Chapter 970
Chapter 970:
A gentle breeze stirred the treetops, filling the silence with a rustling whisper.
The two women stood quietly for a long moment. Millie tightened her fists and then released them.
Finally, she whispered, “Mom p>
Her voice was barely louder than the wind, yet both of them heard it.
Nicole looked at her.
Millie kept her gaze lowered, afraid of being rebuffed, too nervous to meet Nicole’s eyes.
She never saw the complicated flicker of emotion in them.
The breeze continued to sigh around them.
After half a minute, Nicole spoke. “I heard Myron’s mother visited you p>
Millie started, but then nodded. “Yes p>
Relief washed over her as she realized she wasn’t being rejected.
“Did she give you a hard time?” Nicole asked.
“No,” Millie replied, recounting the visit.
“That’s good,” Nicole gave a small nod.
Silence settled again.
“You should head back,” Nicole said at last.
Millie glanced up briefly and nodded. “Goodbye p>
“Bye,” Nicole answered.
Millie almost called her “Mom” again but swallowed the word when she caught the subtle avoidance in Nicole’s expression.
She simply smiled. “Take care p>
𝖁𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖋𝖎𝖊𝖉 𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓:
“There’s a family doctor; I’m well,” Nicole replied.
Millie nodded, watching as the door closed before her. Only then did her smile fade.
A faint sting prickled behind her nose.
Nicole was her biological mother, yet felt so distant.
Knowing she might never conceive again, Millie realized Nicole was the only blood relative she had left.
The thought brought a quiet ache, but Millie steadied herself.
She lifted her gaze to the drifting clouds, took a slow breath, and walked away with her head held high.
After she left, Nicole looked down at the gifts in her hands and sighed.
Back at the Elliott mansion, Millie found Ari home from her early education classes.
Though private tutors could easily come to the house, she and Myron preferred that Ari mingle with children her own age. After her years in the orphanage, those connections mattered.
Now Ari sat at the piano, tapping the keys with her small fingers. Myron, recently returned, sat beside her, guiding her hand gently across the notes.
Soft piano keys drifted unevenly, filling the silence with their delicate sound.
Ari took her seat at the keys, her outline glowing softly beneath the lights, while Myron sat beside her, offering quiet encouragement.