On the morning of the fourth day, Eleanor went home. Evelyn was at school, and Joslyn had made her a nourishing soup to help her recover.
Although Eleanor was physically at home, her mind was on theb. She sat on the living room sofa, herptop a permanent fixture, while Princess, her bandages now removed, rested nearby with a scab forming over her wound.
From now on, Joslyn would walk the dog in themunity''s courtyard downstairs instead of taking her to the public garden.
At five in the afternoon, Serena brought Evelyn home. Carrying her little backpack, Evelyn skipped into the house like a little ray of sunshine.
"Mommy, you''re back!" Evelyn said as she ran over.
Eleanor was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, so Evelyn didn''t notice her mother''s injury.
Serena spoke up, "Evelyn, tell Mommy who you want to sleep with tonight."
"Mommy, can I still sleep with Auntie?" Evelyn pleaded, thinking that with Eleanor home, she wouldn''t be allowed to anymore.
Eleanor knew Serena was being considerate of her injury. She nodded. "Yes, of course you can."
"Yay! Auntie, we can sleep together again!" Evelyn eximed, happily shaking her head.
Joslyn cooked a delicious dinner. Afterward, Serena helped Evelyn practice her guitar. The little one was picking it up quickly, and Serena decided she should perform at the next preschool show.
Eleanor sat on the sofa working, listening to her daughter''s guitar music with a pleasant feeling in her heart.
Later, while Evelyn was ying by herself in her room, Serena came out for a ss of water. Seeing Eleanor still at herputer, she leaned over curiously, but the data on the screen was soplex it gave her a headache. She looked at Eleanor with admiration. "Ellie, you''re amazing."
She then remembered how she used to mock Eleanor for reading novels, and her face flushed with heat.
"Serena, thank you for all your hard work," Eleanor said, closing herptop and looking at her gratefully.
Serena''s eyes welled up. Eleanor''s tone was so kind, like that of a dear sister, that for a moment, she was too moved to speak and could only stare.
Eleanor found her gaze a bit strange. "Are you okay?"
In the next second, Serena suddenly threw her arms around Eleanor, her voice choked with emotion. "Ellie, you don''t have to thank me.
vel
Everything I''ve done is what I should
be doing. In fact, I should beo
thanking you for giving me this
chance to do something useful for you."
Startled by the sudden embrace, Eleanor gently patted her back. "Let''s not talk about the past anymore."
Serena sniffled. In her heart, those things were far from forgotten.
"Everyone has to grow up. You have, too," Eleanor added, her voice softening.
Serena nodded. "I''ll keep working hard to be a good aunt."
The Serena of the past was a spoiled little princess, but now she had truly matured and grown up.
"Ellie, so much has happened. If you have questions about anything, you can just ask me. I''ll tell you everything I know."
Eleanor blinked. She really had no interest in dredging up old grievances. She shook her head. "I don''t."
"But I do. I remember one time I took Evelyn to the mall for dinner. My brother was there, and so was Vanessa. I saw you there too, with your friends. have to exin what happened that day."
Eleanor paused, a faint memory stirring.
"That day, my brother was nning to treat me and Evelyn to dinner.d
was the one who told Vanessa
about it and insisted
along. My
shee
My brother had no idea she
would be there; I forced her on him."
Eleanor listened quietly, recalling the scene at the mall entrance: Ian holding Evelyn and walking ahead, with Serena and Vanessa arm-in-arm behind them, looking like a happy family.
Indeed, that image had stung her deeply at the time, strengthening her resolve to get a divorce.
"Evelyn really liked Vanessa back then, so my brother didn''t say anything to avoid upsetting her."