Chapter 1460
Charlotte knelt on the muddy ground, carefully snapping photos of a dark green swallowtail butterfly.
"Darwin, you idiot," Fiona muttered under her breath. "Can't you see who loves butterflies?"
Darwin seemed completely absorbed in Charles and Chicago, so it made sense that he didn't notice.
Whether Charles had done his homework or just got lucky, who knew?
When Fiona and her group arrived, they were just in time for a butterfly storm. Rare species fluttered everywhere.
They ended up staying in Butterfly Valley an extra half day, heading to their next destination in the evening.
Charlotte rode in Fiona's car, sitting next to Chicago. The two of them happily shared the butterfly photos they'd taken. Charles wore his over-ear headphones and didn't join in at all. He didn't even lift his eyelids.
Fiona occasionally glanced back, sensing the joy beneath Charles's serious demeanor.
The final stop of their journey was a vast, endless prairie. That night, Fiona and her group camped on a pasture near a lakeside, hosted by a very hospitable rancher. They even had a bonfire party that night.
Chicago made friends with an adorable little lamb. But now that she was older, unlike when she was on the island and wanted to bring every cute animal home, she didn't mention buying the lamb to take back to Bay City, even though she was reluctant to leave it behind.
On the last evening of their trip, as the sun was setting, the sky was breathtakingly beautiful. The group packed up their things, ready to head to the airport.
"Mom, look at that gorgeous sunset!" Chicago exclaimed, captivated by the stunning colors of nature.
Thalassa held Kenny's arm, and Kenny held Melissa with one hand. Seeing Chicago's excitement, Melissa clapped her hands too. Thalassa laughed heartily at Melissa's antics.
Fiona glanced at the happy family, then turned to the sky filled with clouds, instinctively looking at Darwin. Darwin was looking at her too. They exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.
"Wait a minute, we haven't taken a group photo yet, have we?" Burl smacked his forehead. "Come on, with such a beautiful backdrop, let's take a big group photo!"
Burl started organizing everyone. Stuart cheerfully helped Janna down from the car. The group found a spot with the lake and the stunning clouds as their backdrop. Each family unit stood together, but they all squeezed in close.
Burl declined the rancher's offer to help, setting up the camera himself, framing the shot, and then setting the timer before quickly running back. He crouched in front of Charles and Chicago. The timer counted down. The camera clicked. The happy, beautiful moment was captured forever.
When they got back home, the new family photo was placed in the most prominent spot at Emerald Pool. Time flowed on peacefully. The hard-won happiness continued to flourish in their lives.