Grace Thompson looked at him and quietly made a funny face, then said, "Mommy, please hurry back. I’m going upstairs now."
Saying this, Grace scampered away, her little short legs catching up with her speed under Charlotte Thompson’s watchful gaze. Her pink princess dress lifted slightly with the breeze.
After hanging up the phone, Henry Hudson stared blankly at the scenery outside, lost in thought.
Was everything really going to end ? All the efforts he had made just to end up here. Life was back on track, the children craved their father, and Justin Battleson was slowly becoming a part of their lives.
Parental bonds were irreplaceable; Justin would forever be a part of their lives.
He, perhaps, was just a passerby after all. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on N()velFire.net
Henry rose to his feet, placed his hand against the glass window, and peered into the distance, his hand resting gently against the glass. He slightly curled his fingers, as if to grasp something, but finally, he pulled his hand back and whispered, "We are destined to meet, but not to be together."
He slowly walked to the table, poured himself a glass of wine. The red wine splashed against the glass. He picked up the goblet, the wine’s red color seemed infectious.
Soon, Henry’s eyes also began to redden up. He picked up his glass, downed it all at once, and put the empty glass heavily back on the table. He let out a deep sigh, and looked up at the sky, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
He understood Charlotte. Even though she hadn’t given a definitive answer, he could sense her wavering.
As a mother, a child is her Achilles’ heel. Her child needs a father, and Charlotte cannot, and should not, deny that.
Bringing up several children single-handedly, it might be time for Justin to pay back what he owes her.
The deep night had been long since descended, hiding the last glimmer of starlight beneath a thick veil of darkness. On returning to the window, the moon hung brightly alone.
His mouth tasted bitter. With a bittersweet smile on his face, Henry murmured to himself.
"The moon is so lonely tonight. The stars share my plight. No matter how hard they shine, people only see the brightest moon."
"And the moon, in front of the sun, seems so small."
Taking a deep breath, images of his past with Charlotte filled Henry’s mind.
The scenes from the past flooded back, making him realize how much had changed.
The tender voice of Grace rang in his ears again. Playing with a Barbie doll in her tiny hands, her face was deadly serious.
"Uncle Hudson, I have a secret to tell you, I really want my mommy and daddy to be together. Then, we won’t be children without a father."
Indeed, Henry had to admit, the one who was more suitable to be by Charlotte’s side was the children’s father, Justin Battleson, with whom she was entangled for years.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Henry sighed softly and closed the curtain, blocking the night view. Walking towards his study, he opened a miscellaneous file, his thoughts lingering.
He took a deep breath and buried his head down, looking at the documents.
Hours passed without notice, the lights in the room one by one went out. The bottle of red wine was returned to the cabinet, making the room as silent as if no one was there.
Deep into the night, all was quiet. Only the light at the junction provided a touch of warmth. The clear moonlight poured onto the large French window, returning the room to its quiet state until the last whiff of smoke also disappeared entirely.
The curtain rustled as the wind blew through it, making a small sound that accentuated the silence and loneliness.