"Mommy, what’s wrong?"
Hank, who had been lying in bed for a long time without falling asleep, stood at the doorway hugging his stuffed toy, looking at Charlotte Thompson with confusion.
"Hmm?" Charlotte turned her head in puzzlement to look at him standing at the door.
Hank shook his head and gave a faint smile.
"It’s nothing, Mommy’s just a little tired. Why are you still up?" Read complete version only at Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
Charlotte’s voice was tender as she gazed at Hank. She stroked his tiny head, his jet-black hair making his skin look even paler.
Hank had a pair of captivating and beautiful eyes. When he laughed, it was as if a gentle breeze was sweeping across his face, stirring ripples of laughter.
"Mommy, I can’t sleep." Hank said in a tiny voice as he hugged Charlotte tightly. His eyes dimmed as he held onto the hem of her dress tightly, inhaling the scent of the pleasant rose fragrance that emanated from her. For a moment, the discomfort in Hank’s heart seemed to ease.
"Can’t sleep?" Charlotte said softly, patting Hank on the shoulder gently, trying to soothe him back to sleep.
Hank shook his head and buried his face in Charlotte’s embrace, his voice muffled as if hiding some kind of suppressed emotion.
"Mommy, mommy, could what we discussed today be hurtful to you?"
Hank looked at the tassels on the hem of Charlotte’s dress intently. The hanging tassels looked extremely delicate, and its soft touch gently caressed Hank’s heart.
Charlotte didn’t say anything in response to his question. She simply chuckled softly, her voice filled with a sense of indifference. She raised her eyebrows, understanding now what the concerns that have been nagging Hank all this time were.
"Hank, actually, you kids are the most important thing to Mommy. Once I sort out my matters, I’ll find you a father."
Hank nodded his head, understanding her words. He liked the Lego toy that Justin Battleson had bought for him, but in his heart, what mattered most was what Mommy liked.
"Mommy, we understand. No matter what, just do what you have to do, and we’ll always be with you."
The maturity in Hank’s voice warmed Charlotte’s heart. She nodded gently, expressing agreement with his words.
Only then was Hank able to relax. Falling into the comfort of Charlotte’s embrace, he gradually drifted off to sleep. Charlotte looked at Hank, peacefully asleep with his eyes closed, and couldn’t help but smile.
After lulling Hank to sleep and tucking him in, Charlotte stepped out of the room. That’s when she received a call from Henry.
Charlotte glanced at the tightly shut room doors before returning to her room with the phone in hand.
"Hello, Henry, what’s up?"
On the other end of the line, Henry’s voice was warm and gentle as he spoke softly.
"Charlotte, I’m back."
"Huh?" Charlotte momentarily didn’t understand his words. Staring blankly at her phone, it eventually dawned on her that what she heard was not an illusion.
"I said I’m back in town. I heard you returned to Druarus too? Where are you staying? At the BK Hotel? I’ll come to see you tomorrow."
Henry had previously been studying medicine in Cethuira. They hadn’t spoken in a while because he had been very busy.
Upon hearing that he was back in Druarus, Charlotte smiled faintly.
"Sure, I’m staying at the BK in the city center. See you tomorrow." She responded gently, her voice carrying a hint of nonchalance while her eyes twinkled with a smile.
A hearty laughter came from Henry’s end of the line, deep and resonant. After a while, he slowly spoke up again.