Chapter 221

Seeing her say that, I nodded, feeling relieved.

"That's my girl. I know you love it here, so it's not impossible for you to come back."

"You can go home and slowly convince your dad to leave his job in Skyview City and move to Suncrest City. That way, you can be here too."

"But you know, it's a long process and won't happen overnight."

"Your dad's job isn't something he can just quit. Are you willing to wait?"

Briar nodded firmly. "I am, Ms. Sharp."

I patted her little head. "Good girl. When your dad wakes up, go talk to him. He's been really worried these past few days."

After talking with Briar, I went to find Brett.

He was standing in the corner, pouting and looking defiant.

I sat on the bed and spoke to him gently.

"Brett, first, I want to praise you."

Brett seemed surprised by my opening, his eyes widening as he looked at me.

"Mom, you're not mad at me?"

I shook my head. "You were willing to make and bring food to Briar, which shows you care about her. You kept her whereabouts a secret, which means you're loyal and consider Briar a friend."

"If you knew where Briar was and didn't care, I would be even more upset."

Brett nodded. "Exactly, I brought Briar food. Why did I still get punished?"

I continued, "That's the next issue. Helping others is right, but you need to consider if what you're doing is right or wrong."

"Let me ask you, was it right for Briar to run away from home?"

Brett frowned and thought for a long time before shaking his head. "No, it wasn't."

I nodded in relief. "Exactly. Briar running away was wrong. You knew where she was and didn't tell us, instead, you helped her. Isn't that like helping her run away?"

"When you were helping Briar, did you think about how worried her dad would be? How anxious we would be?"

Brett shook his head. "No, I didn't think about that."

I patted his little head. "You're young, so it's understandable. But I'm happy you wanted to help Briar."

"Just remember, the best way to help her is to tell us parents where she is so we can bring her back, okay?"

Brett thought for a moment, then nodded seriously.

"Mom, you're right. I was wrong. I didn't think it through. I not only hurt Briar but also made Mr. Schmidt worry for so long."

"And I wasted the police's time because of our stubbornness. That was wrong."

Hearing him say that, I patted Brett's head in relief.

There's nothing more gratifying than seeing your child grow up to be well-mannered and considerate.

"You're my good boy."

"What should you do next?"

"Apologize to Mr. Schmidt and to everyone I worried, including Ms. Faith."

I nodded in satisfaction. "Good job."

Having resolved the issues with both kids, I felt a great sense of relief.

But as I left Brett's room, my thoughts drifted to my other child still out there, and my mood darkened.

He's still so young and impressionable.

If Brandon handed him over to people who don't know how to raise him, what if he turns into a bad kid?

I couldn't help but sigh.

I hope Simon in Skyview City can find my child soon.

I really don't want him to be out there alone.

After dealing with the kids, I went to find Kelly.

She noticed my worried expression and looked surprised.

"What's wrong? Tell me."

I hugged Kelly tightly. "I'm worried. I've raised Brett so well, but what if the child out there isn't raised properly?"

Kelly paused, then sighed and patted my shoulder.

"You always think the worst. You've done your best. What more can you do?"

"The rest is up to fate. Let's see if God is willing to bring that child back to you."

"Believe that no matter what, the child will understand you."

I nodded firmly. "I hope so."

Leo stayed with Briar for two days, showing her around Suncrest City, then returned to Skyview City.

The day he left, Briar was teary-eyed, looking at the scenery outside the car window.

I almost softened and let Leo leave Briar with us.

But I knew I couldn't do that. Briar is ultimately a Jordan family child.

Whether she wants to come back in the future is up to her, but I can't keep her here.

After Briar left, Brett was also sad, but he quickly got excited about his new school.

We chose a nearby elementary school for him. On his first day, he came back happily, saying the teachers and classmates were great, and he loved it there.

Seeing him so happy, I felt relieved. My biggest fear was that he would have a bad experience at school.

But thankfully, he didn't show any signs of that and still loved going to school.

Soon, Yves and Aria were old enough for preschool. Luckily, there was one near Brett's school, so we could pick them up together.

We quickly enrolled them in the nearby school.

The day the kids started school, the house was unusually quiet.

My mom looked at me, feeling a bit down. "When the kids were here, it was noisy. Now that they're at school, the house feels empty..."

"Just like when you went to school, I felt so sad."

I hugged Kelly to comfort her. "Wait until the weekend when they're home. You'll be busy again and probably annoyed by them."

That made Kelly laugh, and she shook her head.

In the evening, the three kids sat in the living room.

I looked at Kelly. "Still feeling empty?"

Kelly rolled her eyes at me.

As for Brandon, he didn't even ask why the kids weren't going back to Skyview City for school. He didn't show any concern.

I don't believe he can take care of a child properly. But it's better this way, so I don't have to deal with him.