Chapter 139
Since then, Willow felt that whenever her grandparents saw her, they would be reminded of her parents’ deaths. So, she no longer dared to speak to them. She was afraid that her grandparents would hate her. The more I listened, the more my heart ached. “But Willow, the accident wasn’t something you could control, was it?”
Willow’s eyes were filled with tears.
I continued, “You couldn’t have prevented the accident from happening, even if you were in the car. So it’s not your fault.”
I hugged Willow tightly. “You were a victim, too.”
“But…” Willow wailed, “Mom died to protect me.”
I helped her smooth her hair. “Your mom loved you very much, Willow. You must know that even if she had to do it all over again, she would still make the same choice.” Willow stopped crying, focusing intently on me.
I went on saying, “Even in her final moments, she would have been very grateful that her daughter survived.”
Willow asked, “Is that true?”
“Yes.” I slowed my speech. “Although she is no longer with you, she absolutely wishes for you to live well and not live in guilt like you are today.”
Willow remained silent for long before finally nodding. “I understand now.”
I kissed her forehead. “Good girl.”
Zane watched Willow silently.
In the past, Willow had loved her grandparents the most.
He was always curious about what Rowena had said to Willow, which made her refuse to go with her grandparents. Today, he finally understood the reason. Zane was radiating an uncontrollable coldness.
After all, Willow was still a child. Did Rowena, as an adult, not consider that Willow might be unable to bear the burden?
…
“Mommy.”
As the car passed by a supermarket, Willow suddenly sat up. Her eyes fixed on the window. “Aren’t we having barbeque today? Let’s go buy the ingredients together!” With her mood lifted, I relaxed as well. “Okay.”
Richard parked the car by the roadside.
Willow took my hand. “I’ve always wanted to eat barbeque.”
On the way, she chattered nonstop.
I listened quietly, chiming in with a few responses now and then.
Zane’s task was to be the helper, pushing the small cart as he walked alongside us.
Willow spotted ingredients that interested her and, without any hesitation, tossed them all into the cart. She picked out more meat than vegetables.
Zane secretly added a few vegetables to the cart to ensure she had a balanced diet while she wasn’t paying attention.
As they left the supermarket, Willow was busy imagining the scene of eating the barbeque later, and she smiled uncontrollably.
After getting back, Willow was met with training. She looked at me, and I placed down what I held, signaling I would accompany her.
In the end, Willow still ran laps after laps.
After a few days of training, Willow’s health had noticeably improved. Despite today’s increased intensity, she managed to finish her laps and still pushed herself to return to the living room. The rest of the family had already finished dinner. Only the three of us remained in the living room.
Zane was in the kitchen preparing the ingredients.
Willow lay in my lap and softly said, “Mommy.”
I gently brushed aside the hair that was sticking to her cheek. “Hmm?”
“Will Grandpa and Grandma hate me?” Willow suddenly asked.