When There Is Nothing Left But Love

I couldn’t help but feel indignant.

Right before the elevator doors closed, Ashton caught up with a gloating smile playing on his lips.

I rolled my eyes at him and refused to speak throughout it all.

As soon as the elevator stopped, I stepped out without hesitation, went to the car, picked Audrey up, and sat inside.

“Mommy, what did you leave behind?” Audrey asked innocently.

Her question left me even more exasperated. I’m pretty sure I left my dignity behind.

“Nothing.” The last thing I wanted to do was recall the reactions of those store employees. Hence, I hastily changed the topic. “Let’s go home now, okay? I’m exhausted and don’t have the energy to talk anymore.” I purposely inserted a whine in my tone.

“Mm, okay!” Audrey got down from my lap and sat obediently. Mimicking the way adults spoke, she instructed Joseph, “Mr. Campbell, you may drive now!”

Ashton bent over to get into the car just in time to hear Audrey’s words, casting her a wounded expression as he settled down in his seat, as though saying, “Don’t you want your father anymore?”

and cheekily hid behind Summer,

moment, how I wished I was sitting in the same car as John. At least there, he would expose the “true

for the fun of it, but I ended up getting the short end of the

him of his unhealthy tendency of

I didn’t realize we arrived home until after

parked in the yard, seemingly here

were making their way out, so I surmised

was excellent as they made sure to avoid coming when there were many people at home, so as to

floor at night, every trace of happiness was wiped

but Ashton’s master bedroom had been expanded to double its original size and was currently

replaced by an excessively enormous one. If it wasn’t for the elaborate linen, one might even think that it was a communal bed stolen from

by the door, completely dumbfounded. Later on, when Audrey came over and saw the large bed, she instantly bolted in and flopped onto it with her slippers still on. “Wow! There’s a big, big bed!

and Gregory helplessly watched the scene before them. Similar to me, they had grimaces on

the most innocent and ignorant one in this family, who was also

to persuade her.