Chapter 213
Chapter 213
Lunar Heights Estate
Rosita stepped in from outside.
Irwin was curled up on the sofa, flipping through a picture book. At the sound of footsteps, he looked up and, spotting Rosita, immediately tossed the book aside.
“Mom!” he called out.
He dashed over and threw his arms around her waist, tilting his chin up to meet her gaze. “Where did you go,
Mom?”
Rosita ruffled his hair. “I just had some errands to run. How are you feeling today?”
“My throat doesn’t hurt anymore,” Irwin answered, lips pursed in a slight pout. “Mom, I want some candy, but Nana said I can’t have any.”
“It’s not just Nana saying no–it’s because you can’t have sweets right now.”
She took his hand and led him back to the sofa, settling beside him. “Think about it, sweetie. When you lived with Mom Bryn, did she ever let you eat snacks?”
Irwin paused to think, then answered honestly, “Mom Bryn almost never did, but if I was really good, she’d sometimes give me a treat. Usually those milk candies–the chewy kind!”
“Did she give you other snacks besides those candies?”
“Yeah, but only very rarely.”
He hesitated, then added, “But even though she didn’t let me have a lot of store–bought snacks, she’d bake all sorts of yummy breads and cookies herself. Oh! And she made the best cream cakes–her cakes were so pretty and delicious!”
A shadow passed through Rosita’s eyes.
Lately, Irwin was always talking about Briony, and whenever he mentioned her, it was a never–ending stream of praise.
Briony was just a glorified babysitter–how had she managed to win Irwin’s affection so easily?
“Irwin,” Rosita said softly, “do you think Mom Bryn is better than your real mom?”
Irwin froze, then quickly shook his head. “No, Mom, please don’t be upset. I don’t think that–I just… Mom Bryn’s food is really tasty, that’s all! She’s good at baking, but you’re the best at everything else!”
“Why would I be angry?” Rosita smiled, her voice gentle. “I just want you to understand: Mom Bryn didn’t give you store–bought snacks because she was trying to protect your tummy. But because she was so careful, it’s become a bit too delicate. That’s why, if you eat sweets now, you get sick so easily. You see what I mean?”
Irwin thought about it. It sort of made sense.
“So, because Mom Bryn never let me have sweets before, that’s why I can’t eat them now?”
“Something like that,” Rosita replied, patting his head.
“But don’t blame Mom Bryn. After all, you’re not her biological child, and looking after you was a big responsibility for her.”
She went on, “Like this time, when you got a fever, your dad was upset with me and your nana. Mom Bryn probably didn’t want your dad to blame her, so she just didn’t let you have anything risky. That way, you wouldn’t get sick, and she’d look like the perfect mom in your dad’s eyes.”
Irwin listened, wide–eyed and uncertain.
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Was that really true?
“But… even when I was a baby, I got sick a lot. And every time I did, Mom Bryn always took care of me. When I had a fever, she’d sit by my bed the whole night. Sometimes, if Dad wasn’t home, she’d even drive me to the hospital herself.”
“Yes, of course Mom Bryn cared about you,” Rosita said, pausing before continuing, “But what about now? Is she still as kind to you lately?”
Irwin hesitated.
“Sweetheart, you’re still so little. Grown–up relationships are complicated. Mom Bryn used to be good to you because she cared about your dad and wanted to look good in his eyes. But now, she and your dad are divorced, and she has her own baby on the way. You’re not as important to her anymore.”
“That’s not true!”
Irwin jumped to his feet, eyes brimming with tears. “My mom still loves me! She… she just doesn’t love me as much right now because she has a new baby. But… but if she didn’t have that baby, she’d love me just like before!”
Rosita smiled, her voice as soft as ever, yet somehow chilling. “But her baby is still safe and sound inside her, isn’t it?”
Irwin’s tears spilled over. He wiped his face with his sleeve and, stubbornly, declared, “I won’t let that baby steal my mom’s love!”
With that, he tore upstairs in a storm of emotion.
