Chapter 668 You Can Stay Forever
Lila always tried to be on her best behavior around Oscar and Pearl.
Christopher was really fond of her, and even though Pearl thought about sending her to an orphanage, Lila clung to Pearl's arm, pleading, "Can I come to your house now?"
"It's not just your house, it's our house," Christopher chimed in, "You can stay with us as long as you want. My parents are super nice, and Emily is adorable."
Some kids were shy, but not Emily. She always had a smile for everyone, never crying or making a fuss.
"Got it," Lila said, nodding eagerly and grabbing Christopher's hand. "It's so nice to have you all."
Pearl and Oscar had planned to stay in the nearby city for a couple of days, but with Lila now in the picture, they wanted to head home sooner.
Before leaving, they asked the kids, "Christopher, Lila, do you guys want to go to the amusement park?"
"Yes!" Christopher nodded excitedly.
He'd been to amusement parks before, but he always went alone. This time, he had his parents and his new friend Lila.
Lila, on the other hand, was more reserved. "Can you tell me what an amusement park is first?"
"It's a super fun place with lots of rides. You can ride the carousel, spin in the air, and there are tons of life-sized mascots and yummy food," Christopher explained.
Lila's eyes lit up. "I can't believe there's a place like that."
"Of course there is. Haven't you ever been to one?" Christopher asked, surprised.
Even if she had been abroad, there were amusement parks everywhere.
Lila shook her head, her voice getting smaller. "My parents never took me. They always took my younger siblings instead."
Everyone was stunned.
After a moment, Christopher apologized, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. Lila had just lost her dad and been abandoned by her mom. His words must have hurt her deeply.
"It's okay, really. You all treat me so well, and you didn't know. When are we going to the amusement park?" Lila wiped her tears and smiled.
Oscar bought four tickets on his phone and booked a nearby hotel. "We'll go first thing in the morning. Tonight, let's all get a good night's sleep."
He booked a family suite with one big bed and one small bed. He and Pearl would sleep on the big bed, and Christopher and Lila would take the small one.
After washing up, he cuddled with Pearl in bed, watching TV and chatting, "I never thought we'd come back with an extra daughter on this trip."
"Meeting her was fate, and Christopher really likes her. I actually feel very guilty about him," Pearl said, her eyes getting misty as she thought about the past five years, "I haven't been the best mom."
Other kids grow up in their mother's arms, but what about her Christopher? After Emily was born, Pearl and Oscar spent all their time with her. Christopher never complained and even took on the role of a big brother, helping out with Emily.
The more well-behaved and responsible he was, the guiltier Pearl felt. "It's great having Lila around now. They're about the same age and can play together. I won't have to worry about him being lonely."
"Yeah, he's got a good friend now, and we can have more time for ourselves," Oscar said, his fingers tracing up her hand.
Pearl blushed and pushed him away. "Stop it, they're right outside. What if they hear us?"
Christopher was so smart, if he asked, she wouldn't know how to answer and would be mortified.
"This hotel's soundproofing is top-notch, and we have the TV on. If you're still worried, I'll turn up the volume a bit," Oscar said, grabbing the remote and cranking up the volume before Pearl could protest.
He leaned in to kiss her.
It wasn't until midnight that the exhausted couple finally separated. Pearl turned off the TV and lay in bed.
She wanted to take a shower to wash off the stickiness but was too tired to move.
Oscar went to the bathroom to run a bath and then carried her to the warm water.
Then Pearl felt every pore on her body relax.
"Pearl," Oscar called softly, his voice almost magical, "Can I sleep with you?"
Pearl almost nodded in agreement.
But she snapped back to reality just in time and refused him firmly, "No, don't even think about it. We have to take the kids to the amusement park tomorrow."
She had already been exhausted earlier. If they did it again now, how would she get up tomorrow?
Oscar's smile deepened. "Hurry up and wash. I'll wait for you outside."
He didn't want to tire Pearl out again.
After Pearl finished her bath, she wrapped herself in a towel and sat in a chair. Oscar then picked up the hairdryer and dried her hair.
The scene was as beautiful as a painting.
In the next room, Lila clutched her blanket, snuggling close to Christopher. And she grabbed his sleeve. "Christopher, I'm so scared that when I wake up, you'll all be gone."
"We won't," Christopher said, patting her back gently, just like Pearl did, "I'll always be here, and so will Mom and Dad. We won't disappear."
That night, all three of them slept well, except for Lila.
She woke up twice from nightmares, looking at Christopher in the dark. It seemed that she really liked him.
Before she could figure it out, sleepiness overtook her again. Lila turned over and fell back asleep.
The next morning, Pearl, fully dressed, opened the door to wake them up.
"Good morning, Mom and Dad," Christopher said, rubbing his sleepy eyes and sitting up with a yawn.
Lila was still sleeping beside him.
He turned and gently shook her shoulder. "Wake up, we're going to the amusement park today."
At those words, Lila's eyes snapped open. "Amusement park! I'll go wash up right now."
They moved quickly, washing up and getting dressed before following Pearl and Oscar to the first-floor buffet.
There were lots of delicious foods there.
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