Chapter 26
Emily dragged her exhausted body through the front door.
The moment she stepped inside, two little figures rushed out quickly, carrying that unique milky scent of children, instantly filling the emptiness in her heart.
"Mommy!" Their clear, childish voices rang out almost simultaneously.
Then Emily felt her legs grow heavy as Nina and Aiden each hugged one of her thighs, lifting their adorable little faces with eyes full of undisguised affection and dependence.
The gloom in Emily's heart seemed to lift a bit with that call.
She forced herself to perk up, managed a slight smile on her pale lips, and, despite her exhaustion, skillfully crouched down and scooped up both little ones, one in each arm.
"Were you two good at home today? You didn't disturb William's rest, did you?" Emily tried to make her voice sound gentler and lighter, wearing a warm smile on her face.
Faced with her question, Nina was always straightforward and immediately began chattering away. "Mommy, today we played so many games with him, and he also..."
Listening to her excited sharing, the sadness in Emily's heart faded somewhat.
'It's just a preschool, isn't it?' She thought.
She only hoped the two children could have a normal living environment, which is why she wanted them to go to preschool.
But if Happy World Preschool couldn't accommodate them, then so be it.
A principal who could be bought by anyone wasn't worth all the effort of sending her children there anyway.
But Emily wouldn't give up on finding them a better preschool.
Thinking about this, Emily finally perked up and chatted with Nina about the day's interesting events, though the stories Emily told were made up.
Aiden pressed his lips together slightly, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.
Perhaps because only William had been by his side since childhood, his personality was somewhat sensitive.
So the first moment he saw Emily today, he keenly noticed that her smile seemed forced, and her eyes held a lingering weariness and loneliness.
He could sense that Emily must have encountered something upsetting today.
"Mommy, did something happen today?"
After Nina finished talking about the day's fun, Aiden took the opportunity to tug at Emily's sleeve, lowering his voice and asking like a little adult.
Aiden's sudden concern caught Emily off guard, but she only paused for a moment before stroking Aiden's hair. "It's okay, everything will pass. Work was a bit tiring today, so I just want to rest for a while."
She didn't want outside matters to affect the children's mood.
But clearly, Aiden didn't think so.
He put on a serious face and said to Emily, "Mommy, no matter what happens, we'll face it together with you. So you can't hide things from us when something happens, because we're family."
Aiden's words struck the soft spot in Emily's heart. She couldn't help but reach out and hug both children tightly.
"Sweeties, if you don't go to preschool for now, and I teach you at home or hire a tutor, would you be unhappy?" Emily always respected the children's opinions.
Since they were asking so persistently, they must be worried about her.
If Emily didn't speak up, everyone would be carrying worries in their hearts, and no one would rest well. Besides, this wasn't something that couldn't be solved.
Just like she said, hiring a tutor or teaching them herself were both options.
Still, when she spoke, her voice carried a barely noticeable carefulness, her eyes fixed on the children's reactions, afraid of seeing disappointment in their eyes.
Hearing this, Nina first froze, then her eyes lit up as she clapped happily. "Great! I love Mommy the most. Playing at home with Mommy and Oscar is way better than going to preschool. At preschool, I have to take naps, and I don't like naps."
Her innocent words made Emily relax a bit.
Emily's gaze unconsciously drifted to Aiden standing beside them.
She saw Aiden's brow furrow slightly, as if understanding something.
He didn't cheer like Nina, but instead reached out his small hand to hold Emily's cool fingers, comforting her like a little adult. "Mommy, it's okay. We can learn anywhere. As long as we're with you, I'm happy."
He paused, as if afraid Emily would blame herself, and added, "Besides, at home I can protect you and Nina better. The kids outside are sometimes really noisy. I don't like it."
Watching his little face trying to be strong, Emily's nose tingled, and she almost cried.
She pulled both children tightly into her arms. "I'm sorry, I'm useless..."
"Mommy, you're the best!"
Aiden and Nina exchanged glances, both sensing the sadness coming from Emily. They reached out to hug Emily back, saying in unison.
This warm yet bittersweet conversation in the courtyard fell completely into the ears of the person in the shadows of the guest bedroom.
William sat in his wheelchair, quietly listening to their conversation.
Emily's disappointment, Nina's innocence, and Aiden's thoughtfulness pierced his heart like a needle.
After spending these days together, he had grown quite fond of Nina and Aiden. And now they didn't even have the right to go to preschool?
He wanted to see just what kind of preschool had the nerve to turn children away.
William quietly wheeled away, the wheelchair making soft sounds against the ground, but not disturbing the three people in the courtyard.
After Emily settled the two children, she came with the medicine box to change William's dressing.
"Do you feel any improvement lately?" Emily asked routinely while skillfully changing the medicine on William's leg.
"I can vaguely see some light now," William answered honestly.
He thought his blindness would take longer to recover, but unexpectedly, he could already faintly see some light.
Emily was somewhat surprised, but also felt a barely noticeable sense of loss.
In Emily's view, it was already remarkable that William could help her take care of the two children while recovering.
But she also knew that William wouldn't stay in the small courtyard forever.
He would get better eventually, and the two of them would part ways sooner or later.
"That's good." She carefully hid that trace of loss, her tone calm.