Justin Battleson cast a casual glance over.
Hearing the commotion in the living room, Charlotte Thompson hastily made her way from the kitchen.
She bent over, her long hair falling naturally, covering her pretty profile. Her voice was gentle like a spring breeze, blowing away the children’s worries.
She reached out and touched the children’s heads, her voice soft.
"What’s all the fuss about?"
"Mommy." Jack Thompson clung to his mother, his face now showing traces of obedience, instantly smoothing his unruly hair.
"Mommy, brother said we..."
Chad Thompson could not hide his impatience and, seeing Charlotte arrived, did not wish to conceal anything, so he swallowed and admitted to it.
Charlotte looked over and only then noticed Cyrus Thompson, a stern expression on his face similar to Justin’s, his jaw set in determination.
"Pfft." Charlotte covered her mouth as she chuckled, sighing and shaking her head with no signs of annoyance.
"Don’t you know what kind of person your brother is?"
Charlotte teased Chad’s little nose and gently laughed.
Seeing that the children remained silent, creating a moment of calm in the room, Charlotte patiently began to speak.
"We are a family, and being a family means we are relatives who are forever together. Perhaps you and your big brother are not related by blood, but you were raised by mommy. You may not be relatives, but you’re more than relatives because it’s the bond that matters most."
Charlotte spoke seriously, word by word. She knew these children might not fully understand this principle, but she hoped they would always remain harmonious.
"Mommy, I understand now. I was too harsh."
Cyrus Thompson, being quick-witted and always understanding Charlotte’s intentions, approached and silently apologized to his two younger brothers.
"I’m sorry. It was my fault. I’ll take you for an ice cream later."
Jack and Chad looked at each other, hiccuping for a few seconds, then promptly clamped their lips shut and shook their heads. They extended their small hands, grabbing Cyrus’ hand.
"Big brother, we were in the wrong too, sorry."
Seeing the reconciled children, Charlotte started to smile and stood up, feeling quite relieved.
In her heart, these five children were all her children.
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Justin Battleson, standing to the side, cast his deep gaze onto Charlotte. Her light illuminated the confusion before his eyes and his previous frustration vanished.
The man’s voice was deep, pausing for a moment before he moved towards Charlotte.
"Uh?" Charlotte sensed his gaze and instinctively looked at him. There was a deep emotion in his eyes.
His handsome features were highlighted as he lowered his head. His well-defined face looked godlike, the contours chiseled, and his thin lips slightly turned up.
Like a perfect work of art from God.
"You are a good mother."
Charlotte was stunned, clearly not understanding his meaning. After processing it, she touched her own nose and smiled awkwardly.
"That’s a weird thing for you to say."
Justin Battleson looked at the rare playful expression on the young woman’s face, feeling great amusement. He resisted the urge to ruffle her hair and instead, raised his eyebrow and spoke.
"I think the children are probably hungry by now since they’ve only had a light breakfast... Michael Richard is nearby. I’ll ask him to bring over some food."