It seemed that Annie noticed Charlotte Thompson’s gaze and set Olivia Thompson down, smiling at her.
"I was worried that the children might accidentally bump and get hurt while playing, so that’s why the decor is ."
Upon hearing this, Charlotte Thompson suddenly understood, but somehow, she still felt something was off.
However, thinking it was just the decor, Charlotte Thompson brushed off the concern and refocused her attention on Annie.
Seeing that her complexion had fully recovered, Charlotte Thompson finally felt relieved. This text is hosted at n0velfire.net
"It feels like I haven’t seen Annie for a long time; Annie seems to have grown taller," Annie said, rubbing Olivia Thompson’s head and smiling with pursed lips.
"But Annie is still shorter than her brothers and sisters," Olivia Thompson said with a slight grievance.
Hearing this, Charlotte Thompson couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache again.
Olivia Thompson was born much later than Cyrus Thompson and the others; additionally, Annie’s health had been very poor at that time. When Olivia Thompson was born, she was almost as small as a kitten, and even her cries were very weak.
Fortunately, under Charlotte Thompson’s care over the years, Olivia Thompson’s health was very good, although she might indeed have been influenced by Annie; Olivia Thompson was somewhat chilly and often had cold hands and feet during winter.
"It’s okay, Annie is still young; she will grow taller in the future," Annie said with a smile.
Seeing the warmth between mother and daughter, Charlotte Thompson felt more comfort in her heart.
"Annie, why don’t you let Annie stay with you for a few days?"
Annie’s health had mostly recovered now, so taking care of Olivia Thompson wouldn’t be a problem.
Moreover, letting someone live alone in a house would definitely be lonely, and having Olivia Thompson for company would also be nice.
However, what Charlotte Thompson hadn’t expected was that Emily Allen shook her head: "Still, let Annie stay at your place."
Charlotte Thompson was just about to ask why when Emily Allen lowered her head and said to Olivia Thompson, "Daughter, mommy bought you a lot of new clothes, all still packaged in the room. Why don’t you try them on and let mommy see if they’re nice?"
Olivia Thompson agreed, smiling brightly, and then entered the room under Emily Allen’s direction.
Only Charlotte Thompson and Annie were left in the living room, and it felt as if they were back to their old times in Ashton.
Neither spoke, but the atmosphere was not the least bit awkward; it was actually the best it could be.
After a while, Annie spoke, breaking the silence in the living room.
Charlotte Thompson looked up at her.
"What would you think if... Oliver Hudson and I were to reconcile?" Annie’s lips moved as she spoke.
Charlotte Thompson had not expected Annie to say this; she opened her mouth, a myriad of thoughts flooding her mind, but she still didn’t know what would be best to say.
Such a reaction from Charlotte Thompson was not unexpected to Annie, who slightly curved her lips and gently stirred the juice in her cup with a straw.
She then shifted her gaze to the window, a motion that did not allow Charlotte Thompson to see her entire facial expression.
"After all, he is Annie’s biological father."
Charlotte Thompson had thought it was Oliver Hudson’s remorse and care that had led to Annie’s forgiveness, but she had not anticipated this response from Annie.
"Did you choose to accommodate him for the sake of the child?"
Charlotte Thompson knew Annie’s past well and knew that Annie’s greatest desire was for familial affection, and wasn’t it the same for herself?
That was the reason she and Annie had hit it off from the start.
Yet despite longing for a complete family.
But ironically, initially neither she nor Annie had provided their children with a complete family.