Chapter 696 Always Be a Child
Pearl threw her arms around Desiree and gave her a big hug. "Let's not worry about that right now. Since you're here, how about we have a barbecue in the garden tonight?"
"Sure, but can I see your kids first?" Desiree forced a smile.
Pearl happily agreed.
They headed to the living room together. Emily was already awake, her big eyes taking in everything around her.
"Emily!" Christopher called out cheerfully, holding a toy. He shook it, and it made a crisp sound.
Emily immediately started laughing.
She reached for the toy, but Christopher didn't hand it over right away. Instead, he lifted his arm. "Emily, if you want it, come and get it."
Emily tried hard to reach it, but her arms were too short. She tried several times but couldn't get it.
Her mouth quivered, her eyes closed, and she started to cry.
"Emily, don't cry. I was just teasing you. Of course, I'll give it to you," Christopher quickly placed the toy in her hand, trying to comfort her.
He loved seeing Emily smile and didn't want her to cry.
Emily gradually stopped crying, clutching the toy tightly.
With Christopher's help, she learned to shake the toy. Listening to the crisp sound, Emily giggled, her eyes squinting with joy.
Desiree stood nearby, watching with envy. "Pearl, your life now is what I've always dreamed of. I don't care about wealth; I just want to enjoy family happiness. It feels so good to have kids around."
"Everything will get better. You'll definitely have adorable babies in the future," Pearl said, knowing that some wounds only healed with time.
As a friend, her role was to be there for Desiree.
Hearing the noise, Christopher ran over to greet Desiree, "Good evening, Aunt Desiree."
"Hello, let me give you a hug." Desiree picked him up and kissed him on the cheek. "You've grown so much. Let's go see Emily together."
She carried him to the cradle and looked at Emily lying inside, her heart softening bit by bit.
Emily was really adorable.
She put down Christopher and held Emily for a while, gently singing a lullaby to her.
Then Calliope came over. "Mrs. Lewis, let me take care of Emily. You've been holding her for too long, and you must be tired."
"Okay, be careful. She seems a bit sleepy," Desiree reluctantly let go of her.
After all, this was Pearl's child, not her own. No matter how much she liked her, she couldn't hold her forever.
"Honey, I've finished dealing with the company's matters. I can stay home with you all tomorrow," Oscar said, coming out of the study.
Seeing Desiree, he greeted her briefly, "You two take your time to chat. I'll head to the bedroom first."
"Pearl, you should go to your room too. I'm a bit tired and want to go to bed early," Desiree suddenly didn't feel like having a barbecue anymore.
The four of them together were so happy, a family so close and loving. She felt like an outsider, intruding and being a nuisance. Her marriage was over, but she still wanted others to be happy.
"Did you eat anything tonight?" Pearl asked, still a bit worried about her.
Desiree nodded. "Don't worry, I ate at home. I'm an adult, I can take care of myself."
"That's good. If you get hungry, just tell Calliope to make you a snack," Pearl said, giving her detailed instructions.
Then she took Desiree to the guest room, which was a suite with a separate walk-in closet and bathroom.
"Thank you," Desiree said sincerely.
After Pearl left, she stayed in the room alone. She opened the window, letting the cold wind blow on her face.
Then her phone rang. It was a call from Liam.
Desiree answered, her eyes already welling up with tears.
"Desiree, how are you doing at Pearl's house? I've arranged for some bodyguards for you. They'll be there tomorrow, along with a professional nutritionist. Even if you're staying at Pearl's place, you should take care of your health. I still want the healthy Desiree from before," Liam's voice was full of concern.
Desiree could hear the deep care in his words, and her voice choked, "Dad, there's no need to go through so much trouble. I'm just staying here for a couple of days. Once I finish the court procedures on Monday, I won't be staying here anymore."
"What happened? If you're not happy there, I'll come and get you right now," Liam said, taken aback.
Desiree had initially planned to stay there for a few more days. He thought a change of environment might help her mood, so he had agreed.
But Desiree had just arrived and already changed her mind.
As a father, he immediately put on his coat and grabbed his car keys, ready to leave.
"It's not that," Desiree shook her head. "I'm quite happy here. Pearl and Oscar are very nice, and the two kids are adorable. I just don't want to intrude on them. They're such a happy family, and I'm not supposed to stay here long term."
The moment she walked into the living room, she felt out of place with the happiness there.
She had been too naive before.
"Then come home. Your mom and I can enjoy our time together, but we still hope you'll come back. The three of us are a real family," Liam sighed.
After all, home was the warmest place.
At home, both he and Tessa centered their lives around Desiree. Whether she was at a friend's house or married into the Lewis family, she could never fully integrate.
Desiree didn't really want to go home, and she thought for a moment. "Dad, I still have a small apartment downtown. I want to move there and live by myself, maybe get a pet."
"Desiree, while it's normal for someone your age to live alone, we're really worried about your current health. You should at least stay home for six months," Liam disagreed.
What if she couldn't take care of herself?
Even though Desiree was married, in her parents' eyes, she would always be a child.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
