Chapter 1695

Ben glanced down at Jamie’s hand tightly holding his own. A faint smile flickered in his eyes, but the somber look on his face didn’t fade completely.
Jamie noticed and assumed he was still upset. Unsure how to console him, she simply kept holding his hand, refusing to let go.
That was precisely what Ben had intended.
“It’s about time to pick up Charlie, isn’t it?” Jamie finally finished reading the case file, stretching as she glanced at the clock.
It was already 4:00 PM. Preschool ended at 4:30, so if they left now, they would arrive just in time.
Ben had already grabbed the car keys. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Fortunately, traffic wasn’t bad, and they arrived at the preschool quickly.
Jamie was scrolling through her phone when she suddenly said, “Nina messaged me. She’s busy today and can’t pick up Orion. She asked if we could swing by and get him.” They exchanged a look.
Ben didn’t seem fazed. Picking up one more child didn’t make a difference to him.
Jamie, however, thought about their nearly empty fridge. “I think we’re running low on groceries…”
They had enough food for themselves, but with an extra guest, it might not suffice. Since Orion rarely came over and Nina often helped them out, Jamie didn’t want to serve him anything subpar. “We’ll just eat out,” Ben said nonchalantly.
Jamie considered it for a moment and agreed as it made sense. With that settled, they picked up Charlie and told him about the plan.
Upon hearing that he would have a playmate for the evening, Charlie was over the moon. “Yay, yay! Mommy, let’s hurry and pick up Orion!”
“Sit properly first,” Jamie said, glancing at his wiggly posture. Before starting the car, she made sure Charlie was sitting correctly.
Orion was in first grade, and his school happened to be close to the preschool. They quickly picked him up, too.
The real chaos began once the two boys were together.
The chatter was nonstop. It was an endless stream of excited
conversation. Having not seen each other for a while, the boys had a lot to catch up on, and their lively voices filled the car.
Jamie tilted her head slightly, curious about what they were saying, and tried to listen in.
Unfortunately, Charlie caught her in the act.
Hands on his hips and a pout on his face, he scolded her, “Mommy, how could you eavesdrop on us? Didn’t you say that’s wrong?” Orion chimed in, “Yeah, Aunt Jamie, Charlie’s right!”
Ben couldn’t help but chuckle at the scene.
Caught red-handed, Jamie cleared her throat and shot Ben a warning look. To maintain her dignity, she explained, “It’s just that you weren’t talking to Mommy, and Orion wasn’t talking to Aunt Jamie, either,
wanted to know what fun things you two were discussing.”
Charlie gave her a knowing look, as if he could see right through her.
Just as a mother knows her child best, a son often understands his mother just as well. Charlie could tell in an instant that Jamie wasn’t being entirely truthful. Defeated, Jamie awkwardly scratched her nose and promised, “Fine, I won’t listen anymore.”
Once he confirmed she wasn’t eavesdropping, Charlie relaxed and resumed his conversation with Orion, picking up where they had left off.
“What kind of gift do you think would
be good? I’ve been thinking for days, but I still can’t decide. Mommy’s birthday is coming up…” Charlie’s voice was filled with uncertainty.
Orion leaned in and whispered, “I have an idea. Do this.”
The two boys huddled together, their little heads close as they exchanged ideas. Their expressions were animated, but their voices were barely audible, quieter than a buzzing mosquito.
Jamie sighed softly. She realized that Charlie was growing up, having his own secrets now. The thought left her feeling a little wistful, though mostly proud and happy.
Ben, noticing her expression, said calmly, “It’s a good thing Charlie has his own secrets. That’s just part of growing up. You’ll need to get used to it.”
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