Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Little Nina froze for a second, then protested with her hands over her face, "Mom, that's not fair! I'm the prettiest little fairy, you can't keep photos of me looking like a clown!"

Briony ruffled her daughter's round head. "Then why don't you hurry up and wipe that messy face of yours?"

Little Nina, never one to let things weigh her down for long, quickly brushed away her tears.

Her little nose and eyes were still red from crying, but her hands were now firmly planted on her hips, her chubby cheeks full of stubborn defiance.

"Mom, I didn't cry!" Little Nina jabbed a finger at little Mario. "It was Mario who was crying! Shame on you, big boy crying and all~"

At that, the little man quickly wiped his face and glared at his sister. "I wasn't crying! You were!"

"You were!" Little Nina shot back, refusing to back down. "You started it!"

"No, I didn't!" Mario frowned.

"Yes, you did!"

"No, I didn't!"

The two siblings squared off, voices rising in a familiar, escalating duet.

They hardly ever fought, so the adults looked on in amusement, not wanting to interrupt, treating it like a lighthearted skit.

was warm and sweet, laughter and bickering mingling

shattered in an instant, when Briony, without warning, began to

the children down and

had already pulled out a

dazed for a moment. When she realized what was happening, her first instinct was to look toward her

Lorna had

Stay calm. We're heading

wasn't the first time this had happened-she'd almost grown used to

hands were

own hand and gently patted his. "Stewart, it's

talk right now," Stewart said, his voice

Briony nodded again.

in the car,

the handkerchief in Stewart's hand-already soaked through with blood. His face@ent

to the hospital. Please look

toward Stewart.

grudges meant nothing