âHmm, I got it.â Dorian acknowledged, his lips pursed slightly in a thoughtful pout.
Fitch heaved a silent sigh of relief. Thankfully, Lysander did not scold him.
Atticus, finally recovering from his surprise, looked past Lysander but did not find Thalassa. His small face, full of displeasure, turned up to Lysander. âWhereâs Mom?â
Elowen and Sophia, at the mention of âmom, seemed to have their switches turned on. Their innocent eyes blinked in surprise before they dropped their building blocks, scrambled up from the floor, and shuffled over to Lysander.
Elowen, the braver and more joyous of the two, tugged at Lysanderâs pants leg. Her chubby face tilted up in anticipation, and her large, innocent eyes were filled with expectation as she asked, âDaddy, why did Mom not come home with you?â
Sophia trailed behind, too shy to approach Lysander. She stood behind Elowen, her gaze timid. Clearly, she missed her mother, too.
Lysander took in the expressions of his children and said, âSheâs at your grandmaâs.â
âHmm, I miss Mom. I want to see her,â Elowen said, her large, watery eyes filled with tears, her little mouth pouting in sadness.
âI miss Mom and Grandma too.â Realizing his mother was not home, Dorianâs voice dropped to a pitiful whisper.
Lysander replied, âClean up and rest well. Iâll take you to see her on Saturday.â
âSaturday? Thatâs two days away! We canât see Mom for two whole days?â Atticusâ accusing gaze was fixed on Lysander.
âHmm, two days is too long,â Elowen sobbed, tugging at Lysanderâs pants. âNo, I want to see Mom now.â
Sophiaâs lips quivered, tears welling in her eyes.
Lysander looked sternly at Atticus, who was usually the instigator of these emotional outbursts. As the eldest, his ability to rally his younger siblings was uncanny.
Dorian, who was just happily playing moments ago, was now crying for their mother, thanks to Atticus.
Atticus lowered his gaze under Lysanderâs reprimand. He just missed their mother. Was that so wrong?
âDaddy, will you take us to grandmaâs house? Please?â Elowen pleaded, her chubby fingers clutching at Lysanderâs pants leg.
Lysander bent down, lifted Elowen into his arms, and wiped her tears away with his thumb. âStop crying. You donât look pretty when you cry.â
âBut I canât help crying when Momâs not here,â Elowen mumbled, her voice teary, then buried her face into Lysanderâs chest, smearing snot on his shirt.
Fitch watched, his body freezing in horror, his face ashen.
Oh no, little princess Elowen had smeared snot on Lysanderâs immaculate black shirt. Lysander was a clean freak, and his clothes were spotless. How could he tolerate snot on his shirt?
Fitch feared for Elowen, expecting Lysander to drop her like a hot potato.
However, to Fitchâs surprise, Lysander did not get angry. Instead, he gently patted Elowenâs back, his deep voice soothing her. âHow can we go if you wonât stop crying?â
Elowen did not immediately understand what Lysander meant, but the other three understood right away.
Atticusâ face lit up, and Dorianâs saddened eyes sparkled excitedly. Sophiaâs teary eyes cleared, her lips curving into a happy smile, a bubble of snot. popping out of her nose.
Elowen, still sobbing in Lysanderâs arms, finally understood what he meant after a moment. She paused, then lifted her face to look at him, her large, bright eyes sparkling. She hugged Lysanderâs face and leaned in to plant a wet kiss on his cheek. âDaddy, love you the most.â
The little girlâs kiss smeared more snot on Lysanderâs face, but he did not seem to mind at all
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