Love Unspoken

The kids had never seen fireworks before. Sprout might've seen them once, but he probably forgot.

They stared up at the sky, jaws dropped, totally mesmerized by the fireworks.

Quinn was worried they might freak out, but when she glanced over, she realized she was just overthinking. They weren't scared at all; they were thrilled. Sprout even lowered his hand and pointed at the fireworks, saying something to Brandy.

Quinn watched them, the flickering light of the fireworks lighting up everyone, creating a scene of pure joy and excitement on the beach.

For a moment, Quinn felt like she was in a dream, like everything could vanish with a touch.

It felt surreal, yet also like a distant memory.

She thought, 'If only time could freeze right now, never moving forward, even if it meant the dream would never end.'

Suddenly, she felt a warm touch on her hand. She turned to see Alexander's face. The light and shadows played across his features, giving him a mysterious vibe. Alexander asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Quinn shook her head. "Nothing, it just feels really lively."

Alexander tightened his grip on her hand.

In such a lively atmosphere, Quinn should've been happy, but she felt a weird sense of sadness.

Maybe Christmas was a reminder of time passing for them, while for kids, it was all about growth and happiness.

For kids, the world was perfect, with family and friends around, no regrets or losses, just joy and carefree moments.

For adults, each year brought more goodbyes, and as they got older, more people disappeared from their lives, until they were left alone.

The fireworks went on for a full hour, and the beach was filled with smoke, even getting a bit suffocating.

Maddox pulled out some small gifts, first handing one to each of the kids, then coming over to Quinn and Alexander.

Maddox said, "Here, these are for you."

Quinn was momentarily stunned, then raised her hand to accept the gift, smiling. "Thanks, Maddox."

Maddox replied, "You're welcome. I'm your elder; it's what I should do."

Alexander also accepted his gift and thanked him, then opened it right there. Inside was a small toy. Quinn also opened hers to find a small toy as well.

Over there, Brandy was opening her gift too.

"The smoke here is too thick. Let's head back," Alexander suggested.

Quinn nodded. She wanted to take the two kids with her, but Sprout refused to leave. He still wanted to play on the beach, his small body stumbling as he ran around. Maddox hurried to chase after him. Maddox said, "You two take Brandy back first. I'll watch over him."

Quinn sighed. Sprout was getting naughtier by the day. She watched as Sprout weaved through the crowd, a bright smile on his face, while Maddox cautiously followed behind, arms outstretched to catch him in case he fell. Brandy brought over a sparkler and handed it to Quinn. "Mom, play with this."novelbin

Quinn shifted her gaze, smiled, took out a lighter to light the sparkler for her, then took Brandy's hand. "Alright, it's time for us to go back."

Brandy was more obedient than Sprout and never disobeyed Quinn. When told to go, she went.

Alexander picked her up, and the three of them walked back together.

Various lights hung from the trees on both sides, casting long shadows on the pavement, while the noise behind them gradually faded away.