Chapter 157: The Most Beautiful Sunrise
Jack started the car and said casually, “So early? Must be a prank call. Ignore it.”
She said awkwardly, “Sorry, I glanced at the number. It was your mother calling. You should probably return it.”
He chuckled. “My mom always wakes before dawn. Probably worried I wasn’t home and assumed I was out again…”
He stopped short, realizing it wasn’t wise to bring up his past in front of the kids.
He glanced at the rearview mirror. Sophia and Ethan were watching him intently, their eyes bright and alert. They were so cute—looked like him, yet also bore a resemblance to Alison.
He reached out to Alison. “Alison, give me the phone.”
She handed it over silently, thinking he was about to call back. Instead, he shut it off, clearly ignoring it.
He was sure it must be Aimée’s emissaries. He had no interest in listening to that nonsense.
“Daddy, where are we going?” the two little ones pressing their faces to the window.
“How about the beach?” he asked.
“Awesome! We’ve been here so long, but Mommy hasn’t taken us to the beach yet! I want to collect seashells in the sand—beach sand is way more fun than the sand at home!” Ethan exclaimed.
“Ethan, the sand at home came from the beach, too,” Alison reminded him.
“Oh.” Ethan stuck out his tongue.
“Mommy, can we build sandcastles at the beach after we watch the sunrise?” Sophia asked.
Jack chimed in, “Sure! Let’s play at the beach all day today and come back tonight.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
“But is there food over there?” She’d heard there were no bento stands near Volcano Island.
Jack smiled. “How could Daddy let Sophia and Ethan go hungry? Don’t worry, Daddy will cook something delicious and make sure you’re stuffed.”
“No way! If I eat too much, I’ll gain weight and become clumsy when walking. How ugly would that be?”
“Alright, Sophia is the best girl. You won’t fat. But today, you have to finish everything Daddy prepared for you.” He had arranged it all early that morning.
“Okay! When I’m full, I’ll feed Daddy.”
“Feed me what?” Jack asked, enjoying chatting with the kids.
“Just eating food, of course.”
“Will you eat anything Daddy makes?”
“Yes, I’ll eat anything Daddy makes.”
“Alright, then Daddy will make you asomething spicy,” He teased.
“Okay. If I can’t finish it, Mommy will help me. She loves spicy food.”
Amidst their chatter and laughter, the ocean came into view.
The sea was vivid blue, stretching endlessly.
“Yeah, I wanna play in the water!” Ethan shouted excitedly the moment he saw it.
“After we watch the sunrise.”
The sky was already bright. Soon the sun would rise. Where sea met sky, streaks of light pierced the clouds, brimming with promise.
The moment the car stopped, the children eagerly pushed open the doors and jumped out, skipping happily across the fine sand.
The moment the car stopped, the children leapt out, skipping across the fine sand.
Two rows of tiny footprints trailed behind them.
Jack held Alison’s hand, following the children.
They sat down, hands clasped, while the children settled quietly before them, all waiting for the sunrise.
She clasped his hand tightly—this was her first time watching a sunrise. Though she’d imagined it countless times before, she had always missed it.
“Mommy, why isn’t the sun coming up yet?” Sophia gazed toward the horizon, growing impatient.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be here soon,” Jack said, pointing to the dawn’s glow.
No sooner had he spoken than the sun leapt over the horizon.
Silence fell. Everyone was awestruck.
Bathed in sunlight, they smiled.
“The sun’s up!” the children cheered, jumping on the sand.
“Alison, I’ll bring them out to watch the sunrise often from now on.” Seeing their joy, Jack felt utterly delighted.
“Jack, are you sure you don’t need to call back?” Alison asked. Isabella’s call still lingered in her mind.
“No need. Don’t worry.” He shook his head with a smile.
Alison said no more, knowing he was stubborn.