Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

"Because Mother Rosita said if I ever acted like I cared more for anyone else than for my mom, she'd get upset and jealous. And being upset and jealous just means you really care about someone."

Jeannie frowned. "Mother Rosita?"

Irwin nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I have two moms. One is the mom who's raised me since I was born, that's Briony. The other is the mom who gave birth to me, that's Mother Rosita."

Jeannie pressed her lips together, taking a moment to process this before asking gently, "Between your two moms, who do you like more?"

Irwin glanced around, then lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Honestly, I like the mom who raised me more. But I can't say that out loud. Mother Rosita would get mad, and when she gets mad, it's scary..."

A flicker of emotion crossed Jeannie's eyes. Then she smiled and affectionately ruffled Irwin's hair.

"I don't know your Mother Rosita, but I think the most important thing for a child is to be honest. If you need your mom, you should be brave and tell her. You don't have to act a certain way just to test her feelings. That kind of thing can actually hurt the people you care about, and it might even push them further away."

Irwin stared at her in surprise. "Really?"

"Really," Jeannie said warmly. "So, these past few days, you've been clinging to me and ignoring your mom on purpose? You were trying to test her?"

Irwin nodded sheepishly.

Jeannie let out a soft, helpless laugh. "I thought you just liked Ms. Radcliffe so much."

"I do like Ms. Radcliffe," Irwin admitted, sighing, "but a teacher isn't the same as a mom. I love my mom-no one could ever replace her."

Jeannie smiled, gently patting his head in encouragement. "In that case, next time you see your mom, don't ignore her on purpose, okay? Let's be honest and brave little ones, all right?"

"I got it," Irwin promised.

their talk, Irwin felt much better. He called Stewart to ask when

him Briony wouldn't

was sick, he

came to pick him up, and the two of them headed

really wasn't

she'd been feeling exhausted the last few days.

wrap things up before heading to Silveridge in a few days. With so

her to go to the hospital, but Briony figured it was just the usual fatigue and dizziness that came with pregnancy-nothing worth making a

worried she wouldn't rest well at the studio, so he brought her back to Skybreeze Retreat. With Marlene and Gina around to

Briony went straight to bed

brought her a steaming bowl of homemade chicken soup. After finishing it, Briony broke out

Stewart and

they didn't even make

she's taught everything she needs

eyes narrowed. "She doesn't have to come to Southcreek Manor, but Irwin heard she was

your concern-no need to trouble yourselves." With that,

door, his eyes

silent, head bowed,

and gave his

wasn't sad. He was just wondering-had the magic stone started working? When would Mom's new baby finally go to heaven? He missed the

drive home, Irwin mulled things over in the backseat

he woke, he found himself back

nowhere in sight; only Ms. Radcliffe was there to keep him