Crystal's One Night of Love

Crystal froze.

“I’m not saying these to gain your sympathy,” Henry said hoarsely, “but I want to tell you that if you come back to be Skyler’s mother, you’ll never have time for yourself again, like me. Do you still want to be Skyler’s mother?”

Those words caused a wave of sadness to wash over Crystal.

How could she not want Skyler?

She stared at him, her chest heaving. She did not know what to say.

Henry reached out and caressed her face gently.

He knew she must be feeling awful, but he thought she should know because it was exhausting to raise a child, and he was worried she would blame him.

If I didn’t leave for the Kingdom of Brundela, she might still be sleeping upstairs, and maybe Skyler wouldn’t have been born weak.

Crystal did not speak for a long time, nor did she push him aside. Being parents at a time like this, they needed warmth and support from one another more than ever.

Henry withdrew his hand. “Go on,” he said gently. “I have a meeting to get to and will come by another day. You can pick Skyler up this afternoon. I’ll pick her up tonight.”

“Okay,” she said and got out of the car hurriedly, not knowing what she was running from.

Was it Henry’s gentleness, or was it the unbearable pain of the past?

Crystal was visibly distracted. She almost cut herself while peeling some fruits.

Leaning against the bed, Anna chuckled. “Put it down. You will cut yourself if you keep going!”

Crystal lowered her hand. “Mom!”

Anna beckoned her to go over. “I only found out about Skyler this year,” she said gently as she grabbed Crystal’s hand. “Henry brought her to Coldbridge. Everyone was so worried about how tiny she looked. Your granny cried for a long time, and Henry knelt by her side the entire night.”

Crystal leaned her head closer to Anna.

Anna caressed her head and continued, “Your uncle said he wanted you to have more choices instead of being with Henry for the sake of the child. That was why he didn’t turn the Hudsons down when they asked him to set you up with their son. I guess what I’m saying is to go with your heart, but don’t rush to make a decision. You two have broken up several times, after all.”

Crystal nodded. “I will give it some serious thought, Mom.”

All she wanted to do was to raise Skyler well.

Anna smiled. “Bring her over tomorrow. I haven’t seen the girl in a long time, and I miss her so much. She looks exactly like you when you were a child, but her temperament is a lot like Henry’s. She’ll be a real terror when she grows up.”

at the thought of Skyler.

half the day with Anna, she took a taxi to pick up Skyler at half past three

so proud to see Crystal at the kindergarten entrance that

the restaurant later. Would you like to have Ferropenian food with me?” she asked with a tender smile.

her beady

plenty of money!” she said in her piping

own the restaurant. Occasionally, I play the piano there too.”

excited

be held, then wrapped her

so good!

brought Skyler to the Ferropenian restaurant.

seat near the piano, settled Skyler into a chair,

dawdled over

steak into little pieces, which she ate with a little fork, looking very refined as she did so.

at the

ensuring that Skyler was comfortable, she took a seat at the piano. Perhaps due to her buoyant. mood, the tunes she

at her mother’s slender waist and her straight back. Her brown hair looked particularly lovely as it cascaded down her shoulders. Her long

mothers of the other children from the kindergarten are not as

of steak with her fork

playing about ten songs, Crystal came back for a bite. Women, being vain creatures, tend to limit. their caloric

glanced at the time. It

Children of Skyler’s age typically

was about to call Henry when a slender figure appeared at

Crystal froze.

Ewan?

man Alfred had set her up with the other day.

expected to

to deduce that that was

to think of a way to keep her

a manner. He sat

smiled. “She’s my

Ewan was stunned.

child, he did not expect the

would not want to see me again with my child around.