Chapter 144

Kelly was putting the three kids down for a nap.

I quietly slipped into the room to check on Brett, who woke up instantly and reached out to me. "Mommy, hug."

My heart melted immediately. I went over and scooped Brett up. "Did you have fun with Grandma these past few days?"

Brett, still sleepy, rubbed his eyes with his little fists but managed a smile. "Yeah, I had so much fun. I love playing with Grandma."

Seeing him like this filled a part of my heart. "So, did you have more fun with Grandma or with me?"

Brett's tiny face scrunched up as he pondered the question, clearly finding it difficult. After a while, he said, "I have fun with both Grandma and you!"

I chuckled and ruffled his hair. "You're already smart enough to keep everyone happy, huh?"

Brett understood what I meant and giggled.

"Mom, are you going out again later?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, why?"

"I want you to play a game with me. Grandma bought me lots of toys, but no one plays with me except her. Ms. Patel sometimes plays with me, but she's usually asleep during the day."

I glanced at Briar, who was still asleep. "What about Briar? Why don't you play with her?"

"Briar's games are boring," Brett pouted.

I gently tapped his pouty lips. "That's because the games you want to play are too rough."

"Briar sits quietly and plays with her dolls, but you run around with a toy gun looking for someone to play fight with. Who wants to play like that?"

Brett pouted even more. "Then can you watch cartoons with me, Mom? I won't play games."

I nodded. "Sure, let's watch cartoons."

I carried Brett to the couch and turned on the TV. Just then, Holly brought us a plate of fruit and a glass of milk.

I quickly apologized. "Holly, I'm sorry to trouble you with this."

Holly smiled. "It's no trouble at all. You all treat me well, so I want to do the same. It's mutual."

"And besides, I've gained some weight staying with Mrs. Sharp. I need the exercise to lose some of it."

I accepted her kindness and patted Brett's head. "Brett, thank Mrs. Waverly."

Brett took a piece of fruit and smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Mrs. Waverly."

Holly was clearly charmed by Brett. "Ms. Sharp, you're so lucky to have such a sweet child."

I nodded sincerely. Since having Brett, I've been grateful every day. Thankful that I have such a well-behaved and understanding child.

But I couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt for not giving him a good father and bringing him into a broken family.

Holly seemed to understand my thoughts. "Ms. Sharp, don't overthink it. For Brett, having you might be enough. You don't need to feel guilty."

"And he has Grandma's love, and the love of all of us around him."

Her words reassured me, and I nodded, thanking her earnestly. "Thanks, Holly."

After dinner, Briar and Brett couldn't sit still and ran up and down the street, while Kelly and Holly took the other two kids for a walk.

I've noticed that Kelly's spirits have lifted a lot recently. Before I brought the kids back, he only had Eugene for company, and they barely spoke a word all day.

The house felt cold and empty.

But now, with all the kids back, and me, Savannah, and Kathy living here, mealtimes have become lively.

And my mom's smiles have noticeably increased.

I've decided to handle things with Brandon, get the divorce, and move back to Suncrest City to be with Kelly every day.

That evening, Kathy woke up and came to my room to play poker.

I pointed to Savannah and myself. "We need one more player."

"Isn't Mrs. Sharp around? Or Holly?"

"They're out with the kids. It's just us two."

We pointed upstairs to the study.

That person was Brandon.

Kathy immediately made a face. "No way, I'd rather play solitaire. Come on, let's play."

As we sat down, our conversation drifted.

Kathy and I started gossiping about Savannah's love life. "There must have been some handsome guys in the army. Didn't you like any of them?"

Savannah's face turned a bit red, which was a clear sign. Kathy and I exchanged glances, intrigued. "Come on, spill. Who did you like?"

Savannah hesitated but finally said, "There was one, our training team leader."

"He trained our female squad when I first joined. I had a bit of a crush on him. After training, we still saw each other around the base, but never had a chance to talk."

I shook my head, seeing how deep she was in. "No way, you must have seen him again. Otherwise, you wouldn't look like this."

Savannah blushed even more. "We met on the day I left the army. He gave me his contact info and said he'd like to meet up for dinner when he's on leave."

Kathy and I exchanged looks and squealed. "That's definitely a sign he likes you!"

"Why else would he ask you out for dinner? He didn't ask us."

"Really? I thought he was just bored and wanted company. Do you think he likes me?"

Savannah looked a bit troubled.

"But now that I'm out of the army, we can't see each other often. Even if he likes me, he might find someone else. And if we date, it'll be long-distance. How will that work?"

Kathy and I exchanged glances and chuckled. "Savannah, aren't you overthinking? You haven't even held hands yet!"