Jude placed Juniper on her lap and asked her, âJuniper, are you unhappy? If you donât want to talk with your mommy, you can always tell me about it.â
Upon hearing that, Juniper lowered her gaze and fell into a short silence. âAunt Jude, too many things have happened after we moved here. Did Mommy tell you about Mr. Handsome?â
âYes, she did. I know everything that has happened over here. Just tell me whatâs on your mind.â âJameson Fowler has not come to school for two days. I heard that he is sick from high fever, and I am worried about him.â
Coincidentally, Selena was done with the dishes and came out just in time to overhear Juniperâs words.
âMommy told me that their adult problems have nothing to do with us kids. To be honest, I am not mad at the twins anymore, but I still pretend like I do. However, heâs sick now and I am very worried. I want to visit him but I am afraid to ask Mommy.â
Selena stood there frozen in surprise and did not take another step forward.
A childâs world is full of innocence. As much as Selena wanted to protect Juniperâs innocence, visiting Jameson would mean meeting Pierre again. Unfortunately, it was not the right time for them to meet each other.
When Jude heard that, she flashed a comforting smile at Juniper. âMaybe he will get better by tomorrow. Donât you think so? If he is sick, he might infect you when you visit him. And if you fall sick too, your mommy will be very worried.â
Of course, Jude understood the complications that might arise, so she tried her best to talk Juniper out of visiting her friend.
Although Juniper was disappointed, she still nodded obediently at Jude. âAlright.â
At night, after Juniper fell asleep, Selena slumped onto the sofa in a wistful mood. Jude joined her and gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder.
âPerhaps you should make time and bring Juniper to visit her friend.â Even though Jude had clearly denied Juniperâs request, she shared Selenaâs thoughts as well. We cannot ruin the childrenâs innocent perception of the world.
âWhy does it have to happen at this juncture? How should I face him?â Selenaâs voice sounded hoarse. As she spoke, she covered her face in exasperation, and the problem added to her throbbing headache.
If it had not been for the emergency call Pierre received that night, she would have slept with him. After she had learned about the truth, she could not see Pierreâs request in the same light anymore. She was more hesitant to sleep with him for the âsecond timeâ now when they had never done the deed all along.
At the height of this messâwhen she was still in the dark about Pierreâs feelingsâhow could she visit Jameson? It is too risky to do so.
âDo give it some consideration. Iâm too drained. Iâll have to sleep now!â Jude was tired from the plane trip earlier, and she was at the end of her wits regarding Selenaâs awkward situation anyway.
After Jude had left for her bedroom upstairs, Selena was left alone on the sofa, and she fell into deep thoughts for a long time.
Meanwhile, at the Fowler Residence, Jamesonâs recurring fever went well into its third day. For the past three days, everyone in the entire household had been walking on thin ice because John was always on the verge of blowing up. Any slight disturbance would trigger him and cause another round of yelling.
Meredith turned down all her scheduled work and camped at the Fowler Residence to keep an eye on Jameson.
Sleep-deprived for three days, she had lost all the radiance of a movie star. However, her disheveled look was proof of her motherly love, and her selfless sacrifice won the approval of the entire Fowler Family.
She stared into her reflection in the mirror and mocked herself. Ugh, youâre a disgusting mess! In normal times, she always strived to maintain a polished image, and had never allowed herself to slack off on the upkeep of her appearance.
Clutching her fists tightly, she stood in front of the mirror and tried her best to suppress the anger in her. âWeâre heading into the third day. His fever should go down by today. Meredith Yard, keep calm and carry on!â She secretly cheered for herself. Also, she recalled the conversation between John and Helen that day which she had eavesdropped on. He brought up my name to Helen, and I believe they are considering my marriage to Pierre!
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