Chapter 940 Fairness
Theodore was taken aback.
He thought Phoebe was mad at him for taking Hubert out for junk food, but it turned out she was upset because he was showing favoritism.
The reason he took Hubert was that he noticed Hubert loved eating.
As long as there was food, Hubert wouldn't have time to cause trouble.
Theodore needed an excuse to get close to Dwayne and show Edward that he was willing to go to any lengths for the new project.
In this situation, taking Hubert, Boris, and Noomi would have been impossible, so he only took Hubert to avoid any disruptions.
But he couldn't explain all this to Phoebe, so she felt he was favoring Hubert and neglecting the other two kids.
He realized he had indeed been unfair.
"Sorry, I didn't think it through. I'll be more mindful next time and make sure not to show favoritism," Theodore promised.
Even parents find it hard to be completely fair.
But whether he could achieve it was secondary; the important thing was to be aware of it.
After all, kids grow up every day, and they compare themselves, which can make them sad.
Phoebe didn't intend to make a big deal out of it.
After all, Theodore had been more involved with Hubert, Boris, and Noomi than she had recently.
He genuinely treated them as his own.
Her attitude softened. "I was wrong, too. I should have talked to you properly. I'm sorry."
Theodore touched her cheek and smiled. "Why are you apologizing to me, silly? I was the one who messed up. Give me Hubert. You're wearing heels; you might trip again."
He gently but firmly took Hubert and headed towards the villa. Phoebe followed silently, feeling reassured by his tall, strong figure.
As for Madison's talk of revenge, she didn't believe she judged that poorly.
Theodore carried Hubert inside, and Boris and Noomi quickly ran over.
Seeing Phoebe follow them in, Noomi pouted and ran away, feeling wronged.
Boris silently followed Noomi.
Theodore and Phoebe exchanged a glance. He put Hubert down, and Hubert chased after Boris and Noomi, running into the playroom.
The two kids sat against the wall, sulking.
Hubert bent down and smiled at Noomi, but she resisted, pushing his face away. "Go away. I don't like you."
Hubert stood in front of her for a while, feeling bored, and then ran to Boris, tugging at his clothes. "Boris, play with me."
Boris snorted, raised his head high, got up from the floor, and ran to hold Noomi's hand. "Noomi, let's go. We won't play with him."
Hubert felt isolated, and his happy mood from playing outside vanished.
He opened his mouth and started crying loudly.
Hubert, Boris, and Noomi had a strong emotional connection.
When Hubert cried, Boris and Noomi also felt upset and started crying.
Boris complained, "Why are you crying? We didn't leave you alone to play."
Hubert's cheeks were red from crying, tears rolling down, looking very aggrieved. "You won't play with me."
"We didn't leave you behind. You can't cry," Noomi said, covering his mouth.
Phoebe and Theodore heard the sudden crying and quickly walked into the playroom, seeing Hubert, Boris, and Noomi seemingly fighting.
Such conflicts were rare.
Theodore was about to step in and separate them when Phoebe pulled him back, shaking her head.
Theodore frowned and whispered, "You're just going to watch?"
Phoebe said, "If you go in and separate them, who will you help?"
Theodore saw Noomi and Boris pressing down on Hubert, clearly the one being bullied and excluded.
He said, "Help whoever's getting picked on."
Phoebe shook her head. "If you help Hubert and scold Noomi and Boris, they'll feel even more left out because you took Hubert out today and left them at home feeling sad all day."
"You think they're jealous and that's why they're picking on Hubert?" Theodore couldn't wrap his head around what was going on in the kids' minds.
Despite his talents, he was a novice in parenting.
Phoebe said, "Don't underestimate kids' jealousy. That's why I told you earlier to be fair.
Even if you can't be fair, you should try."
"So what do we do now?" Theodore felt guilty watching Hubert, Boris, and Noomi rolling around.
He only saw taking Hubert out as convenient, not affecting his plans, but didn't realize it would make Boris and Noomi sad.
Now, the first conflict between Hubert, Boris, and Noomi was caused by him.
If they grew apart because of this, wouldn't he be the one who disrupted their relationship?
Phoebe smiled. "Just watch. It'll be fine soon."
As soon as she finished speaking, Hubert pulled out two chicken legs from his coat pocket. "I brought chicken legs back for you. Do you want them?"
The two kids looked at the fried chicken legs in his hands and stopped fighting, grabbing them and taking a bite. Theodore swallowed his words.
"You're just going to let them eat?" Theodore frowned. He hadn't noticed Hubert hiding the chicken legs, which must have been done secretly when he wasn't paying attention.
Phoebe nodded. "Let them eat. It's cold now, so the chicken legs won't spoil. Let them repair their relationship."
Theodore sighed. "Raising kids is an art."
Phoebe watched them eat happily, and within minutes, they were back to being friends.
She smiled. "Yes, we have a long way to go on this journey."
Theodore watched Hubert, Boris, and Noomi laughing and chatting, feeling that the children's world was simple and pure.
While adults worried about their relationships, kids were already playing together again.
He shook his head. "I don't understand the world of children. What are they thinking?"
Phoebe chuckled. "I don't understand either. Let's go. Let them play by themselves. Even if there's a conflict, as long as adults don't interfere, they'll resolve it internally. But if adults step in, it gets complicated and makes it harder for them to reconcile."
"Alright."
After dinner, Theodore accompanied Phoebe on their routine walk outside the neighborhood with the kids.
The weather was getting colder, and Hubert, Boris, and Noomi had to wear scarves when going out.
The cold wind felt like knives cutting their faces, but no matter how cold it was outside, the kids loved running around.
When they reached the playground by the artificial lake, fewer kids were out because of the weather.
There were only a few kids by the playground, all about the same age, able to play together.
Theodore stood by the playground, watching, while Phoebe chatted with other moms.
The moms looked at her with envy.
"Your husband is so handsome. No wonder Hubert, Boris, and Noomi are so good-looking. Just looking at them is pleasing."
"Yes, and he's so caring. I often see him taking the kids out to play. You're so lucky."
Every time Phoebe went out with Theodore and the kids, she was envied by a group of moms.
Some even secretly asked her how she found such a husband, making her laugh and cry.
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