Chapter 125 Early in the Morning, No Thief Would Arrive This Early
Violet Devereux walked with Emily Hart back to her aunt's apartment.
The two little ones had just woken up, rubbing their sleepy eyes as they padded out of the bedroom with bare feet, moving at a snail's pace.
Auntie was in the middle of preparing their toothbrushes and washcloths.
"Auntie, where's Mom?" Henry asked, rubbing his eyes and tugging at his sister Nicole's hand, as they scurried over to their aunt's side, his voice oozing cuteness.
He was just beginning to form words and simple sentences.
Clearly, he couldn't articulate as well as a typical two-year-old.
But it was good enough.
At least everyone could understand him.
Handing over toothbrushes smeared with toothpaste to both of them, Auntie ruffled their hair and said, "Mommy's working late. She'll be back to spend time with you tonight, okay?"
Hearing that their mom wouldn't be around until later again—she hadn't come home last night either—Henry's face scrunched up in a pout of discontent.
Nicole, hearing the same news, mirrored her brother's expression, her face crumpling as if on the verge of tears.
Auntie was at her wits' end with these two adorable little ones, so she continued to softly coax them, "Be good, darlings. Mommy needs to work so she can have money to take Henry and our little Nicole to the park or the amusement park, and to buy you your favorite Peppa Pig toys, right?"
The mention of Peppa Pig swiftly allayed Nicole's dismay, as her chubby little hand clung to Auntie's arm, trying to speak her desire for the cherished toy.
"Nicole, be a good girl. Mommy has to work to buy you Peppa Pig. How about you brush your teeth first?" Auntie cooed, stroking Nicole's soft, pink cheek.
Nicole obediently nodded.
But Henry, whose mindset and speech were more advanced than other kids his age, wasn't so easily placated by the promise of Peppa Pig. He wanted his mom to be there.
"Auntie, I just want Mommy," Henry stubbornly refused to brush his teeth.
"Can you be a good boy for Auntie? Mommy will be back tonight," she soothed him with patience.
Knowing Henry's maturity often meant he felt things more deeply, she added, "Auntie knows you miss Mommy. But she's working hard so she can buy you formula and all the toy cars, okay?"
"Our Henry is becoming a big boy, who will take care of Mommy, Auntie, and his little sister, right?" she continued, gently persuading him.
Henry, considering her words, seemed to get it and nodded agreeably, ready to join his sister in teeth-brushing.
Suddenly, the sound of keys turning in the lock echoed from the security door of the living room.
Auntie straightened up alertly, eyes darting toward the direction of the door. Who could it be, handling her apartment door so early in the morning?
A burglar? Surely not.
No thief would be audacious enough to burglarize at this hour.
Then who could it be?
Aunt Susan paused for a moment before she ushered Henry and Nicole into the bathroom, then grabbed the nearby broom, inching closer to the security door.
Click.
The door finally swung open.
Just as Aunt Susan was about to raise the broom in defense, she heard Violet Devereux’s voice, “Aunt Susan, I’m back.”
At the sound of her voice, Aunt Susan immediately lowered the broom, patted her chest, and let out a relieved laugh, “Goodness, Violet, you could’ve given me a heads-up. Scared me half to death—I thought you were a burglar!”
Embarrassed, Violet hurried in, pulling Emily Hart along, “Sorry, Aunt Susan. Emily and I came back together. It totally slipped my mind to let you know.” They started swapping their shoes at the rack.
Catching sight of Emily, whom she hadn’t seen in years, Aunt Susan beamed and said, “Emily! You've grown into such a beautiful woman since I last saw you.”
Emily turned with a smile, “Thank you, Aunt Susan.”
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