Chapter 294
Kelly followed me outside and, seeing Royce and Brett chatting over there, sighed again.
She was right next to me, so I heard her clearly.
I turned and took Kelly's hand, asking softly, "Mom, what's up?"
Was she feeling that the situation was tricky?
Actually, with Royce visiting, my biggest worry was that because of the misunderstanding between us last time, she might hold some resentment towards him.
Kelly was definitely on my side.
But in the past, Royce's care for our family surely made my mom think he was a good person.
The relationship between Royce and me has always been stuck here, partly because of this.
In my subconscious, if we really started dating and then broke up, we probably wouldn't stay in touch...
Then the friendly relationship between my family and him would end too.
He wouldn't visit Kelly during the holidays like he used to.
That would be too weird. How could we stay friends after breaking up?
My thoughts were in turmoil, and Kelly patted my hand. "Caroline, I do think the current situation isn't great."
"Especially since you told me clearly last time that you definitely won't have any more children. Royce is at the age to settle down and start a family. Will he want his own kids in the future?"
Hearing this, I felt a pang of sadness again.
Actually, the topic of children was something I would have to discuss with Royce sooner or later.
But maybe I was subconsciously avoiding it, not wanting any rifts between us...
People are selfish.
Even though I knew I wouldn't have more children and might be unfair to Royce in this regard, I still selfishly wanted to hold onto our connection and have him keep pursuing me.
Thinking about this sent a shiver down my spine.
"I'll find time to talk to him about the kids."
"If he can't accept it, then we should just stay friends."
I've already been very happy enjoying Royce's unconditional care for me during this time.
I can't keep holding onto him.
Kelly looked at me lovingly and patted my head.
I knew she had a lot to say to me, and the current situation left everyone feeling helpless...
It was the many things weighing on my mind lately that made me overlook this point.
What I really needed to resolve was my relationship with Royce.
I suddenly realized why I felt strange seeing Royce come to my house with bags of gifts today.
It was because I wasn't ready to accept all this.
Soon, Brett came running over to me, with Nala following beside him.
The sight of them running together was incredibly heartwarming to me.
"Slow down, slow down, why are you running in the house?"
I laughed as I caught Brett.
Nala rubbed against my leg, and I found a cat treat to feed her slowly.
Nala was almost an old cat now, I thought.
After licking the treat clean, she stretched contentedly beside me.
I then turned to Brett, "What's up?"
"Mom, I have something to tell you..."
"In a few days, our school is having a parent-teacher conference. Will you be free then?"
Hearing this, I immediately nodded. "What do you mean? Of course, I'll be free."
"I just thought you were really busy lately. I told Mr. Castillo, and he said if you couldn't make it, he'd go to the conference for me."
I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm still here, and you want someone else to go to the parent-teacher conference for you?"
"Mr. Castillo said you've been swamped and didn't want me to bother you," Brett replied earnestly.
I pinched his cheek. "I get that you and Mr. Castillo are close. He's a good guy. But the parent-teacher conference is something I need to be at."
Saying this made me feel emotional.
Brett and Royce had such a good relationship. If Royce really became his stepdad, the parent-child relationship wouldn't be so difficult.
But the key issue was that Royce wanting his own kids was still a thorn in my heart...
Even if he liked Brett a lot and Brett was good to him, they didn't have a blood relationship.
Realizing I was getting stuck on this again, I quickly changed the topic. "What do we need to prepare for the parent-teacher conference?"
"Nothing special, just you being there. The teacher will talk about our progress."
Brett explained, and I nodded.
"What's the exact date? Tell me so I can arrange it."
As we talked, Nala circled around us and then went back to her cat bed to sleep.
I took Brett back to the kids' room and checked on the other three children.
Zola was busy in the kids' room, putting away some toys.
When she saw me, she greeted me. "Ms. Sharp, you're back."
"Why are you tidying up in the middle of the day?" I realized my tone wasn't great and quickly added, "I mean, you don't have to tidy up every day."
Kelly and the others all said they liked Zola, so she must be doing a good job at our house.
But I didn't expect her to be so diligent, tidying up the kids' room in the middle of the day.
Zola looked at me and shook her head. "It's no trouble. I'm just keeping busy, and the kids are very well-behaved... As a nanny, I don't have much to do."
She said this while putting away a puzzle piece.
"These things need to be put away quickly. If the kids bump into them, it wouldn't be good."
I quickly thanked her for her effort.
Zola was a typical hardworking woman, efficient in her work, and didn't need anyone to push her to get things done.
Kelly was very satisfied with her, probably because of this.
Brett ran over and grabbed her hand. "Zola, Zola, what are we having for dinner?"
"I'll make a big meal for you tonight. I heard we have a guest!"
Zola must have seen Royce at the door earlier.
I smiled. "Then we'll have a feast tonight."
Soon, I left the kids' room and saw Kelly and Royce sitting on the couch.
They were talking, sitting two seats apart.
As I came out, I heard Kelly's voice, choked with emotion. "Caroline has been through so much. I just want her to be happy from now on."
Seeing me, Kelly awkwardly turned away and wiped her eyes with a tissue.
Royce stood up and walked towards me. "What's wrong?"
He took my hand gently, his voice soft.