Chapter 7 James, Good Night
The next morning.
James felt a tickle on his cheek. He sniffed and heard Sophia's gentle voice by his ear.
"Emily, you can't wake up James. How about I take you to get some milk?"
He suddenly remembered he had come home with Sophia the night before.
When James opened his eyes, he was met with Emily's bright, sparkling eyes.
Seeing him awake, Emily immediately called out sweetly, "James."
Sophia noticed James stirring and looked at him warmly. "James, if you're still tired, you can sleep a bit more."
James shook his head and stared at her blankly.
Waking up next to Sophia felt like a long-lost warmth.
Sophia touched his forehead, relieved to find he no longer had a fever. After breakfast with the two kids, she took them to play in the yard.
There was a big swing in the yard. James and Emily sat on it while Sophia stood behind, gently pushing.
"Mom, push."
With James to play with, Emily was overjoyed, waving her arms and legs.
Hearing Emily call his name repeatedly, the gloom that had clouded James in the hospital finally lifted, replaced by a genuine smile.
During the three days at Sophia's, James enjoyed every meal and slept with Sophia and Emily at night, waking up to Emily's calls each morning.
When William arrived, he saw James, who rarely laughed heartily, being chased around the yard by Emily, laughing so hard his teeth showed.
Sunshine bathed the two children, while Sophia sat on the swing, watching them play with a gentle gaze.
James held the string of a children's kite, with Emily running behind him. Occasionally, she would fall on the grass, only to get back up and continue chasing James.
Suddenly, the kite string snapped.
James held Emily's hand as they went to retrieve the kite, and he spotted William standing at the gate.
He froze, stunned. "Dad."
Sophia had noticed William long before, as soon as his car entered the neighborhood, thanks to the bodyguard's alert.
It was only a matter of time before he found them.
She had made up her mind in the past few days: she didn't want the man, but she would take the children and raise them herself.
Meeting William was inevitable for James and Michael.
William, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, exuded an intimidating presence, his sharp eyes locked onto her face, his thin lips pressed into a tight line.
Behind him, a group of bodyguards stood respectfully a few steps away.
William's demeanor was calmer than she expected. Sophia had the housekeeper take the two children inside, facing William alone.
In the yard.
Sophia remained seated on the swing.
William strode up to her, stopping a meter away, looking down at her.
He recalled Tony's words before he got out of the car.
"Mrs. Smith went to the hospital to visit Raymond, the son of the Roberts family just found in the south of the city."
William had met that man before, the night before he and Sophia got married; Raymond had stood outside the Smith Mansion all night.
Raymond, Sophia's first love!
His eyes were cold and questioning. "Sophia, who gave you permission to take my son?"
Sophia's lips curled into a cold smile. "Should I have left him sick and miserable in the hospital?"
William's anger was palpable. "What right do you have to take him?"
Stung by his ridicule, Sophia fought back tears. "I'm his mother. What right do I have?"
William's knuckles turned white from the pressure. "Now you remember you're his mother? Where were you when he was sick and looking for you two years ago?"
Sophia's eyes reddened, tears welling up. "Did I not want to be with them? William, you never gave me the chance!"
"When James was sad on the hospital balcony, where were you, his father? You were off with Alice on the set!"
William saw the tears in her eyes, his gaze softening for a moment before turning mocking again.
"Sophia, this is between us. Why do you always drag innocent people into it?"
Innocent? Alice, innocent?
Sophia felt like her heart was being crushed by an iron hand, needles stabbing it relentlessly.
The five years of repression, torment, and bitterness stood between her and William, tearing at her every inch.
"If you think she's innocent, then so be it."
Sophia didn't want to argue with William anymore. No matter what she said, his heart would always be with Alice.
She wiped her tears. "William, if you decide to marry Alice, please give me custody of the children."
The air seemed to freeze.
William's eyes were as sharp as blades. "Impossible!"
"Sophia, let me remind you, even if you are their mother, legally, you cannot take James without my permission."
"If it happens again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Inside the house.
James kept glancing towards the yard. He thought he saw William make Sophia cry. He had never seen her so sad.
No, he had seen it before.
Before Sophia left the Smith family, left William, and left them, he had seen her secretly wiping tears in her room.
Just as William was about to say something sarcastic, James came back to the yard, holding Emily's hand.
He raised his voice, crying, "Dad, I'll go back with you."
Sophia turned around, tears in her eyes, meeting James's understanding gaze, feeling a wave of helplessness.
James handed Emily to Sophia, smiling painfully. "Thank you, thank you, Mom. I've been really happy these past few days."
Having Sophia and Emily around felt really good.
Sophia knelt and hugged James. "James, if you don't want to go, I can protect you."
James patted her back just like she did, continuing, "Mom, don't worry. Dad loves me. It's just that Michael is alone at home and might be scared. I'm his big brother, I need to be with him."
"I'll come to see you and Emily whenever I can. I'll buy new toys for Emily, too. Whatever my friends have in kindergarten, Emily should have too."
James was so well-behaved, it broke her heart.
Sophia didn't want to force the child because of her own wishes.
She prepared lots of snacks for James, and Emily stuffed all her favorite candies into his little backpack.
William sat in the living room, his eyes cold and imposing.
Watching the scene before him, he felt a mix of emotions he couldn't describe.
While he wasn't paying attention, James asked Sophia for her social media contact, writing it down on a small piece of paper to add her later.
Back at the Smith house, William went to his room to shower, as usual.
James sneaked into his room.
Nervous, he grabbed one of the three identical phones on the nightstand and hurried back to his room.
Once there, he quickly took out the piece of paper and added Sophia's contact.
She accepted his request almost immediately.
James lay on his bed, happily sending Sophia a video call request.
It connected in a second, and he saw Emily's curious eyes on the other side, calling him James.
James was smitten by her cuteness.
"Mom, can you send me the photos we took together? When Dad lets me use the phone, I can look at them."
Feeling for James, Sophia sent him all the photos she had taken of him and Emily, including the ones of the three of them together.
At the door.
William paused in the middle of drying his hair.