Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)

Chapter 180

By the time I arrived home, Carl was already awake, amusing himself with his granny in the living room.

Meanwhile, Gemma and Helga were engrossed in their chores, chattering away and laughing as they

worked.

I quickly slipped into my role and asked, “Are we expecting guests for dinner?”

While amusing Carl, Mom said casually, “Your dad might bring a friend home. He texted me this

afternoon, asking me to prepare some homely dishes. Specifically, something with a bit of a flair. So, I

informed Gemma and Helga.”

I washed my hands and went over to play with Carl, who had been remarkably obedient these past few

days, no longer demanding his mom. It seemed the saying 'whoever feeds a child, owns it' holds true!

“Did you wake up without a fuss?” I asked mom, watching Carl.

I knew this little rascal occasionally woke up cranky.

But Carl shook his head, waving his chubby hands about and grinned at me. “No! I, good boy…”

His adorable expression had us all in stitches.

We were all bowled over by his charm, laughing so hard we were practically falling over.

He squinted his eyes at us, giggling along and wiggling his little bottom, which was just too cute for

words.

But his small eyes made me sigh. “Can you believe it? Everyone in our family has big, double-lidded

eyes, but this one ends up with small, monolid eyes that don’t resemble anyone's!”

Mom looked at him, laughing, and said, “Small eyes are great. They focus attention. People with

monolids have a certain spirit about them!”

I pouted at Mom’s contented expression. “Mom, you’re too easygoing! You’re playing favorites! In your

eyes, he’s perfect!”

I looked at Carl, pinching his chubby cheek, and teased, “You’re just special, aren’t you?”

“Listen to yourself. Since when has having monolids been considered a flaw? Every child born is a

champion. Think about it. Out of millions of cells, the fastest one gets the chance to come to this world.

How exceptional is that!”

“That’s a bit of a stretch. Don’t you think so? That’s way over my head!” I laughed at Mom’s over-the-

top reasoning.

Mom quickly added, “Besides, there have been plenty of cases where kids grow up and suddenly

develop double lids!”

“Really?” I asked.

Mom leisurely replied, “Of course! And our Carl is already handsome, isn’t he? Who dares to say he

doesn’t have the makings of a heartthrob?”

Her rapid-fire questions drew Gemma’s witty response. “Oh my! Ma'am, you’re absolutely right! Carl is Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

indeed a young heartthrob in the making, guaranteed!”

Carl was still squealing with laughter, creating a hilariously heartwarming scene.

It felt wonderful to be with the family. What if… Oh! Why was I thinking about ‘what ifs’ again?

It seemed I really needed to take my dad’s advice and cut the Gordian knot, ending all this torment.

Then, we could start over and live happily every day. How great would that be!

I quickly suppressed those thoughts.

No matter who ended up in my life, I needed to keep moving forward, living happily, regardless of

anyone!

I forced myself not to indulge in unrealistic hopes. It was the best way to avoid disappointment!

Mom and I chatted idly. The atmosphere was incredibly harmonious, reflecting the peaceful passage of

time.

Soon, voices echoed from the hallway, and Dad walked in with Ronan.

Mom immediately stood up to greet them, “Oh dear! It’s Mr. Richardson! Galen, you should have been

more specific, you only mentioned a friend coming over for dinner. I didn’t expect Mr. Richardson, such

a distinguished guest!”

“Mrs. Wilburn, I hope I’m not intruding!” Ronan’s gentle voice echoed through the room, and then he

handed over a gift, leaving me absolutely flabbergasted.

My goodness! They were all the best actors!

When did Ronan prepare this gift? I was utterly stunned!

Mom’s acting skills were top-notch. Seeing me rooted to the spot, she waved me over and warmly said

to Ronan, “This is my daughter, Aaliyah Wilburn. She lives in Goldenvale Town and is here for a

vacation with the kids. Sweetie, let me introduce you to Mr. Bennett Richardson, the young and

successful head of Richardson Group!”

I was amazed. Mom knew a lot about him. No wonder she seemed so comfortable around him. Clearly,

they were familiar with each other!

At that moment, I wondered how much more there was that I didn’t know.