50
Sabrina’s POV
I tried to That morning, the atmosphere felt calm after I had a light breakfast. While sitting in the living room, enjoy the moment after a tiring night. Nicholas, my husband, was busy in the kitchen brewing coffee for himself. Just as I was about to check my messages on my phone, sullenly it rang. I looked at the number, and it turned out to be my mother–in–law’s.
I felt a bit tense; usually, when my mother–in–law calls, there’s something important she wants to discuss. Hesitantly, I answered the phone, waiting for her voice on the other end.
I paused for a moment, my hand trembling as I held the phone. What could she want so early in the morning? In my heart, I almost didn’t want to answer it, afraid of the tore that always made me feel small. But after a few
seconds of hesitation, I slid the green icon.
“Hello?” my voice sounded a bit shaky.
“Mom Sabrina!” Charlie’s quiet, tearful voice made me sit up straight. My heart sank at his sobs on the other end. “I want to meet Mom Sabrina. I told Grandma, but she wouldn’t let me. So I went out by myself.”
My heart started racing, “Charlie? Where are you now?”
“I’m in a taxi,” he answered, still crying. “I told the taxi driver to go to your house.”
Worry enveloped me. In an instant, I imagined Charlie’s situation and how dangerous it would be for him to be out alone. I had to act quickly.
A child that small alone in a taxi? “Charlie, listen to Mom, I said, trying to stay calm despite my frantic heart.” Give the phone to the driver, okay? I need to talk to him.”
Okay,” he replied, his voice breaking. I could still hear his sobs faintly as he spoke with the taxi driver, then an adult man took over the phone
“Good morning.” the driver’s voice sounded polite. “Who is this?”
“I’m Charlie’s mom,” I answered quickly. “I’m sorry, sir. Could you take Charlie to the address I’ll give you? He’s too young to be traveling alone.”
“Sure, ma’am. Please give me the address.”
I quickly provided my address, pleading with him to ensure Charlie was okay. After the driver confirmed he would take Charlie straight to my house, I hung up and took a deep breath.
Nicholas appeared from the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee. His face was full of questions. “What happened?” he asked silently, noticing my tense expression.
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I tried to calm myself and said, “Charlie took a taxi by himself. He wants to come here.” I worked to speak calmly so as not to panic him.
Nicholas placed his coffee cup on the table and came over immediately. “What? How could he be alone?”
I briefly explained what I had just heard. Nicholas looked incredulous, his face turning anxious.
“We need to make sure he arrives safely,” he said firmly.
I nodded. “The taxi driver has agreed to bring him here. I directed them to stop in front of the house.”
Nicholas took his phone, ready to call if there was an emergency. We waited anxiously in the living room,
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+25 BONUS
watching the clock tick by painfully slowly. It felt like an eternity before the doorbell finally rang
I opened the door immediately without checking who was outside. There stood Charlie, his face red from crying, His small body trembled, but his eyes sparkled when he saw me.
“Mom Sabrina!” he exclaimed in a hoarse voice before runding and hugging me tightly. I crouched down welcome him, holding back tears that had already welled up in my eyes.
“Charlie…” I whispered softly, holding him close as if I never wanted to let go. I kissed the top of his head, feeling his soft hair and the familiar scent of childhood that I had missed. “I’ve missed you so much too.”
Nicholas stood behind me, speaking briefly with the taxi driver. After paying the fare, he nodded in gratitude before the taxi drove away.
Meanwhile, I continued to hug Charlie, who was still voicing his complaints. His voice trembled, but relief was evident on his face. He talked about how hard it was to wait and how much he wanted to see me. In that embrace, I tried to comfort and reassure him that everything would be alright and how much he meant to me.
“Grandma and Mama Hazel wouldn’t let me see you,” he said through sobs. “I missed you so much, Mom. I just wanted to be here.”
I gently stroked his back, trying to soothe him. “Charlie, I miss you too. But you shouldn’t go out alone like that, okay? It’s dangerous. If you want to come here, you have to tell Dad or me first.”
He nodded slightly, his eyes looking at me with guilt. “I promise I won’t do that again,” he said softly.
Nicholas, now standing beside me, placed his hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “Charlie, you know Mom Sabrina loves you very much, right? But Dad is also worried if you go out alone like this.”
Charlie looked down, but then hugged me tightly again. “I promise I won’t go alone again,” he said in a small
voice.
I smiled and stroked his cheek. “Now, you must be hungry, right? Let’s prepare something to eat.”
Charlie nodded enthusiastically. I stood up and took his hand to lead him inside, while Nicholas followed us from behind.
In the kitchen, I opened the cupboard to see what I could prepare. Fortunately, there were some simple ingredients I could quickly use. “Do you want to eat fried rice made by Mom?” I asked, glancing at Charlie sitting at the dining chair.
He nodded eagerly. “I really want to!”
Nicholas s
t at the table, watching me as I began to cook. I could feel his gaze, but I chose to focus on Charlie. The simple fried rice with an omelet was ready in no time, and Iserved it with a little garnish to make it look more appealing.
“Here it is, special fried rice for Charlie,” I said while placing the plate in front of him.
Charlie beamed. “Thank you, Mom!”
