Chapter 50
Emily clutched those three cards tightly, sitting dazed on the stone bench.
The morning sun rose from the horizon to hang high in the sky, a beam of sunlight falling on Emily, making her look as if she were draped in a layer of golden gauze.
Nina got up, rubbing her eyes as she came out, and saw Emily sitting there in a daze.
"Mommy, what's wrong?" Nina scurried over to her on her short little legs.
Hearing his voice, Emily gradually came back to her senses. Looking at Nina right in front of her, she forced a slight smile.
"I'm fine. Is Oscar up yet?"
Nina didn't notice she was changing the subject and nodded along with Emily's question. "He's up, he'll be out in a minute."
Oscar pushed open the door and walked out. The moment he saw the familiar little courtyard and Emily sitting there, tears fell uncontrollably from his eyes.
Although he had been doing okay alone at the Brown Mansion, he was still just a four or five-year-old child after all.
"Mommy!" Oscar rushed over and hugged Emily.
Emily opened her arms and pulled him into her embrace. Almost instantly, catching the milky scent on him, Emily immediately understood.
"Oscar, you're finally back."
Hearing her words, Oscar's lips trembled, then he reached up to wipe away his tears.
Seeing a teardrop at the corner of Emily's eye, he extended his chubby little hand to wipe it away for her too.
"Mommy, don't cry, I'm back." Oscar comforted Emily thoughtfully.
"Oscar, shame on you." Nina laughed from the side, even making a gesture across her face. Oscar's face immediately turned bright red.
"You guys go play first."
Although Oscar's return excited Emily very much, right now, she wanted to redirect Oscar's attention even more.
"Okay."
Nina didn't know what had happened and pulled Oscar's hand as they ran outside. "Oscar, let's go see that man."
She excitedly pulled Oscar into William's room, but the room was completely empty, not a soul in sight.
The smile on Nina's face faded. She rushed out and looked at Emily, her big watery eyes making anyone who saw them feel sorry for her. "Mommy, where did he go?"
Facing her question, Emily pressed her lips together. "Nina, he has his own things to do. He's already left."
"Left?" The bright sparkle in Nina's eyes instantly dimmed.
Emily's heart ached watching this, and she walked over to hold her. "Nina, he has his own life too."
Nina buried her head in Emily's arms, feeling down, her voice tinged with sadness. "Will he come back?"
Emily's hand patting her back paused, and finally she just nodded gently. "He likes you both so much, he'll definitely come back."
With Emily's words, Nina's mood improved a bit.
Oscar couldn't stand seeing her sad over William and pulled her aside.
Watching Oscar and Nina running and jumping around the courtyard, Emily's mood also improved somewhat.
She had just lied to Nina.
She and William were from two different worlds to begin with.
If it weren't for this accident, they probably would never have crossed paths.
Now that he had left, he probably wouldn't come back.
Emily forced herself to push down everything related to William, pulled Oscar and Nina aside to give them some instructions, and then left for work.
She arrived at the funeral home absentmindedly and adjusted her state before starting work.
The busy day kept Emily occupied.
But even so, during every break, she couldn't help thinking about William.
By now, how could she not understand her feelings for William?
But this was destined to be a relationship without results.
When she got off work and returned to the courtyard gate, Emily rubbed her stiff face, trying hard to put on a smile.
Pushing open the door, she saw three little ones standing in front of her.
Emily instinctively rubbed her eyes, looking at the three little faces in disbelief.
A little boy who looked almost identical to Oscar stood on one side of Nina, while Oscar was on the other side holding Nina's little hand.
"Oscar, Nina, he is..." Emily had a vague guess in her heart but didn't dare confirm it.
Nina tilted her head, looking at Emily with a beaming smile. "Mommy, he's my brother too!"
Her clear voice brought Emily back to her senses.
Emily instinctively covered her mouth; she couldn't make sounds in her throat.
"Mommy, are you okay?" Oscar and Nina stepped forward, each tugging at one side of her clothes, their little faces full of worry.
Aiden stood in place, his fingers anxiously twisting his clothes.
He looked at Emily with equal concern, but he didn't dare step forward.
Before, Aiden had been by Emily's side as Oscar.
Oscar was Emily's child, so he could call her "Mommy" without restraint and act spoiled around Emily.
But now, to Emily, he was just a child who looked like Oscar, someone else's child.
Would Emily accept him?
Aiden bit his lip, feeling anxious and uneasy.
"Who are you?" Emily took a deep breath, crouched down to look at Aiden, and asked gently.
"My name is Aiden."
As Aiden spoke, his eyes lowered, not daring to look at Emily's face at all. "Miss, my dad is on a business trip, and I'm alone at home. Can I spend the holiday here with you?"
He mustered up the courage to say this, then quickly took out an ID document from his little backpack and handed it to Emily. "Miss, my dad knows I'm here. He agreed to let me spend the holiday here. Will you let me stay?"
Seeing his anxious expression, Emily nodded and took a deep breath.
This child looked almost exactly like Oscar, so his identity was obvious.
At this moment, Emily didn't want to dwell on who the "dad" he mentioned was, nor did she want to think about how he appeared here.
It didn't matter. As long as he was okay, that was enough.
As long as the children were safe and healthy, nothing else mattered.
"Then stay here without worry. As long as I'm here, no one will drive you away." She stood up, walked in front of him, and reached out to touch Aiden's head.
Emily's fingertips were slightly cool, but it was as if a huge weight had suddenly lifted from Aiden's heart.
"Thank you."
Aiden's voice was soft. Emily couldn't help but hold him in her arms.
"Mommy, can we go out for a big meal? I want to eat hamburgers!" Nina sensed Emily's mood was off and tugged at her clothes.
Emily nodded, watching the children order food in front of her.
The corners of her lips couldn't help but curve upward, until a ringtone broke this warmth.
Emily answered the phone, her expression instantly serious.
Rodolfo had been beaten!