Chapter 16
Nina didn't say anything more. She suddenly threw herself into Emily's arms and hugged her waist tightly.
Her lips quivered, and tears immediately streamed down her face.
"Mommy, I was so scared." Nina sobbed, her eyes red and swollen.
Seeing her like this, Emily couldn't hold back her heartache. She pulled Nina into her arms and gently patted her back. "But I'm back now, aren't I? Don't be scared, Nina. I promise I'll never leave you."
"Mm..." The little voice still carried a crying tone that tugged at one's heart.
Aiden stood not far away, watching this scene, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the corner of his clothes.
He wanted to hug Emily, too, but was afraid she might mind.
Emily noticed his emotions right away and stretched out her arm toward him.
Aiden didn't hesitate anymore and rushed into her embrace. "Mommy, I was so worried about you."
His voice was muffled, and if you listened carefully, it also carried a hint of tears.
Emily looked at them like this, her heart aching as if being pricked by needles.
She pulled both children into her arms, one on each side, patting their backs over and over to comfort them. "Don't be afraid. I promise I'll never abandon you."
With her comfort, Aiden and Nina's emotions finally improved.
However, from then on, wherever Emily went, they followed, like two little tails attached to her.
"How about you two go to sleep first?" Emily helplessly crouched down, looking at them seriously.
"You're at the age when you need to grow. If you don't sleep now, you won't grow tall later. And if you don't grow tall, how will you protect me?" There was a hint of amusement in her eyes, though her tone was completely serious.
Hearing this, Aiden immediately clenched his little fists. "Then I'll go to sleep right now. When I grow up, I'll be able to protect Mommy."
His little face was full of seriousness, as if he were about to handle something incredibly important.
"Me too, I want to protect Mommy too." Nina made a gesture of pumping herself up, her cheeks puffed out.
However, she quickly changed her tone and acted cute toward Emily, "Mommy, can I sleep with you tonight?"
Seeing the expectation in Nina's eyes, Emily couldn't bear to refuse her.
Although the two children seemed mostly fine now, Emily knew clearly in her heart that they must have been frightened.
"Okay, then you both can sleep with me tonight. Go to the room and rest first. After I finish handling these things, I'll come tell you a bedtime story, okay?" Emily touched both children's heads, her tone gentle.
"Okay." Aiden and Nina answered in unison, then held each other's hands and walked toward the room together.
Watching those two small figures, Emily shook her head with a smile.
But for a moment, she felt a bit uneasy inside.
Although Aiden disguised himself well, Oscar was a child Emily had raised herself.
As a mother, how could she not recognize her own child?
That restrained stubbornness in Aiden's eyes, the unconscious habit of pressing his lips together when facing problems, even the way his fingertips turned white when he clenched his fists—all overlapped greatly with Oscar.
Combined with their extremely similar faces, Emily couldn't help but suspect he was her lost eldest son.
But her eldest son had died young that year, born without breath—this had been confirmed by the doctor.
If he really was her eldest son, what had happened back then? Who had taken him away?
Questions swirled in Emily's mind, lingering endlessly.
And now.
This child was by her side, replacing Oscar, so where had the real Oscar gone?
How could Emily not worry about Oscar?
It was just that Oscar had always been independent since childhood. Whatever he did, he had his own reasons for doing it.
Emily didn't want to doubt him, but the worry in her heart still couldn't be stopped.
Just then, her phone in her pocket vibrated slightly.
Emily took it out and looked—there was only one text message, and on it was only an asterisk.
The moment she saw this message, half of Emily's anxious heart finally settled.
This was a phone number she had specially set up for Oscar before, and that single asterisk was an agreement between them.
If one day Oscar suddenly disappeared but could send an asterisk from this number, it would prove that his current situation was safe and that he had reasons for having to leave Emily.
Emily thought, as long as he was safe, that was enough.
Oscar was more mature and independent than his peers.
Emily wanted to find him and bring him back quickly, but to avoid alerting anyone and worrying Aiden and Nina, she could only choose to investigate his whereabouts secretly.
Emily turned to clean up the mess in the courtyard, her fingertips brushing across the stone table. The cold sensation made her thoughts even clearer.
She had just bent down to pick up scattered dead leaves when she saw Aiden peeking at her from the doorway.
When he saw her looking over, he quickly pulled his head back, like a startled little animal.
Emily's heart softened. Without calling him out, she just raised her voice to remind him, "Baby, remember to cover yourself and Nina with the blanket properly. Don't catch a cold."
A soft response soon came from the room. Emily chuckled softly, then went into the room to change William's bandages.
"Have you settled both children?"
Facing William's question, Emily hummed in response. Her hands didn't stop moving as she gently unwrapped the gauze on his leg and carefully changed his dressing.
"The wound on your leg is getting better, but you still can't put weight on it for a while. If you need help with anything, just call me." Emily's nagging instructions fell on William's ears, and he unconsciously curved his lips into a faint smile.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself."
Hearing William say this, Emily didn't say anything more.
After changing the dressing, she packed up the medicine box and was about to leave.
William leaned against the bed, his eyes under the gauze looking precisely in her direction. "Do you think Oscar has been any different these past few days?"
Facing his question, Emily paused in her steps.
She lowered her eyes and shook her head. "If I had to say, he's been more clingy lately. Nothing else unusual. Rest well. For the next while, I'll come change your dressing morning, noon, and night."
"Okay."
Seeing Emily wouldn't engage, William didn't press further.
If she didn't want to talk, no amount of questioning would get him answers.
Besides, if she wasn't saying, she naturally had her reasons.
Oscar was her child, after all.
As a mother, how could she be indifferent to her own child's disappearance?
Unless she already knew about all of this!