Briony thought it was too much trouble. "No need to bother the driver—I can handle drop-offs and pick-ups myself."


    "Oh, all right. I''ll let the driver know then."


    She ended the call, tucked her phone away, and headed back inside.


    It was Saturday.


    The twins didn''t have preschool today. The moment they saw each other, they huddled together, giggling and ying, thick as thieves.


    Watching her son and daughter get along so well, Briony felt a rare sense of peace settle over her heart.


    Little Mario had be so much more outgoingtely, chattier too.


    Especially this time-after two weeks apart, he seemed to have put on a little weight.


    That evening, while bathing the kids, Briony noticed the change most clearly.


    He really had filled out. Where once his ribs had been painfully obvious, now his round little belly was starting to catch up to Little Nina''s.


    Stewart and Lorna had truly been taking good care of him.


    Briony watched her son and daughter sshing and shrieking withughter in the


    tub, and her feelings were unexpectedlyplicated.


    After baths and bedtime stories, once the kids had drifted off, Briony quietly slipped out of the room.


    She went next door to find Carol.


    Carol was the one who managed all of little Mario''s daily routines.


    But for Mario to have changed so much in such a short time, it couldn''t be just Carol''s doing.


    From Carol, Briony learned that Lorna practiced martial arts, and every day she took Mario along to exercise.


    Every morning, Lorna personally walked Mario to preschool from Southcreek Manor-a walk of about a mile. Most families sent their kids in private cars, but Lorna insisted on going with him on foot.


    In the evenings, she''d jump rope with Mario at home.


    Briony fell silent for a long moment after hearing all this.


    Carol noticed the worry that still lingered in her eyes.


    "To be honest, I was worried at first that Ms. Riley might be unkind to the young master,” Carol admitted. "So when she started taking him out, I''d secretly follow behind."


    "Little Mario''s always been sensitive.


    I was scared Ms. Riley might


    threaten or mistreat him when no one was around. I even asked Mario what he thought of her. Want to guess what he said?"


    "What did he say?" Briony asked.


    "He said Ms. Riley was cool-she chased away the bad guys."


    Briony blinked.


    Chased away bad guys?


    "What bad guys?" she pressed.


    Carol shook her head. "I asked Mario, but he couldn''t really exin. Just said Ms. Riley won the fight."


    Briony pressed her lips together, thoughtful.


    She decided she''d ask Mario about it herself the next day.


    The following morning, while driving Mario to preschool, Briony broached the subject.


    "Mario, can you tell me about the time Ms. Riley chased away the bad guys?"


    Mario''s dark eyes sparkled with mischief. They thought Ms. Riley was pretty and wanted to be her friends, but Ms. Riley thought they were ugly, so she beat them up and made them go away!"


    Briony was caught off guard.


    Sounded like Lorna had gotten into trouble with some creeps on the street.


    "Where were you when this happened?" she asked.


    "In the car," Mario replied. "Ms. Riley locked the doors and yed fun kids'' songs."


    Briony pressed her lips together again.


    So Lorna''s first instinct was to make sure Mario was safe-locking him in, distracting him with music, shielding him from what was going on outside.


    Briony remembered what Lorna had said the other day: that she couldn''t have children of her own, but she''d treat Mario as her own son.


    As Mario''s biological mother, Briony realized she''d been wary of Lorna from the start—almost instinctively, with a mother''s protectiveness.


    But she''d been a stepmother herself. She knew how difficult that role could be.


    "Mario," she asked, ncing at her son in the rearview mirror, "do you like your life the way it is now?"