Chapter 174 Call Us Brother
The next morning, Riley sat with the three kids, having breakfast together.
Finley sat obediently beside her, being fed by her two older brothers, her cheeks puffed up like a cute little hamster.
Riley looked at the well-behaved and adorable kid, feeling both soft-hearted and a bit pained. Last night, Finley had probably really wanted to speak up too.
Thinking of this, Riley's heart softened, and she looked at Finley with gentle eyes. "Finley, do you want some pancakes?"
Finley nodded.
Riley picked up a piece of pancake but didn't put it on Finley's plate right away. Instead, she said, "If you want to eat, you have to tell Auntie."
Hearing this, Finley blinked, looking troubled.
Riley's brow furrowed slightly, feeling disappointed. "If you don't speak, Auntie sometimes can't understand what you mean, and I worry that I might not be taking good care of you. So, Finley, could you try to get used to speaking little by little? Auntie will be with you, and we'll take it slow, okay?"
Hearing this, Landon and Winston put down their utensils and chimed in, "We'll help too. We also want to hear Finley talk."
Three expectant gazes fell on Finley. She looked at each of them in turn, then clenched her little fists and made an effort to produce a sound. "Mm!"
A soft, childish voice sounded in their ears. Riley and the two boys' eyes lit up with surprise and delight.
She had only been trying, but she hadn't expected Finley to actually speak.
Riley wanted to hear more but knew she couldn't rush it. She patted Finley's head with satisfaction and placed the pancake on her plate.
Finley was also happy that she had spoken. Her smile didn't fade even when Riley dropped them off at kindergarten.
"Finley is in such a good mood today!" Zoey said as she received the kids, unable to resist praising Finley's cute smile.
Finley smiled and nodded and Winston chimed in, "Because we're helping Finley learn to talk!"
Zoey thought Landon and Winston were just playing around. She had been with Finley for so long and had never seen her speak.
However, Landon and Winston were very serious, even whispering during class about how to get their little sister to speak.
During recess, Finley, as usual, went to play with Landon and Winston.
But Landon, unlike before, frowned at her. "Do you need something from us?"
Finley tilted her head in confusion and looked at Winston.
She just wanted to play with them. Hadn't they always played together?
Winston, surprisingly, also put on a stern face. "If you have something to say, say it quickly. My brother and I have things to do."
Seeing them being so cold to her, Finley remembered how, just now, she had followed them around, but they acted as if they didn't know her. Thinking about how much fun they had together recently, she started to panic and grabbed the paper and pen on Winston's desk to write.
But Landon quickly took the pen away. "Talk to us, otherwise we won't know what you mean."
Finley, feeling wronged, clutched the edge of the desk.
"Didn't you promise my mom this morning? To slowly learn to speak." Winston looked at Finley with a soft heart.
Finley opened her mouth, trying to form the word, but couldn't get it out, almost to the point of tears. Seeing this, Landon and Winston didn't dare push her further and handed the pen back to Finley.
However, in the following days, whether at home or in kindergarten, the two boys were noticeably colder towards Finley. Every time Finley approached them, Winston would put on a pouty face. "We treat you so well, and you don't even want to speak to us. We won't talk to you anymore!"
Finley was heartbroken.
