Chapter 273

The passing cars and bustling crowd blurred Jonathan’s view , blocking his line of sight .
By the time he snapped back to his senses , that familiar silhouette had already disappeared into the sea of people . It was as if the figure he thought he recognized was nothing more than a figment of his imagination .
He wondered if that was his imagination .
“ Stop the car ,” he ordered abruptly . Jonathan leaped out of the vehicle , his eyes . scanning the street frantically as he retraced his steps . His brows furrowed deeply as he searched for that fleeting figure .
It was just a simple silhouette , yet it resembled her so much . As he reached the end of the street and was about to turn the corner , his phone suddenly rang . The shrill sound made him pause at the intersection .
On the very street he was about to turn onto , Teresa had just hailed a cab . Her delicate features were like a painting brought to life , effortlessly captivating . If only Jonathan had turned the corner a second earlier , he would have seen her .
“ Jonathan , ” Benny’s voice came through the line .
“ What’s up ? ” Jonathan pinched the bridge of his nose , his tone laced with impatience .
“Are now ? If you’re free , come to Lonisburg . Guess who I ran into . Bet you .
you off can’t even imagine , ” Benny teased , his voice brimming with excitement .
“ Quit messing around , ” Jonathan replied curtly .
“ Your sister . ”
Jonathan frowned . “ What the hell ? ”
“ I mean Cheryl . I’ll send you a photo right now , ” Benny clarified .
After hanging up , Jonathan opened his phone to check the message Benny had sent .
Enlarging the photo , he saw Cheryl . But his attention wasn’t on her . He zoomed in the photo and saw Golden Bay Complex . Jonathan’s face clouded over as he stared at the screen . He got back into the car and headed to the airport .
Teresa and Michael lived in a new complex .
She hasn’t bought a car yet and usually takes taxis to get around . She’s been thinking about getting one since she sold her old white Audi as a second – hand car when she left Nareigh .
Teresa used to love driving a Porsche , but owning one now is out of the question unless she sells all her designer bags . She’s already sold twenty of them , keeping only her absolute favorites . Still , having a car would make life much easier .
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Michael was on the sixth floor of their apartment building , peering through a
telescope . When he spotted Teresa’s figure , he finally let out a sigh of relief , thinking for a moment that Teresa might have abandoned him .
“ Mom ! Mom ! ” Michael shouted excitedly as he saw Teresa return . He dashed toward her , throwing his arms around her and nuzzling against her like a little puppy . “ I
thought you didn’t want me anymore . ”
Michael’s pronunciation has been improving steadily . Ever since Evelyn pointed out his speech issues , he’s been very careful with his pronunciation .
Teresa ruffled his hair with a smile . “ How could I ever leave my super handsome , adorable , and smart little charmer ? ” She handed him two tarts , saying , “ You can eat one now and save the other for tomorrow . ”
“ Hooray ! ” Michael placed the tarts on the table , eagerly grabbing one . He held it close .
“ It smells so good ,
to his nose and inhaled deeply , savoring the sweet , buttery scene . He held it close
Mom . Do you want a bite ? ”
“ You go ahead . I’m not hungry , ” Teresa replied as she headed to the bedroom to change . When she came back out , she noticed Michael hadn’t touched the tart yet .
“ Mom , let’s eat together . Good things are meant to be shared , ” he said earnestly .
So , Teresa joined him , and they each enjoyed a tart . She had planned to cook dinner , but Michael was already full after the treat .
Later , Teresa prepared some herbal medicine she had bought on her way home , hoping Michael would drink it since he’d been dealing with indigestion lately .
Michael scrunched up his nose and refused to drink it . Teresa didn’t have the heart to force him . She gently encouraged him , hoping he’d feel better soon .
“ If you do , we’ll head out this weekend . I’ll take you to Cartoon Town and Candy Castle , ” she promised with a smile .
“ No way . It’s yucky . I’m not drinking it . ” Michael protested , shaking his head furiously .
Teresa grinned and said , “ Be a good boy and drink it , and I’ll give you a piece of candy
as a reward . ”
“ No , I don’t want it , Mom . Please , I really don’t want to drink it , ” he pleaded , his voice softening into a whine .
“ Well , don’t you want to go out and have fun ? I’m not taking a kid who’s running to the bathroom every five minutes on a trip , Teresa teased , raising an eyebrow .
“ I was even thinking , if you get better quickly , we could go out for dumplings tomorrow . And didn’t you say you wanted me to be like other moms who ride electric scooters with their kids ? We could buy one of those scooters . ”
The idea of the electric scooter finally won Michael over . His eyes lit up as he
extended his little hand for a high – five with Teresa . “ Let’s get a scooter . ”
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Teresa high – fived him back with a laugh . “ Deal . ”
In Lonisburg , Cheryl , who had been found running a shop here , was dressed in a loose coat and wide – legged pants . She stood with her hands clasped behind her back as Jonathan questioned her .
Benny , standing next to Jonathan , gave Cheryl’s round face a once – over and teased , ” Hey , Cheryl , have you been sneaking extra snacks ? You look a bit rounder . ”
Cheryl bit her lip and shot Benny a glare with her big , watery eyes .
Benny coughed awkwardly , suddenly feeling a twinge of guilt , like he’d done something wrong . But all he did was let Jonathan know she was here .
Jonathan’s tone was sharp as he asked , “ What are you doing here , Cheryl ? ”
Cheryl blinked and looked up at the ceiling , stammering , “ I … I opened a business here .
It’s an art studio . ”
Jonathan’s frown deepened , his voice turning colder . “ And Teresa ? Where is she ? ”
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