."
Josephine smiled back. "Mom, if you like it, I'll come with you from now on."
"Good."
The mother-daughter bond seemed natural, a connection of blood, and an innate closeness; there was no awkwardness or formality between Josephine and Nicole, and they interacted naturally and intimately.
The pools were private, so they didn't run into anyone else.
After soaking for a while, Josephine linked arms with Nicole and took her on a tour.
The scenery inside was beautiful. Outside, it was still winter, but inside, it was warm and spring-like, with many plants and potted flowers that were pleasing to the eye.
"This one looks nice," Nicole pointed to a plant. "Do you want one for your room?"
Josephine laughed, "My room already has plenty, no need, Mom.""But it's so pretty," Nicole said, feeling a pang of guilt for all the hardships Josephine had endured. She wanted to make up for it whenever she saw something nice.
Josephine got it and pulled out her phone to snap a picture. "Alright, I'll ask Gerald to buy it for me when we get back."
Nicole's face lit up. "Yes, let him buy it!"
"Jeffery's mom?"
Josephine turned around and saw Callie.
Callie smiled. "Josephine, what a coincidence! Here for the hot springs too?"
Nicole had seen her when she dropped off Jeffery.
Callie nodded at her. "Hello."
Nicole replied, "Hello, didn't you bring your child?"
Callie shook her head. "We have a nanny at home. I came with some friends to relax."
She turned to Josephine. "Did you bring Jeffery too?"
"Yeah," Josephine smiled. "He's off playing somewhere with his uncle."
"Oh, taking care of kids is such a hassle, so I never bring mine. But you have no choice, since there's no one to help you with Jeffery."
Josephine just smiled and stayed quiet.
Nicole frowned. Usually, at the kindergarten gate, Callie didn't talk much. Now, she sounded a bit sarcastic, with a tone of superiority.
Nicole was about to say something when Josephine spoke up, "We won't disturb you then. Mom, let's go."
Josephine linked arms with Nicole and walked away.
Callie watched them leave and snorted, "They look so poor, coming here for the hot springs must be a big deal for them."
Just then, her friend called her, and she said, "Coming."
They had soaked enough and were ready to head back to change clothes and eat. After changing, her friend said, "See those villas over there? I've always wanted to stay there but could never get a reservation."
This was Callie's first time here. She was curious. "Is business here that good? You can't get a reservation even in advance?"
Her friend shook her head. "No, those are for people with status. We don't stand a chance."
Callie was surprised. "Even you can't?"
Her friend came from a well-off family. Otherwise, Callie wouldn't be hanging out with her.
Her friend sighed. "Not even close. The people who stay there are the real elites."
Callie couldn't help but feel envious. "When will I ever get to stay there?"
Her friend glanced at her. "Just keep dreaming. Even Anita can't, so don't even think about it."
Callie asked, "Anita can't? If she can't, then how many people can stay at Celestia Springs?"
Her friend said, "You might not know, but the Hall family... never mind, some things are better left unknown."
Callie sensed something was off and wisely didn't press further. She only asked, "Are there families like that in the kindergarten?"
Her friend nodded. "Of course, but not in your son's class."
Callie sighed, "This is really... wait! Who's that?" She rubbed her eyes, but the person at the villa entrance had already gone inside.
Her friend asked, "What's wrong?"
"I think I saw a parent from our class."
"That villa?" Her friend pointed. "Impossible, you must be mistaken."
Callie also said, "Yeah, I must be mistaken. It's impossible. Are there any Kalmien families among the elites at Celestia Springs?"
Her friend shook her head. "No, at least not among the elites I know."
"Then I must have been mistaken."
The two walked away, but Callie looked back again. That person really looked like Josephine.