Chapter 241 The Mystery of Sam's Missing Snack
After a highly successful parent-child day at the kindergarten, the teachers surprisingly assigned homework to the parents: a 500-word essay reflecting on the day.
The parents were taken aback.
"Sam," Sophia called out, cradling a small box in her arms as she approached.
Sam looked up at her with his young face tilted upwards.
With a tender smile spreading across her face, Sophia handed the box to him.
"This is a gift for you, remember to open it when you get home, and make sure you're alone when you do it," she said, punctuating her instructions with a pointed glance at Gabriel.
Gabriel was speechless.
Who was she guarding against? He had no desire to know what she was gifting! It did not interest him in the slightest.
Gabriel was clearly irked.
After Sam left with Gabriel, Sophia stood waving on the curb until the car vanished from view. Only then did she lower her aching arm and turn to see the parent who had been chatting with her throughout the day.
"Hey, Mrs. Lancaster, why aren't you leaving with your husband and child?"
The parent greeted her with enthusiastic warmth.
Mrs. Lancaster had cooked for her today, and for that, she was deeply grateful.
Mrs. Lancaster?
It had been so long since someone had called her that, it gave Sophia a moment of pause, and then she offered a polite smile.
"I'm not Mrs. Lancaster."
"Oh? Isn't your husband's last name Lancaster?"
"We're divorced."
The parent's mouth dropped open in utter surprise.
Even if they hadn't seemed overly affectionate, their teamwork during the event for their children was MVP-worthy for the whole scene.
They had shown unity during the three-legged race, and they had seemed like such a perfect match.
With a child so beautiful.
It was the warm and enviable family life she dreamed of, unlike her own, which was always filled with chaos and noise.
It was such a pity to hear they had divorced!
They must have come together just for the children's event.
After exchanging a few more polite words with the other parent, Sophia made her exit.
When Sam returned home, his great-grandma greeted him with a beaming smile.
"Did you have fun today?" she inquired warmly.
Sam nodded enthusiastically.
Madam Lancaster thought to herself that it looked like it was time for Sam to accept Sophia.
Sam pointed to the box in his hand, indicating he wanted to retreat to his room to open it.
"Did mommy give you that?" she asked.
Again, Sam nodded.
Madam Lancaster, kind and gentle, watched the young boy ascend the stairs step by step, close his bedroom door, and then she cast a meaningful look at Gabriel.
She suddenly felt a twinge of sympathy for her grandson.
The whole world knew about the existence of Ethan and Emma, yet he was still in the dark.
Oh, how she wanted to see Gabriel's face when he found out the truth.
It was sure to be spectacular.
Sighing inwardly, she wondered if she would live to see that day.
Shaking off her contemplative mood, Madam Lancaster turned her attention back to the television and resumed watching with a chuckle.
Gabriel was baffled by the look his grandmother gave him. Was it sympathy she was expressing? Sympathy for what, exactly?
Could it be that she thought Sophia might steal Sam away from him?
At the moment, Gabriel was allowing Sam to spend time with Sophia and was even helping her to capture Sam's heart. He did not believe that by doing so, Sophia would succeed in taking Sam away.
He would never give her that chance.
Sam rushed back to his room and eagerly opened the box. Inside, he was momentarily taken aback by its contents.
It was filled with his favorite sweets, shaped like hearts and covered with cling film. Among them lay a letter.
Sam sat cross-legged on the carpet and unfolded the paper.
"Sam, can you read this letter calmly? Mommy has poured her heart out in these words. If you don't read it, you'll miss out on so much."
Sam continued to read.
"I'm sorry, Mommy didn't mean to leave you for all these years. Some things happened, and I thought I had lost you. I am so grateful to your daddy, who brought me back from the M Country and took me to your preschool where I saw you. At that moment, I wanted to tell you I was your mommy, that you weren't a child without a mother."
"But then you got sick, and Mommy was afraid of worsening your condition, so I kept it to myself and came to you as Auntie Kelly. Do you know how elated I was when you first interacted with me? I was so happy I couldn't sleep."
"Insomnia is painful, but having you brings me happiness and joy. Sam, Mommy really made a mistake, please punish Mommy. Maybe I can make delicious treats for you every day? If you don't want that, then punish Mommy with a hundred kisses each day. Give me a chance to make things right."
As Sam read on, tears turned into clear little pearls that fell onto the paper, staining it in circles.
"Silly mommy," he whispered softly, with a hint of a sob in his voice.
After finishing the letter, Sam carefully folded it and tucked it into his favorite book. He took a bite of the sweets, smiling contentedly.
He had a mommy now!
His mommy loved him a lot!
Gabriel noticed that the little guy was back to his cheerful self, and eating heartily once again.
He was rather curious about what exactly Sophia had given Sam. After leaving his room, Sam had a persistent smile on his face.
However, whenever Gabriel asked Sam, he would not divulge the secret.
It wasn't until the next day, when the housekeeper was cleaning, that the answer was revealed through the half box of leftover sweets from Sam's room.
Gabriel eyed the sweets, furrowing his brow. Just a box of sweets? Was it that simple?
Were they exceptionally delicious? He picked one up and took a bite.
It was just okay. Definitely not better than the sweets made by the pastry chef at home, but surprisingly, they did suit his taste.
Unable to resist, Gabriel ate two more pieces before instructing the housekeeper to put the rest back.
After strolling back with Madam Lancaster, Sam was looking forward to a snack from Mommy before heading off to his martial arts class. Imagine his shock when he discovered that three pieces were missing!
Who had snatched his treats?
Sam rushed downstairs in a frenzy.
"What's wrong?" Madam Lancaster asked, taken aback by his sudden appearance.
Sam placed the snack box in front of Madam Lancaster and, with urgent gestures, exclaimed, "I'm missing three pieces of my snacks."
They were just snacks, after all.
"There, there," Madam Lancaster reassured him calmly, "Let the baker make you another box."
"But these were from Mommy," Sam responded, his voice tinged with disappointment.
Madam Lancaster paused, then realization dawned on her. These particular snacks held a special meaning for Sam. He wasn't usually so keen to eat them.
"Well, Great grandma will find out who took them and make sure they are punished," she promised him.
With his eyes glistening, Sam nodded and rushed off to his class.
After Sam had left, Madam Lancaster summoned all the servants and quickly learned that Gabriel had eaten the snacks.
Gabriel, snatching his own son's treats — how low could one stoop?
Madam Lancaster was at a loss for words.
Later, the kids met up at their clubhouse after their various interest classes. Ethan and Emma eagerly asked Sam how things were going with Mommy.
"I want to watch a bit longer," Sam replied cautiously.
"What? You're still watching?" Emma said impatiently.
Ethan understood what was going on in Sam's heart—Sam had actually accepted Mommy, but he felt insecure, scared that she might abandon him once again.
"It's okay," Ethan said with conviction, "with time, you'll see that Mommy is the person who loves us most."
Sam was hopeful. He knew that days with Mommy would surely be joyful.
...
Tiffany was seething with anger and frustration, her hands clutching at her chest as sweat beaded on her forehead.
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