Due to the recent upheaval caused by the Lockwood Group incident, the


    Late at night, at the cozy Willow Lane residence, Forrest finally returned. As he stepped through the door, Howard, the family''s trusted butler, took his white jacket and spoke up at the right moment.


    "Ms. Suthend and young Master Julian have already gone to bed."


    Forrest was aware that Julian had moved in and had hoped to meet the boy that day. However, the chaos of the day had thwarted his ns.


    "And how''s the little one doing?" Forrest inquired.


    Howard paused to recall. "The child is well-behaved but seems a bit withdrawn. There''s a hint of psychological trouble. He''s taken to calling Ms. Suthend ''Mom''."


    "He calls Mimi ''Mom''?" Forrest paused in the act of unbuttoning his silver cufflinks, a small smile ying on his lips as the warm light reflected off his sses. "What an interesting child."


    He chuckled lightly as he handed the delicate cufflinks to Howard to put away.


    ...


    Julian, the little boy, had trouble feeling secure enough to sleep unless someone was nearby. That night, it didn''t take long for him to fall asleep next to M,forted by her presence. She, too, fell into a peaceful slumber.


    Unexpectedly, in the dead of night, she turned over in bed and discovered the space next to her was empty. Being a light sleeper recently, she woke instantly.


    Her eyes scanned the room under the soft glow of the nightlight. As her hand hovered over the main light switch, she froze.


    Julian, dressed in his adorable fuzzy pajamas, stood at the foot of the bed, facing her with a vacant expression.


    Was he... sleepwalking?


    Nathaniel had mentioned before that despite therapy, the child''s condition hadn''t improved much and had led to episodes of sleepwalking, searching for his mother. It made sense to M now that Julian was still sleepwalking despite calling her "Mom".


    She didn''t dare call out to him; waking a sleepwalker could be dangerous. Carefully, she slid out of bed and approached him, waving a hand in front of his face; he didn''t react. Confirmed, he was indeed sleepwalking.


    Suddenly, Julian began moving, wandering around the room, eventually heading toward the balcony. Fortunately, it was half-enclosed, and she had locked it before bed, preventing him from going out.


    M stayed close, gently guiding him to avoid any collisions, slowly leading him back to bed. As soon as hey down, he rxed into a deep sleep, his breathing steady.


    M, however, was left sweating, partly from fright and partly from exertion. It made her understand why Nathaniel had been so grateful to pass the responsibility on.


    ...


    In the kitchen the next morning, Forrest looked uncertain as he took off his apron.


    "I wasn''t sure what Julian might like, so I whipped up a few simple kids'' meals. I hope they''ll suit his taste."


    M surveyed the array of artfully presented children''s dishes, each one more enticing than thest. Simple? Hardly. They looked and smelled delightful, clearly crafted with care.


    "Julian, this is Mr. Whitmore." M gently introduced her son to Forrest, who handed his apron to Howard and knelt to Julian''s level with a warm smile.


    "Hello there, Julian."


    Julian eyed him for a couple of seconds but then shyly retreated behind M.


    M felt a pang of embarrassment. "I''m sorry, he''s a bit shy around new people. He''ll warm up eventually."


    Forrest''s smile didn''t falter. "I can see that. It''s alright, let''s enjoy breakfast."


    At the dining table, Julian remained mostly silent, only eating the food M served


    him. However, when asked if he liked the meal, he nodded in approval.


    M sampled the dishes herself, pleasantly surprised at the taste.