Chapter 183
I watched the lights go out in Aiden and Rhea's room, and finally breathed a small sigh of relief.
Levi and Celestia had gone back to the room first. I sat alone in the living room, took a sip of warm water, and opened my phone to call my mother-in-law.
"Hello, Blair, have you guys gotten home?"
"No, we're staying here tonight, worried that Grandpa and Grandma might be concerned, or that something might happen during the night."
"What a mess this whole thing has turned into. Everyone's on edge. Your dad and I will head back in a bit, too, but you don't need to wait up. Just get some rest."
The light from my phone was a bit harsh. I rubbed my eyes.
"Mom, how's Hayden?"
"They checked him. He bit through his tongue; the wound is pretty deep. Thank goodness it didn't sever completely, or that would have been really bad. It just breaks my heart..."
"Does Levi need to call and contact a doctor?"
"He arranged everything as soon as we arrived. He's already been in touch. You guys get some rest, see you tomorrow."
I hung up the phone, but I still felt uneasy. Hayden was still so young. I really hoped he didn't have any lasting effects.
I felt a bit bitter inside, too. The way Hayden protected his mother, and yet Cleo still made things so hard for the child. It made me angry just thinking about it.
Tonight's Levi was funny, thoughtful, and fierce.
When he swung his fist at Michael, I was shocked. I'd never seen him so angry. If we hadn't held him back, he probably would have beaten Michael to a pulp.
I gently pushed open the door. Celestia stood up and opened her arms. "Mommy, hug."
I walked to the window and held her in my arms. "Celestia, don't be scared, it's all over now."
"Mommy, I'm not scared. My daddy is so amazing, he'll definitely protect us."
Celestia pulled me to sit down. "Mommy, can the three of us sleep together tonight?"
"I'm fine with that."
She looked at Levi. "Daddy, what about you?"
"I'm fine with it too."
Sleeping in separate rooms was Levi's idea. He said our daughter was getting older, and we should also develop Celestia's independence.
From my perspective, I completely agreed with his point. Of course, there was another direct factor - three people crowded together can cause overheating, which isn't good for the body.
"Then I'll sleep in the middle."
Celestia happily lay down, kicking her little legs in the air, absolutely delighted.
Levi moved the blanket closer to her. "Is it a bit cramped? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. The baby is still small, doesn't take up much space."
Celestia hugged Levi's arm. "Daddy, Hayden is really pitiful. His dad is so mean, but he's also very brave."
"You would protect your mom, too, right?"
"Yes."
Levi said patiently, "But when you protect her, you need to think it through. Remember not to be impulsive. Being recklessly brave alone can't solve problems well. You need to protect yourself first before you can protect others, okay?"
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I can only protect others if I make sure I'm okay first."
"Smart girl."
Levi really appreciated Celestia's understanding. Celestia was his precious treasure.
"Mommy, why do Auntie Cleo and them have to be apart? Didn't Uncle Michael say he still likes Auntie Cleo?"
"He's not your uncle anymore."
I lay down beside them, looking at Celestia's confused expression, and explained to her.
"He did bad things to your Auntie Cleo. At first, he was the one who didn't want your Auntie Cleo. Now that he's not doing well, he wants to be with your Auntie Cleo again, but your Auntie Cleo doesn't love him anymore."
"What about Hayden? Does he not love his daddy anymore either?"
Kids' questions are always so sharp. I'm certain my daughter is very sentimental, which is why she would ask such a question.
"It's not like that. He should love his father, but he loves his mother more. When you do something wrong, you have to face the consequences."
"So if Daddy did something wrong, would you forgive him?"
After all this time, the question hidden in my heart was brought up again by my daughter. When I found out about Jessa coming back to the country with him, I was truly shattered. For a while, I wanted to give up on our marriage.
"Your daddy won't do anything wrong."
I didn't answer her directly. No normal person can tolerate such things. If Levi betrayed me, how could I forgive him?
Forgive him for the sake of the child?
"You're right, my daddy is a good daddy."
Celestia turned around and gently kissed Levi on the cheek. "Daddy, you'll be with Mommy forever, right? Daddy, you'll love Mommy forever, right?"
The difficulty of the questions kept escalating.
Levi pinched her cheek. "Yes."
"That's wonderful! Now I can relax. I want you to be together forever, for many lifetimes!"
At those words, both Levi and I laughed. She really was the sweetness in our mundane days.
I didn't know if Levi's answer was sincere, but he had answered directly. He said we would be together forever and he would love me forever...
"Mommy, I can fall asleep tonight without a story."
"That's great, you're the best."
I gently patted her, and before long, she was asleep, falling asleep almost instantly.
Probably tired from playing at the amusement park, or maybe scared by tonight's events. Watching her sleep peacefully, I felt moved by how time passes.
Time goes by so fast. She'll be a year older soon.
"Maybe I should carry her back to her room after all."
Levi was worried that my sleeping on the edge would affect my sleep quality.
"Then she'd be so lonely. We don't sleep together often anyway, let's keep her company this once."
"Okay."
I closed my eyes. After a long day, I was tired too.
Levi sat up. "Should I turn off the light?"
"Are you planning to sleep with the lights on?"
I covered my mouth and smiled. "Don't tell me you're scared now?"
"What do I have to be scared of? He was lucky today. If there's a next time, I definitely won't let him off."
"Alright, turn off the light and let's sleep. He's not worth bothering with."
Levi got up and turned off the light. I had a feeling of being taken care of. Thinking back to how I used to turn off the lights time after time, I felt a slight ache in my heart.
Have I finally seen the light after the storm?
"We're going to church tomorrow. If you think it'll be boring, you can stay home and play with Celestia."
"I'll go."
"Oh, well then, good night."
Aiden takes us to church every year. Levi has never participated once. After we had Celestia, he always used the child as an excuse, letting me go with the family.
This year, he's acting differently. He actually wants to go.
I turned over, facing away from him. Thinking back to Michael's ugly behavior, I really was scared. He held a grudge about the Star series and Moon series competition. How did he know about Levi hoarding inventory?
Only Nola, John, and I knew that Levi was this mysterious buyer. I don't believe information could leak from within our company.
My mind was all over the place. Gradually, I grew tired and fell asleep.