Chapter 90

On the way back, Henry couldn't stop thinking about the look in Stephen's eyes and the questions he'd asked.

Why would Stephen ask him those questions? Why did he seem to harbor such deep resentment?

Where did things go wrong?

Or was he overthinking it?

Was it just because he brought up Joseph and Stephen's pain?

Henry closed his eyes and leaned back against the rear seat.

Finally, with Henry gone, Julia's heart began to relax.

She walked over to her three little ones, played with them for a while, and then sent them upstairs to bed.

After making sure Tiffany was sound asleep, Julia hesitated before opening Joseph and Stephen's bedroom door.

Joseph and Stephen were still a bit upset about what happened at the dinner table, and their mood wasn't great. When they saw their mom at the door, Stephen asked, "Mommy, why aren't you asleep yet? Is something wrong?"

Julia smiled as she walked in, thinking about how to talk to Joseph and Stephen. She sat on the bed and gently stroked their heads. "Can I talk to you guys?"

"Sure," Joseph and Stephen quickly replied.

Seeing how obedient they were, Julia softly asked, "Did Tiffany's dad ask you about your father tonight?"

Joseph and Stephen nodded.

Stephen, thinking he had made it clear but Henry still didn't get it, said angrily, "We said we don't have a daddy, and we don't want one!"

Julia could hear the sadness in Stephen's voice. She had always kept their parentage a secret, not knowing if it was the right thing to do. If they knew Tiffany's dad was their dad, what would they think?

Julia took a deep breath. "Tell me the truth. Do you feel different from other kids because you don't have a daddy? Do you secretly wish you had one?"

Joseph and Stephen shook their heads in unison. "No!"

Julia frowned slightly. "But..." 

Weren't they upset because of this?

Joseph and Stephen each hugged one of her arms, their faces serious. "Having you is enough. You're the best mommy in the whole world, no, the whole universe!"

They seemed to want to reassure Julia and used Tiffany as an example. "Just like Tiffany, she loves you too, Mommy. So having you is the best! We don't envy kids with dads."

"Exactly!"

Julia knew they were saying this to make her feel better. She hugged them tightly, unable to speak for a long time.

Henry hadn't shown up for a few days, only texting Julia occasionally to ask about Tiffany. Julia was very wary of him because of what happened. She hoped they could remain like two parallel lines, never intersecting.

Henry was very attentive to Tiffany, asking about her almost every morning, noon, and night. Sometimes he even needed to video call her before he could sleep peacefully.

Julia saw how much Henry cared for Tiffany and wondered why he hadn't visited her in days. Why did he trust her more than the woman he loved, Vivian? Julia couldn't figure it out.

Fortunately, Tiffany was very attached to her, and Julia didn't mind this moderate clinginess. They got along well.

However, every time Tiffany acted cute with her, Julia couldn't help but think of the daughter she couldn't save. If she had grown up safely, she would be about Tiffany's age now.

Julia always thought of Tiffany as the daughter she lost, treating her with extra care and love. She never held any grudge against Tiffany for being Henry's daughter.

Joseph and Stephen got along well with Tiffany, treating her like their own sister. Tiffany quickly became the darling of the household.

Tiffany loved being with Joseph and Stephen, always smiling from ear to ear. Seeing Tiffany change day by day, Julia felt both happy and afraid that Henry might take Tiffany away. She had grown used to having Tiffany around and couldn't bear the thought of parting with her.

With Tiffany's emotions stabilizing, her return home became imminent. They would soon be separated.

Julia's nose tingled with sadness. She realized she hadn't taken Tiffany out to play properly since she arrived.

Joseph and Stephen seemed to know what Julia was thinking and ran over, smiling. "Mommy!"

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Can we take Tiffany to the aquarium?"

"The aquarium?" Julia didn't know where the kids got the idea, but it matched her own thoughts perfectly. She was happy to oblige.

Julia turned to Tiffany to ask her opinion. Tiffany nodded obediently. As long as she could be with Julia, she didn't care where they went.

Julia quickly got ready and took the three kids to the aquarium.

Because of his unpredictable work schedule, Henry rarely took Tiffany out to play. It was also Joseph and Stephen's first time visiting an aquarium in the country.

Julia bought the tickets and took the kids inside. They were immediately captivated by the colorful fish and interacted with them. Julia took pictures and explained the fish she knew about.

For the first time, she allowed herself to slow down and spend time with the kids. It felt really good—deeply relaxing.

They said that fifteen minutes with one's mom felt like an hour with a therapist. The kids provided her with the same sense of peace, didn't they?

Julia took them to see the dolphin and sea lion shows. The kids were amazed by the intelligence of the sea creatures.

They turned to Julia and asked, "Mommy, how do they do that?"

"They're naturally smart, so the trainers teach them, and they learn," Julia explained. "It's like when you first started school and didn't know what one plus one was, but the teacher patiently taught you, right?"

Joseph and Stephen answered loudly, "Right!"

"So the trainers are like their teachers."

Tiffany didn't say anything but looked at Julia with wide eyes. She suddenly realized how much Julia knew.

After the show, Julia took them to play some games. While the kids were playing, Henry called.

Since Henry had been contacting her frequently, Julia quickly answered. "What's up?"

"Where are you?" Henry asked, sounding a bit anxious.

Julia was puzzled. "What's going on? Did something happen?"

"Not really. I brought something for Tiffany, but the nanny said you left. I'll come find you. I miss Tiffany after not seeing her for a few days," Henry said, then added, "And... Joseph and Stephen too."