Let Me Stay The Night

As soon as Christina spoke, she heard footsteps behind her.

Turning around, she found herself gazing into Nathaniel’s eyes.

What a coincidence! Nathaniel shows up every time we say something about him. Did he put a wiretap in this house?

Nathaniel lifted Lucas and slung his schoolbag onto his shoulder. “It’s time to go to school, Lucas.”

“But Camila is sick. I want to stay and take care of her.” Lucas pursed his lips and blinked, trying to appeal to his father.

“There are plenty of people at home to look after her. You need to get to school on time.” As he spoke, Nathaniel marched toward the door with Lucas in his arms.

Having not seen his mother for a long time, Lucas was reluctant to attend kindergarten. Besides, he could recite the syllabus with his eyes closed.

He was determined to remain by his mother’s side. To that end, he clutched his stomach and yelled, “Ow! My stomach hurts! I don’t think I can go to school.”

Nathaniel scowled. He was fine earlier, and now he’s having a stomachache at the prospect of going to school. Nice try.

“I don’t care what hurts. You will go to school,” he insisted, his voice becoming dangerously soft.

Lucas’ panic grew when his father was about to leave the house with him. “Help, Mommy! It hurts so bad!”

Watching him gnash his teeth in agony, Christina became convinced that he was telling the truth. Concerned, she ran after the pair and stopped them.

“Didn’t you hear him say that he’s not feeling well?” Christina strode over and snatched Lucas out of Nathaniel’s arms.

Like a koala, Lucas clung to his mother. Thank God for Mommy. She loves me more than Daddy does.

Nuzzling against Christina’s bosom, he did not dare meet his father’s gaze for fear of being discovered.

“Where does it hurt? Show me.” Christina carried Lucas in and sat him down on the couch.

in pain, but he pointed arbitrarily nonetheless. “Here,

illness is this? It looks serious.

anxiously. “Don’t worry, Lucas. I’ll take you to the doctor.”

over. “Don’t be scared, Lucas. I’ll bring you

innocent words. “You can’t share your medicine, Camila. Stomachaches

nodded blankly. “I understand, Mommy.”

personalities differed wildly. Lucas was witty and outspoken, while Camila was delicate and emotional.

intently. “I summoned the doctor. He’s

prospect of getting jabbed, he gave a violent start.

is infinitely preferable to getting jabbed!

jumped up. “It doesn’t hurt anymore,

to his feet, looking

earlier, he’s looking much better within

in sick for you if you don’t want to attend school, but you must never lie to me again, all right?”

earnestly. “I understand, Mommy. I won’t do it again.”

family

follow-up with the doctor. The girl was well-behaved. She remained in her mother’s arms while

“She’s doing much better, but she needs to continue taking her medication until

coaxed Camila to take her medicine and sketched while

Camila began to feel drowsy and asked her mother to put her to sleep. Christina glanced at the clock and,

old times, the trio lay in bed together. Amid the soft lull of nursery rhymes Christina crooned,

sound asleep before leaving their room.

home, she found that Lina had called her many times and left multiple

the study and addressed them one at a time. She asked Lina to send the documents to her inbox, then returned

concerned to hear that Camila was feeling unwell. After learning via a series of questions that it was nothing serious, she

the computer in the study. Nathaniel had never changed the password even after

brightly lit photograph greeted her at

visited the amusement park? I can’t believe Nathaniel is using it as