Chapter 248
Penelope and Willow had a great time playing until 9:00 pm.
Suzy had no choice but to urge Penelope, saying that it was time to head home now. After all, they needed to sleep earlier since she had work the next day, whereas Penelope needed to attend kindergarten. Penelope reluctantly let go of Willow’s hand. “Then, let’s play again tomorrow, okay?”
To show her sincerity, Willow nodded fervently.
Since Liam was still lurking like a predator, we decided to accompany her, worried about Suzy going home alone with a child.
With Zane driving, I sat in the passenger seat.
Suzy, who was sitting in the back with Penelope, teased us with a smile, “It seems like the passenger seat is only reserved for Annalise. Is that the case, Mr. Huxham?”
Zane didn’t deny it, calmly saying, “She is Willow’s mother, after all.”
As Suzy noticed that I was staying silent, she asked, “Do you have plans to get married?”
I answered honestly, “Not at the moment.”
Suzy sighed before remarking, “I guess it’s true that divorced women don’t usually rush into another marriage.”
Zane turned to look at me. “Really?”
“Yeah,” I admitted honestly. “After being hurt, one would start doubting marriage, the opposite sex, and even oneself.”
I then continued at my own pace, “I wonder if marriage always ends this way, and I have started to think that maybe everyone gets tired of their partner eventually.
“Or am I just not good enough for someone great? Over time, it seems like being alone and being free is better. I wouldn’t have to consider anyone else for the rest of my life.” After saying that, I turned to look out the window.
Suzy agreed wholeheartedly, “I feel the same way.”
…
At home, only Willow and her grandparents remained. She stared at her two relatives before her with big round eyes.
Dorothy and Milton met her gaze and became extremely nervous.
If Willow were to speak to them, how should they respond to her? Should they act shocked, as if they’d never spoken to her before? But wouldn’t that scare her? Yet, if they seemed too calm, wouldn’t Willow feet a lack of accomplishment and stop speaking?
As they wrestled with their thoughts, Willow suddenly stood up and ran upstairs.
The sound of her footsteps faded into the distance.
Dorothy and Milton exchanged a look before sighing in unison.
They were deeply conflicted. On one hand, they were sure that Willow would not be able to speak to them. Yet, on the other hand, they were still hopeful that a miracle would happen. “Grandpa, Grandma, can you hear me?” Willow’s voice came through the walkie-talkie.
Dorothy quickly said, “Yes, we can.”
“What should I do?” Willow asked in distress. “Grandpa and Grandma are right downstairs, but I just can’t get myself to talk to them. Does that make me a bad person?” Milton’s heart ached when he heard her. “How could that make you a bad person?”
“Then, what do I call this?” Willow asked curiously.
Milton glanced at Dorothy, prompting her to carefully choose her words when she said, “Willow, don’t force or blame yourself for the things you can’t do. You just can’t do what you’re unable to do,
understand?”
After Willow nodded, she realized that they couldn’t see her, so she continued to ask, “Can you help me think of a solution?”
Milton suggested, “Since you can
talk to the dolls, why don’t you try bringing the dolls downstairs, put them next to us, and imagine you’re talking to the dolls instead when, in
fact, you’d actually be talking to us?”
“That’s a great idea!” Willow thought Milton was a genius for coming up with such an amazing solution. “I’ll give it a try!”