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- #asm
The Son I Raised Was Never Mine - Short Drama Full HD 720p #ASM
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I would never know that I had already decided to transfer 15% of Hays Group shares to him until
00:09the day of the physical exam.
00:10I discovered that the son born to my husband and me both with type O blood actually had type A
00:15blood.
00:16Looking at the son who was a miniature version of my husband, I said nothing and calmly did only two
00:22things.
00:23First, I secretly plucked a strand of my son's hair.
00:27Mom? Just tucking your hair. Keep playing.
00:31Second, I tore up the share transfer agreement I had prepared.
00:35Watching Ethan walk into school, I turned and went to the DNA testing center.
00:40Expited. What's the soonest I can get the results?
00:43Standard is five business days. Expedited would be before 4 p.m. today at three times the cost.
00:47Expited.
00:49When I handed over the sample, my hand trembled a little.
00:52After swabbing my own cheek cells, I sat in the waiting area, staring at the clock on the wall as
00:58the minutes and seconds ticked by.
01:00During that time, I contacted a private investigator.
01:04I want you to look into my husband, Frank, especially his whereabouts over the past few months.
01:09At 3.40 p.m., my phone rang. The results were in. I opened the electronic report and scrolled straight
01:16to the end.
01:17DNA analysis indicates that the probability of a parent-child relationship between Vivian Hayes and Ethan Miller is 0.0001%.
01:25Based on genetic marker analysis, Vivian Hayes is not supported as the biological mother of Ethan Miller.
01:32Even though I had been prepared, the moment I saw those words, I still panicked for an instant, then leaned
01:37against the wall and sat down.
01:39Not my child.
01:40I had raised a child who was not my biological child for nine years.
01:44Then where was my child?
01:50I immediately went to Methodist Hospital, where I had given birth nine years ago, and met with the obstetrician from
01:56back then, who was now the department head.
01:58I got straight to the point and asked,
02:00Dr. Thompson, I'd like to pull my delivery records and in-shent files from that year.
02:05It's been so long, the records may have already been archived.
02:08I need to see them.
02:09Now.
02:10After some effort, someone from the records room finally brought out a folder.
02:14I opened it and found that the records were extremely sparse.
02:17Only the admission and discharge times, the method of delivery, and the newborn's wait.
02:22There was no detailed labor and delivery process.
02:25No nursing handoff notes.
02:27No pediatrician examination report.
02:29Is this all?
02:30This is all that's in the system.
02:32Paper records for standard optotactic cases are kept for 10 years, and yours is about to reach the end of
02:37that period.
02:37What about the newborn's footprints?
02:39The blood test records?
02:41Those should be in the newborn records, but we couldn't find them.
02:43It couldn't be more obvious.
02:45Something was wrong here.
02:46An overly brief medical record.
02:49A missing newborn file.
02:50And a son who was not my biological child, but looked just like my husband.
02:54My phone rang.
02:55It was Frank.
02:59Where did you go?
03:00I picked up Ethan.
03:01I'm out taking care of something.
03:02I'll be right back.
03:03I only then remembered that school had already let out, but fortunately I had informed the teacher earlier.
03:08I said this and hung up the phone.
03:10After dinner, I excused myself with a headache and went back to my room early.
03:14I have a headache.
03:15I'm going to bed early.
03:17Frank stayed in the living room helping Ethan with his homework, and the sound of their conversation drifted over faintly.
03:23Dad, is mom upset?
03:27Mom is just tired.
03:28Finish your homework and go to bed early.
03:30Once they were both asleep, I began quietly searching the entire house.
03:34The master bedroom, the living room, Ethan's room.
03:38I searched everywhere and found nothing.
03:41Finally, I looked at the computer in the study, thinking the truth had to be in there.
03:46Footsteps sounded outside the door.
03:48I exited the document.
03:56When Frank pushed the door open and came in, I was tidying up the desk.
04:00He glanced at the computer screen, which had already returned to the desktop.
04:04A photo of the two of us taken three years ago at Santa Monica Beach.
04:07Not asleep yet?
04:08Organizing some old documents?
04:10I answered while casually turning off the monitor.
04:13He stood there for a moment, as if he wanted to say something.
04:16But in the end, he just nodded.
04:18Get some rest soon.
04:18I sat in the darkness, listening to the sound of his footsteps gradually fading away.
04:24That night, I didn't open the computer again and lay in bed with my thoughts in chaos.
04:29The next morning, I still let Frank take Ethan to school.
04:32He looked at me, picked up the car keys.
04:35Alright.
04:36Once they were out the door, I immediately went to the study.
04:40I turned on the computer and entered the password.
04:43Our wedding anniversary.
04:44Wrong.
04:45I tried his birthday.
04:46Wrong.
04:47Our son's birthday.
04:48Still wrong.
04:49I tried the date of our first date, his mother's birthday, the day the company was founded.
04:54All wrong.
04:55The system prompted me to try again in 15 minutes.
04:59I sat in the chair, staring at the login screen.
05:02This computer we had bought together was now locked to me.
05:10That evening, Frank came home from work and said while taking off his jacket.
05:13I have a business trip to Chicago tomorrow.
05:15Not sure how long it'll be yet.
05:17I came out of the kitchen carrying a dish.
05:19So sudden.
05:20Who are you going with?
05:21It was arranged last minute.
05:23Vivian, can you not be like this?
05:25I watched him in silence, not understanding why such a casual question from me would provoke such a big reaction.
05:30You question everything?
05:33You suspect everyone?
05:35I'm just going for work.
05:37I turned away to serve the rice, my hand trembling a little.
05:40It was just a casual question.
05:42He said nothing more and went straight into the bedroom.
05:44Dinner was eaten in silence.
05:46Ethan seemed to sense something and, surprisingly, didn't pick at his food.
05:50After his shower, Frank came out and picked up his coat from the sofa to hang it in the closet.
05:56A small receipt fell out of the pocket and landed at my feet.
06:02After he left, I picked it up and took a look.
06:05It was a perfume receipt, quite expensive, purchased yesterday afternoon.
06:09I had never heard of the perfume's name, but I knew it wasn't for me.
06:13In 10 years of marriage, Frank had never given me a gift again.
06:17Sorry, crazy day at the office.
06:20I used to explain it away for him.
06:22He wasn't romantic, he was busy with work, and was a practical man.
06:26Which one do you like?
06:29Buy whatever you want.
06:30I don't have time to shop.
06:31Now, it seemed that it wasn't that he wasn't capable of romance.
06:34It was just that his romance wasn't directed at me.
06:37I noted down the information on the receipt.
06:39Early the next morning, after Frank left for the airport, I called the Nordstrom counter.
06:45I'd like to look up this receipt.
06:46Yes, from yesterday afternoon.
06:47One moment.
06:49Found it.
06:50Purchaser was a Ms. Wendy Davis.
06:52Wendy Davis.
06:54That name ring a bell.
06:55Frank's secretary.
06:56Hired half a year ago.
06:58A divorced woman in her 30s.
07:00Driving to the airport, I didn't know what I wanted to confirm.
07:03Maybe the perfume was for a client.
07:05Maybe I was overthinking.
07:07I waited outside the International Departures Hall for half an hour before I saw Frank and her.
07:15Wendy was wearing a Burberry trench coat, pulling a small suitcase, walking over together with Frank.
07:21Frank's face wore a relaxed smile I hadn't seen in a long time.
07:25Then in front of the security checkpoint, Wendy stopped and very naturally reached out to straighten Frank's collar.
07:31Frank didn't dodge.
07:31He lowered his head and said something in her ear.
07:34Wendy laughed, then stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips.
07:37Frank's hand rested on her waist.
07:39Staying there for a short moment before they parted, as if it had long been a habit.
07:43The last bit of self-deception I had been clinging to vanished completely.
07:46So all those late nights working overtime, all those impatient looks directed at me, now I knew the reason for
07:53them.
07:54Watching their intimate figures, a suspicion gradually surfaced in my mind.
07:59Could the child who was not my biological child have something to do with this woman in front of me?
08:04On the drive back, I called the private investigator I had hired days ago.
08:08Look into one more person for me.
08:11Wendy Davis.
08:12I want to know everything about her, especially whether she has any children.
08:15The investigator worked quickly.
08:17By the next afternoon, I had received the investigation report.
08:20Wendy Davis, 32 years old, divorced five years ago, had a 10-year-old son named Leo Davis, attending a
08:27charter school on the west side of town.
08:29That date suddenly leapt out at me.
08:31Wendy's son was only one week younger than Ethan.
08:34For the first time in 10 years, I felt my blood surge upward.
08:41I sat on the sofa, holding the report the investigator had sent.
08:45Then a thought struck me, and I ran into the study.
08:51My fingers hovered over the keyboard, then slowly typed in Wendy's birthday.
08:56The desktop opened.
08:59There was only one folder named Work Backup.
09:02I clicked into it.
09:04It was full of subfolders, organized by year, starting from 11 years ago.
09:09The earliest folder contained scanned old photos.
09:12Frank and Wendy were wearing high school uniforms, standing under an oak tree.
09:1619-year-old Frank was smiling, his hand resting on Wendy's shoulder.
09:20Wendy had her hair in a ponytail and was looking up at him.
09:23The next photo was from college.
09:25They were in the library.
09:27The next was a graduation photo.
09:28The two of them in caps and gowns, holding hands.
09:31We have to cancel Napa.
09:33The company's in a rough patch.
09:35That year, Frank told me the company was having difficulties, and we canceled our wedding
09:39anniversary trip to Napa Valley.
09:41I closed the folder, a churning discomfort rising in my stomach.
09:45A decade of deception.
09:46I looked at the wallpaper on the screen, our wedding photo, and felt a wave of nausea.
09:57At 3 in the afternoon, I drove to the west side of town.
10:00That charter school was even more run down than the investigator had described.
10:04The dismissal bell rang, and children poured out of the school gate.
10:07I sat in the car, my hands gripping the steering wheel.
10:10He walked out alone.
10:12No one was there to pick him up.
10:13He looked left and right, then slowly walked forward along the sidewalk.
10:17I held my breath.
10:18That child, Leo.
10:20No, that was my child.
10:21The way he walked slightly resembled me, with a mild inward turn of his feet.
10:26When he raised his hand to fix his hair, I saw a birthmark on his wrist, in the same
10:30spot as mine.
10:31I saw that there was dust on his eyelashes.
10:33His lips were a bit dry, and the edges of his sneakers had already started peeling.
10:38His eyes were empty, not like those of a 10-year-old child.
10:42I covered my mouth to keep myself from making a sound.
10:45He walked further away and disappeared around the corner.
10:48I collapsed onto the steering wheel and broke down sobbing.
10:51For that child walking home alone, for these 10 years of misplaced lives, and for myself,
10:57living like a fool in a play arranged by others.
11:00Then I wiped away my tears and started the car.
11:16At the law firm, I placed the USB drive in front of attorney David Lee.
11:20In it were backups of all the photos, along with the DNA test report, scanned hospital
11:26records, the perfume receipt, and information on Wendy Chen and Leo.
11:30I want a divorce.
11:31I want him to leave with nothing.
11:33I want custody of the child.
11:35I want him to pay the price he deserves to pay.
11:39Walking out of the law firm, I remembered what Frank had said 10 years ago when he proposed
11:44in Central Park.
11:45Vivian, I'll give you a lifetime of stability.
11:48So his lifetime was only 10 years.
11:51No, maybe not even 10 years.
11:53I took out my phone and called the company's second largest shareholder, also an old friend
11:58of my father's.
11:59Uncle Robert, regarding next week's board meeting, there are some things I'd like to
12:02discuss with you first.
12:03Frank had probably forgotten this company's name is Lynn.
12:06He was able to become CEO because I had persuaded my father to give him a chance back then.
12:11I could lift him up, and I could also make his fall very, very ugly.
12:21Two weeks after Frank left, I liquidated everything under my name that could be converted to cash.
12:26These days, every afternoon I went to the area near that charter school on the west side.
12:31Once when it rained, he didn't have an umbrella.
12:35He waited for half an hour under the awning of the convenience store by the school gate,
12:39and in the end ran home in the rain.
12:43I sat in the car, the rain blurring the car window.
12:46On Friday afternoon, I arrived near the school early.
12:50When I saw Leo come out, I got out of the car and pretended to be a passerby walking past.
12:56The folder in my hand fell in front of him.
12:59He paused for a moment, then bent down and picked it up for me.
13:08Thank you, kiddo.
13:10Has your mom not arrived yet?
13:12He shook his head.
13:14Mom is working overtime today.
13:17Then how are you getting home?
13:18I took an unopened bottle of water from my bag and handed it to him.
13:22By bus.
13:23Have some water.
13:23He hesitated for a moment.
13:25Then took it and said thank you quietly.
13:27I noticed that when he spoke, he habitually pressed his lips together slightly.
13:31Just like me.
13:32The shape of his eyes was also similar.
13:35Hooded lids, the outer corners slightly downturned.
13:38Does your mom often work overtime?
13:39He nodded.
13:41Then shook his head.
13:42Sometimes.
13:44What about your dad?
13:46He didn't speak and looked down at his shoes.
13:49Those sneakers had already started peeling at the edges.
13:52And the left shoelace was broken.
13:53I didn't ask anymore.
13:55Go buy yourself a new pair of shoes.
13:57I took $40 from my wallet and pressed it into his hand.
14:01He stepped back.
14:02No, I can't take this.
14:04Just take it as thanks for helping me pick up the folder.
14:08I put the money into the side pocket of his backpack and turned to leave.
14:14I glanced back.
14:16There was a somewhat lost look in his eyes.
14:22That night, I stood at the doorway of Ethan's room.
14:26He was playing with the Lego set Frank had just bought him.
14:29A limited edition spaceship.
14:31Quite expensive.
14:33I walked in and ruffled his hair.
14:35Mom?
14:36What's wrong?
14:38Is your homework done?
14:40Finished it a long time ago.
14:42Dad said if I make the top ten in the midterms, he'll take me to Disney World.
14:46I smiled.
14:47That's great.
14:48The moment I turned around, my smile vanished.
14:54Frank's completely different treatment of the two children was like a thorn lodged in my heart.
14:59My biological son was wearing peeling shoes and riding the bus alone, while this child was enjoying everything.
15:08Frank, who had been away on business for two weeks, finally came home.
15:12He set down his suitcase, and his first words were,
15:15Where's Ethan?
15:16Why is it so quiet?
15:18I signed him up for an after-school program, two hours in the evening.
15:22Why sign him up all of a sudden?
15:23He's only in fourth grade.
15:25I didn't answer.
15:27I smelled that perfume scent on him.
15:30He walked over to hug me.
15:32I turned aside to avoid him.
15:34Why do you smell like perfume?
15:36Who did you go to dinner with this time?
15:39Vivian, you're getting paranoid again.
15:40It rubbed off from dinner with a client.
15:42Can you stop being like this?
15:44I suddenly found it laughable.
15:47Only now could I see how bad his acting was.
15:50I took an envelope from the coffee table drawer and slowly pulled out the photos,
15:55laying them out on the table.
16:05Frank's face turned ugly.
16:07He picked up one of the photos and threw it back onto the table.
16:12You followed me?
16:15I smiled.
16:17Does it matter?
16:19What matters is,
16:20what would happen if these photos showed up at a board meeting or were sent to your clients?
16:25He collapsed onto the sofa across from me,
16:28his hands covering his face.
16:30What do you want?
16:31I stared at him, my voice somewhat cool.
16:33First, fire Wendy and guarantee you won't see her again.
16:35Second, tell me what happened at the hospital ten years ago.
16:38You're insane just based on a few photos.
16:40Frank, don't forget the company is named Hayes.
16:42My voice was icy.
16:43You are where you are today because of me.
16:44I can give and I can take away.
16:46I almost softened,
16:47but I remembered Leo's peeling shoes,
16:50remembered how he looked waiting alone for the rain to stop.
16:53For the sake of our ten years of marriage and our child,
16:56as long as you do what I say,
16:57we can keep going.
16:59After all, we still have Ethan.
17:03I turned and went to the bedroom,
17:05brought out a document,
17:07and handed it over.
17:08It was a pregnancy test report showing I was five weeks pregnant.
17:12Frank looked at the pregnancy test report,
17:14paused for a second,
17:16then looked up and stared at me.
17:19You're pregnant?
17:20Five weeks.
17:20The doctor said this time it's very stable.
17:23His expression shifted again and again.
17:25So, as long as you cut ties with Wendy completely,
17:28make her leave the company and our lives,
17:30I can let the past go.
17:31I continued.
17:32We still have Ethan,
17:33and now there's this child too.
17:35Frank's gaze fell on my belly.
17:37There was an obvious struggle in his eyes.
17:39I need to think.
17:40That night,
17:41the light in his room was turned off very late.
17:46The next morning,
17:48as I was drinking coffee,
17:49I watched Frank walk out with dark circles under his eyes.
17:53I pushed a glass of water toward him.
17:55He silently took it,
17:56but didn't look at me.
17:58I've thought it over, Vivian.
18:01We...
18:02No need to say it.
18:03I cut him off and pulled the divorce agreement out of the folder,
18:06placing it on the table.
18:08His expression turned furious.
18:10What do you mean?
18:11Don't we have another child on the way?
18:13I said coldly.
18:15I told you I was pregnant,
18:17and you needed an entire night to consider whether to break up with her?
18:20We have a child on the way.
18:22Can't you think about the child,
18:23and about Ethan too?
18:25Child?
18:25I suddenly laughed.
18:26Are you talking about the child I raised for ten years?
18:30Who turned out to be yours and Wendy's?
18:33Frank's face instantly went pale.
18:35He stumbled backward into the table.
18:38How do you know?
18:39When did you find out?
18:41I held my phone up in front of him,
18:44the screen showing a photo of the DNA test report.
18:47The password was Wendy's birthday.
18:49You've been using it for ten years, right?
18:56His breathing quickened,
18:58tinged with panic.
19:00Let me explain.
19:02My voice was very calm,
19:04tinged with mockery.
19:06Explain how you switched the babies when I was giving birth.
19:10Explain how you got Wendy into the company.
19:12Or explain how the two of you have been laughing behind my back for ten years at how stupid I
19:17was.
19:18I took a step closer.
19:20The most ridiculous thing is that occasional guilt you showed when looking at that child.
19:24Was it guilt for deceiving me,
19:26or guilt for not treating your own son better?
19:28Leo.
19:29Frank suddenly seemed to remember something.
19:31Where is Leo?
19:32I want to see him!
19:33Too late.
19:35I turned and pulled open the door.
19:37Your son?
19:38No, our son is now somewhere you can't find him.
19:41Your and Wendy's son is still upstairs sleeping,
19:44unaware of what choices biological father is now facing.
19:47Frank rushed over and grabbed my arm, curious.
19:49Vivian, you can't do this!
19:51That's my child!
19:53I shook him off.
19:55From the day you switched the babies,
19:57you were no longer fit to be a father.
20:00Now please leave my home!
20:04After I closed the door,
20:05I heard the sound of him pounding on it.
20:10Then came the sound of a car driving away.
20:14I knew where he was going to find Wendy,
20:16and also to find the biological son he had lost for ten years.
20:20But he wouldn't be able to find Leo.
20:30Three days earlier,
20:32when the private investigator had given me the information on Wendy,
20:36I had already gone to see the child again.
20:39I told him the truth.
20:40He was unusually calm.
20:42In those eyes that resembled mine was a maturity beyond his years.
20:46I always felt like I wasn't my mom's child.
20:49Otherwise, why would she be willing to leave me here to fend for myself?
20:52I held his hand and said I would take him away, to start over.
20:57He was silent for a long time, then gently nodded.
21:01Yesterday afternoon's flight,
21:02my personal assistant accompanied him abroad.
21:05Over there was a good school, a house, new friends.
21:09Once I finished handling things on this end,
21:11I could go reunite with my son.
21:13The divorce agreement had been sitting on the table for three days.
21:17Frank finally came.
21:19He stood outside the door, dark circles under his eyes and unshaven.
21:24I hadn't seen him like this in a long time.
21:30Vivian, let's talk.
21:35I leaned against the door frame in my loungewear,
21:38not letting him in.
21:39The agreement is written very clearly.
21:41There's nothing to discuss.
21:42I can't divorce you.
21:43For the sake of our ten years as husband and wife and our child.
21:47Which child?
21:48The one in the videos or the one upstairs?
21:50Frank's face instantly went pale.
21:52A week earlier, Wendy had sent over a pile of files.
21:55When I opened them, they were videos.
21:58One after another.
21:59In the videos,
22:01Leah was crying,
22:02being beaten,
22:03locked in a dark room.
22:04There was another clip where the child was only five or six
22:06and was whipped on the back with a clothes hanger for spilling milk.
22:09The email had only one line.
22:11Thank you for raising my son for all these years for me.
22:15I watched them all night.
22:17And by dawn, I had thrown up three times.
22:19He seemed to want to explain.
22:20Those videos, Wendy, she sometimes couldn't control herself.
22:23That's your son.
22:23You went to see her every week
22:25and all you noticed was that she changed her perfume and got new nails?
22:28You never saw the wounds on your son's body?
22:30He couldn't say a word.
22:32I've already hired a lawyer.
22:33If you don't want to sign, we'll go to court.
22:34The evidence of switching babies,
22:35the photos of your affair in those videos,
22:37they will all become evidence.
22:38Are you crazy?
22:39He said in a low voice.
22:40The company is about to go public
22:42and at a time like this.
22:43Before I closed the door,
22:44I said one last thing.
22:46So sign it
22:46while I'm still leaving you some room.
22:52The door closed.
22:53He stood outside for a long time before leaving.
22:56Three days later, Frank signed.
22:59Four days after the divorce,
23:01Frank and Wendy's wedding photos appeared on Instagram.
23:04Wendy was wearing a white wedding dress.
23:06Frank had his arm around her,
23:07but his expression was a bit stiff.
23:09The caption read,
23:10Ten years of waiting.
23:12Finally together,
23:13I took a screenshot,
23:14then turned off my phone.
23:16In the afternoon,
23:17attorney David Lee called.
23:18Ms. Hayes,
23:19all the materials are complete.
23:21The transfer records from the baby switch back then,
23:23his and Wendy's communication logs,
23:25plus the abuse videos and medical records,
23:27it's enough to file a case.
23:28Thank you for your hard work.
23:29Understood.
23:30He paused for a moment.
23:31But are you really not going to see him one last time?
23:33He came to the office yesterday
23:34and wanted me to pass on a message.
23:36He said he knows he was wrong.
23:37Too late.
23:38Early the next morning,
23:40the plane took off.
23:41My personal assistant came to pick me up at the airport.
23:44She said to me,
23:46Leo has been doing a bit better this week.
23:48He's starting to be willing to talk.
23:50Yesterday,
23:50he even asked when you would arrive.
23:53My heart beat faster for a few moments.
23:56The car stopped in front of a white house.
23:59In the garden,
24:00a thin little child was crouching on the ground watching ants.
24:08I walked over and crouched down in front of him.
24:11I'm your mom.
24:12He looked at me for a long time,
24:14then gave a small nod.
24:15I carefully embraced him.
24:17He didn't pull away.
24:19I'm sorry.
24:20Mommy came too late.
24:21He trembled a little in my arms.
24:23For the next two weeks,
24:24I didn't work and focused entirely on being with him.
24:27I took him to the park.
24:29The first time he rode the carousel,
24:31he gripped the railing tightly.
24:33I took him to the library
24:34and discovered he liked books about stars.
24:37At night,
24:38only after he had fallen asleep,
24:40would I dare to gently stroke his hair.
24:43He still didn't talk much,
24:45but occasionally he would smile at me.
24:48At three in the morning,
24:49the bedroom door was gently blown open a crack by the wind,
24:52and faint sobbing sounds pierced my ears like needles.
24:55I jolted awake and almost immediately guessed it was Leo.
24:58Pushing open his door,
25:00moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains,
25:02casting mottled shadows on the floor,
25:04and illuminating his small figure curled up on the bed.
25:07His hands were tightly clutching the blanket,
25:09knuckles white.
25:10His forehead was covered in cold sweat.
25:12His brows were furrowed into a deep frown.
25:14I walked over quickly,
25:16carefully sat on the edge of the bed,
25:17and gently wrapped my arms around his cold shoulders.
25:20His body stiffened for an instant,
25:21then he threw himself into my arms like a startled fawn,
25:24his crying suppressed and desperate,
25:26his tears instantly soaking my pajamas.
25:28That storage room was so dark,
25:30I called out for so long and no one answered.
25:32Rats crawled onto my feet.
25:33My heart felt like it was being repeatedly cut by a dull knife,
25:36a dense and relentless pain.
25:37Tears fell silently onto his hair.
25:39I thought of the videos Wendy had sent.
25:41Of that child locked in the dark, shivering.
25:43I thought of the old and new scars crisscrossing his body.
25:45I wished I could tear apart everyone who had hurt him.
25:52When he had cried himself tired and his breathing had gradually steadied,
25:57I picked up the small lamp by the bedside and gently lifted his sleeve.
26:01On his arm, light brown scars crawled like ugly centipedes,
26:05marks from being whipped with a clothes hanger.
26:08On his back, there was still a faint bruise,
26:11left from when he had bumped into the corner of the storage room wall as a child.
26:15I gently traced those scars with the pads of my fingers,
26:18with a touch as light as if I were afraid of shattering a treasure.
26:22Does it hurt?
26:23He shook his head, tears still clinging to his lashes.
26:26Biting his lip, he said quietly.
26:28It doesn't hurt now, it's just that sometimes I dream about it,
26:30dream that I'm locked inside again, calling for mom, but mom's not there.
26:33I'm sorry, mommy came too late.
26:35From now on, mommy will never let you suffer again.
26:38That night, I held him on the sofa and sat there until dawn.
26:40I told him about how when I was little and afraid of thunder, my dad would hold me in his
26:44arms,
26:44counting stars and singing nursery rhymes.
26:46I told him about how when I first took over the company,
26:48I was bullied by senior employees and hid in the stairwell to cry,
26:51then wiped my tears and went back to negotiate.
26:53I told him about the mischievous interns at the company
26:55who spilled coffee on important contracts and turned pale with fright.
26:58He listened very quietly,
26:59occasionally looking up at me with those eyes that looked so much like mine, and asking,
27:03Weren't you scared then, mom?
27:05I was scared.
27:05But I knew that as long as I grit my teeth and push through, things would get better.
27:09And now, I have Leo, so I can't afford to be scared even more.
27:13He nodded, half understanding, and his little hand quietly gripped my finger.
27:17A few days later, I made a point of taking Leo to the Griffith Observatory on the outskirts of the
27:23city.
27:23We took a bus through stretches of wheat fields, the wind carrying the scent of grain.
27:28Leo leaned against the window, his eyes full of wonder.
27:32When night fell, the observatory dome slowly opened,
27:34and the sky full of countless stars spread across the deep blue canopy like crushed diamonds,
27:39so dazzling one couldn't look away.
27:40The guide pointed at the constellation Orion, and told the legend of the hunter Orion.
27:44Leo's eyes shone like stars, and the corner of his mouth slowly curved into a faint smile.
27:49On the way home, the bus swayed gently.
27:51He leaned against my shoulder and said quietly,
27:53Mom, the stars so far away, but just being able to see them makes me feel at ease.
27:58I held his hand tightly, feeling the warmth of his palm.
28:01My heart filled with tenderness.
28:03I knew that the wounds buried deep in his heart wouldn't disappear completely because of one trip to the observatory,
28:08just like those old scars.
28:10No matter how much care you give them, they still leave faint marks.
28:13But as long as I stayed by his side, warming him bit by bit with love and patience,
28:17the starlight would eventually pierce through the darkness and illuminate the road ahead of him.
28:25That afternoon, we were making cookies in the kitchen when the doorbell rang.
28:29Claire went to answer the door.
28:31I heard her say,
28:32Mr. Miller?
28:33The flower sifter in my hand dropped onto the counter.
28:36He was dragging an old suitcase in his hand.
28:38Vivian, I've been searching for half a month.
28:41I wiped my hands, walked out of the kitchen, and pulled the door shut.
28:44Now you know.
28:46You can leave.
28:47He looked toward the thin little figure in the kitchen and said,
28:50I want to see the child.
28:52Our child.
28:53These days I keep dreaming.
28:55Dreaming of him when he was little.
28:57Dreaming of Wendy hitting him.
28:59I never knew.
29:00You should have known.
29:01You just chose not to.
29:02He looked at my belly and asked,
29:04Is the child still there?
29:05Of course the child is still there.
29:07The doctor says everything is fine, and the baby will be born next spring.
29:10His face darkened, and his emotions suddenly became very agitated.
29:14He charged toward me.
29:15I sidestep to dodge.
29:16He stumbled and crashed into the entryway cabinet.
29:18Vivian, I want to see my son.
29:20You can't do this.
29:22Frank, what you should be worried about right now isn't where my son is.
29:25But whether your son can be born safely.
29:29If you want your son to be born safely, deal with Wendy first.
29:33Settle the messy accounts between yourselves.
29:35After saying this, I threw him out.
29:37Now even looking at him disgusted me deeply.
29:39As I closed the door, I saw Frank collapse onto the ground,
29:42running his hands through his hair.
29:44He looked utterly pathetic.
29:46Fine, let them put on their own dog-eat-dog show.
29:52Not long after, attorney David Lee called.
29:55Miss Lynn, it got very ugly, but the situation isn't as favorable as we'd hoped.
29:58It turned out that Frank and Wendy had already divorced,
30:01and were now battling in court against each other.
30:03Wendy was shouting herself hoarse in court,
30:05exposing how Frank had used his position to transfer money to her over the years,
30:08how he had promised to divorce and marry her,
30:10and how his attitude had abruptly changed after learning I was pregnant.
30:13I gripped my phone tightly, listening to the words on the other end,
30:17but my expression remained very calm.
30:19However, Frank shifted all the blame onto Wendy,
30:22saying she coerced him into switching the babies.
30:24The trial lasted a full two days.
30:26In the end, Wendy was sentenced to three years on multiple charges,
30:30including child abduction, document forgery, and commercial fraud.
30:33Frank, on the other hand, got himself off completely clean.
30:35He wept in court, saying he was also a victim,
30:38manipulated by Wendy for ten years.
30:40That excuse sounded utterly absurd.
30:42But the jury bought it, or rather,
30:45the lawyer Frank hired was truly formidable.
30:47Before hanging up, attorney David Lee said quietly,
30:49Miss Hayes, I'm sorry, this result is far from ideal.
30:53If you're willing, we can plan the next step.
30:54It's enough.
30:55I cut him off.
30:56At least my child is back.
30:59Leo was doing his homework.
31:01I walked over and asked him,
31:03Liko, mommy made sure the bad people were punished,
31:06but maybe not heavily enough.
31:07Do you blame me?
31:08He looked up.
31:09Mom, I know very well who has been good to me and who hasn't.
31:13I covered my mouth, unable to hold back tears.
31:16He lowered his head and continued writing, adding quietly,
31:19You look really ugly when you cry.
31:21I laughed out loud,
31:22crying and laughing at the same time.
31:28These days,
31:29I had been desperately trying to make up
31:31for 10 years of lost maternal love.
31:33I transferred my company shares into his name.
31:36Though he was still young,
31:38I knew what the security meant.
31:39The school I found was the best private international program in the area.
31:43The principal looked at his previous transcripts and frowned deeply.
31:47For the past 10 years,
31:49Wendy had barely paid any attention to his studies,
31:52essentially leaving him to sink or swim on his own.
31:55His schoolwork lagged far behind that of children his age.
31:58I hired three private tutors,
32:00rotating through English,
32:02math and science.
32:03Leo worked very hard,
32:05studying late into the night every day.
32:07One morning before dawn,
32:09I brought him milk and saw him slumped over his desk asleep,
32:12still clutching a pen in his hand.
32:14I didn't wake him.
32:16I just gently draped a blanket over him.
32:19On Friday afternoon,
32:20I want to pick up Leo from school.
32:22The school gate was crowded with parents.
32:24Leo ran out carrying his new backpack,
32:26his face flushed from exercise.
32:28Mom!
32:29I passed my math quiz today!
32:31Just as I was about to take the test paper,
32:34out of the corner of my eye,
32:35I caught a figure behind the glass window of the Starbucks across the street.
32:39Frank,
32:40sitting in the corner,
32:41with dark stubble on his chin,
32:43looking very haggard,
32:45not a trace left of the confident,
32:47commanding presence he'd once had as the company's CEO.
32:50Leo followed my gaze.
32:52I took his hand and said,
32:54Come on, let's go home.
32:58Just as I turned around,
32:59hurried footsteps sounded from behind.
33:02Frank had already crossed the street and was blocking our way.
33:05Vivian, can we talk?
33:12I motioned for Leo to get in the car first,
33:14then looked at the man before me and said,
33:16There's nothing left to talk about between us.
33:18Wendy is already in prison.
33:19I've taken care of everything.
33:20I've cut ties with her completely.
33:21Frank, Wendy was sent to prison by the lawyer I hired.
33:24Does that have to do with you?
33:25Weren't you the pathetical victim crying the hardest in court?
33:28I know I was wrong, Vivian.
33:30For the sake of the child, please forgive me this once.
33:33His gaze fell on my belly.
33:35Child.
33:36Yes, our child.
33:37I slowly smoothed the wrinkles from my jacket.
33:39Oh, that.
33:39It was fake.
33:41Frank froze.
33:42His eyes widened enormously.
33:44I took a step forward so he could see my flat stomach more clearly.
33:48It's been months.
33:49If I were really pregnant, I should be showing by now, shouldn't I?
33:56His gaze lingered on my belly for a very long time.
33:59It doesn't matter.
34:01It doesn't matter even without this child.
34:03We still have Leo.
34:04We still have 10 years of feelings.
34:06Frank, stop dreaming.
34:07Wake up.
34:08He acted as if he hadn't heard me and suddenly seemed to remember something.
34:11He pulled a Tiffany blue velvet box from the briefcase he was carrying.
34:15Then came the second.
34:16The third.
34:17He placed all the boxes on the ground.
34:20The small velvet boxes lined up on the ground in a row.
34:23It was somewhat laughable.
34:24I bought one every year.
34:25I just never gave them to you.
34:26Now I'm giving them all to you, okay?
34:27Please, just give me one more chance.
34:29I crouched down and opened the nearest box.
34:31Inside was a diamond necklace.
34:32The pendant in the shape of an iris.
34:34My favorite flower.
34:35Once upon a time, I would have been ecstatic over such a gift.
34:38Now all I felt was disgust.
34:39A nauseating sensation.
34:41I stood up, put the necklace back in the box, and said,
34:43Frank, the time when I loved you most was when I would be so worried I couldn't sleep
34:46if you didn't reply to my messages.
34:48When I would make soup and bring it to the office when you worked late.
34:51When everything felt worth it the moment you said you've worked hard, honey.
34:54That time when I loved you most is long gone.
34:56To me now, these are no different than trash.
34:58He seemed to want to say something, but nothing came out.
35:01Quickly, his shoulders slumped.
35:03His whole body looked as if his spine had suddenly been ripped out.
35:06I didn't look at him again.
35:08I turned and walked toward the car.
35:09To me, none of it mattered anymore.
35:14Three years later, late autumn, Leo had grown much taller, his height reaching my shoulder.
35:21Mom, can you come to the parent-teacher conference next week?
35:23Of course.
35:24For my son's parent-teacher conference, I'd go even if the sky were falling.
35:28In these three years, Leo had become so mature and considerate it broke my heart.
35:33He would make his own pasta when I worked late, and he remembered to bring two umbrellas on rainy days.
35:38His grades had climbed from the bottom to the middle of the class, and he spoke English better than some
35:43local kids.
35:43Teachers said he had resilience.
35:45Neighbors praised him for being well-behaved.
35:47So polite.
35:48Thank you, he really is.
35:50Only I knew what lay behind this maturity.
35:52On weekend evenings, we made dumplings together.
35:55The dumplings Leo made were always excessively neat, every fold identical.
36:00Leo, in front of Mom, you don't have to be this obedient.
36:02The hand he was using to pinch the dumplings paused for a moment.
36:05I crouched down and looked into his eyes.
36:07You can throw tantrums.
36:09Be difficult.
36:10Say no like other children do.
36:11Mommy doesn't love you because you're well-behavedly.
36:13I love you simply because you're you.
36:15But, if I do something wrong, will you not want me anymore?
36:18I pulled him into my arms.
36:20Never.
36:20The most right thing I've ever done in my life was finding me.
36:23He didn't speak for a long time.
36:25Finally, he nodded gently.
36:29Leo's elementary school was holding an open house.
36:32I deliberately ended my company meeting early and drove to the school.
36:35The autumn sunshine was just right, filtering through the gaps in the leaves and spilling onto the playground.
36:40Warm and pleasant.
36:41Leo was participating in a relay race, running the last leg.
36:45His small figure was like a gust of wind, charging toward the finish line with everything he had.
36:50The moment he crossed the finish line, I couldn't help but stand up and applaud and cheer.
36:55He happened to look back right then and when he saw me, a radiant smile spread across his face.
36:59A smile so pure and bright that it made me feel all the sacrifices had been worth it.
37:04As the event was winding down and parents were leaving in twos and threes,
37:07I was holding Leo's hand, about to head to a nearby ice cream shop to make good on the promise
37:11of finish the race and you get a sundae.
37:13When a woman in a faded, cheap trench coat suddenly rushed over and blocked our path.
37:17It was Wendy.
37:18She was out of prison.
37:20Her hair was dry and brittle, hastily tied at the back of her head.
37:23Her face was sallow from prolonged malnutrition.
37:25Only her eyes, shot through with red veins and gleaming with venomous resentment, stared fixedly at me.
37:32Vivian, what gives you the right to take my son away?
37:34Her voice was shrill and grating, like fingernails scraping across glass,
37:40instantly drawing sidelong glances from many nearby parents.
37:43Some stopped in their tracks and I'd us curiously.
37:52I instinctively pulled Leo behind me, shielding him completely, and looked coldly at Wendy.
37:56Leo was never your son.
37:57You gave him nothing but abuse and neglect, not a shred of maternal love.
38:00You are not fit to be his mother.
38:02I carried him for nine months and gave birth to him!
38:04My blood runs through his veins!
38:05Wendy was so agitated she tried to lunge at me,
38:07but fortunately the school security guards arrived just in time and stopped her.
38:10She struggled, her hair coming loose, looking somewhat deranged.
38:13Or the company is gone, and now I'm not even allowed to see my own son!
38:17Leo peeked out from behind me.
38:19There wasn't a trace of fear on his small face.
38:21He looked at Wendy with eyes that were calm beyond his years.
38:24I don't have a mother like you.
38:26You hit me, locked me in a dark room, never once cooked me a meal,
38:30and never once came to pick me up from school.
38:32Mom Vivian is my real mom.
38:34She does homework with me, takes me to the park, and makes me good food.
38:38Wendy froze, as if she had never imagined that the child she had carried for nine months
38:41and given birth to would say such words to her.
38:43She stared blankly at Leo.
38:45A few seconds later, she suddenly broke down into a bitter, piercing wail.
38:48I was forced back then!
38:50Frank only cared about your money!
38:52Do you know how much pressure I was under?
38:53I had no choice but to hit him!
38:55Pressure is not an excuse for abusing a child.
38:57I took out my phone and opened a pre-safe folder.
38:59Inside were Leo's medical records from that time,
39:01photos of the scars on his body,
39:03and backup copies of the videos of Wendy abusing him.
39:05These are all evidence.
39:06If you keep immediately have my lawyer file a motion
39:08and apply for restraining order permitting you from coming within 10 meters of Leo.
39:11Just then, a familiar figure came running over in a hurry.
39:14It was Frank.
39:15He looked even more haggard than three years ago.
39:17More than half of his hair had turned gray.
39:19The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were deep enough to trap dust.
39:22He was wearing an ill-fitting jacket and looked utterly disheveled.
39:29When he saw Wendy, his brow immediately furrowed,
39:32and his tone was full of impatience.
39:34What are you doing here?
39:36Didn't I tell you to stay away from them?
39:38Frank's gaze fell on Leo,
39:40his eyes incredibly complicated.
39:42Guilt, reluctance to let go,
39:44and a hint of helplessness.
39:45Vivian, I'm sorry.
39:46He opened his mouth as if to say something,
39:48but in the end only turned to me and said quietly,
39:51I didn't speak.
39:52I just watched him coldly.
39:54This man, who back then,
39:55for personal gain and selfish desires,
39:57switched his own biological son.
39:59Leaving Leo to suffer for 10 years,
40:01and then after the truth came out,
40:03shifted all the blame onto Wendy
40:04and got himself off scot-free.
40:05Now his repentance and apology
40:07were worth absolutely nothing in my eyes.
40:09Mom, let's go.
40:10I don't want to see them.
40:11I crouched down and smoothed his windmessed hair
40:14from his forehead,
40:15my voice gentle.
40:16All right.
40:16Let's go have that sundae.
40:18I took Leo's hand and turned to leave,
40:21not sparing a single glance back at Wendy and Frank behind us.
40:24From behind us came the sound of Wendy's wailing
40:27and Frank's attempts to calm her,
40:28along with the murmuring of the surrounding parents.
40:31But all of that no longer had anything to do with us.
40:34Leo held my hand tightly,
40:36his step steady,
40:38not looking back.
40:39That afternoon,
40:40I took Leo to eat his favorite chocolate sundae.
40:42He got it all over his face,
40:43like a little kitten.
40:44I took out a tissue
40:45and gently wiped the ice cream
40:47from the corners of his mouth.
40:48Mom,
40:48the sundae is really sweet.
40:51Every day from now on can be this sweet.
40:53I looked into his bright eyes,
40:55my heart completely clear and at peace.
40:57The dust of the past
40:58might occasionally be stirred up by the wind,
40:59but as long as Leo and I were together,
41:01walking forward side by side,
41:03we would surely move toward a brighter, warmer future.
41:06Those who had hurt us
41:07would ultimately be left behind in the dust,
41:09never able to affect our lives again.
41:13The late autumn rain came without warning.
41:16At dismissal time,
41:17heavy raindrops pelted noisily against the ground,
41:19and the school gate was crowded with parents
41:21picking up their children.
41:22Holding an umbrella,
41:23I stood under the old oak tree we had agreed on
41:25and saw from a distance Leo walking out with his backpack,
41:28side by side with a classmate,
41:29a faint smile on his small face.
41:31This was the first time he had voluntarily
41:32walked out of school with a classmate.
41:34Just then,
41:35a woman in a red raincoat suddenly rushed over,
41:37grabbed Leo's arm,
41:38and said in a sharp voice,
41:40Leo, come with me!
41:41Your mother is suffering in there!
41:42How can you be here living the good life?
41:43Who are you?
41:44I don't know you!
41:45I'm your aunt!
41:46That woman, Vivian, is a liar!
41:47She snatched you away from your real mother!
41:49You can be dumb and bum!
41:50With me, I'll take you to see your mom!
41:51The surrounding parents turned to look.
41:53A few kind-hearted people
41:55wanted to step forward
41:56and ask what was going on,
41:57but were forced back
41:58by Kelly's fierce glare.
42:00Leo's classmate was so frightened,
42:02he stood rooted to the spot,
42:04not knowing what to do.
42:09My heart clenched.
42:10I rushed over quickly,
42:12pried Kelly's hand off with one motion,
42:14and shielded Leo behind me,
42:15my voice cold as ice.
42:17Let go of him!
42:18You have no right to touch my child!
42:21Kelly stumbled a step.
42:23After studying herself,
42:24she looked me up and down,
42:26her eyes full of jealousy and venom.
42:28Thief, you stole my sister's man,
42:30stole her money,
42:31and now you've stolen her child!
42:32How can you live with yourself?
42:34Conscience?
42:35I gave a cold laugh.
42:36The videos of your sister
42:37abusing Leo back then,
42:38the transfer records
42:39her and Frank conspying
42:40to switch the babies,
42:41and the proof that you,
42:41who as in the know,
42:42accepted benefits from Frank,
42:43I have all of it right here.
42:44Tell me,
42:45if this really went to the police station,
42:47whose conscience would be the one
42:47that come and hold up?
42:49The murmuring around us
42:50grew louder and louder.
42:52Some parents took out their phones
42:53and started recording video,
42:54and someone had already quietly
42:56contacted the school security guards.
42:58Kelly's face blushed red
42:59and then turned pale.
43:00Looking at the crowd
43:01that had gathered,
43:01a hint of panic
43:02crept into her eyes.
43:08She was still putting up
43:09a brave front,
43:10but had unconsciously
43:11taken a step back.
43:12I just want the child
43:13to know his real family.
43:15Leo suddenly stepped out
43:16from behind me,
43:17his small body standing
43:18very straight,
43:18his eyes steady
43:19as he looked at Kelly.
43:20Know his real family?
43:21I don't have an aunt like you,
43:22and I don't have a mother like that.
43:23Mom, Vivian's my real mom.
43:24She doesn't hit me,
43:25doesn't lock me up,
43:26cheats with meals,
43:26take me to school,
43:27and protects me.
43:27Go away,
43:28I don't want to see you
43:29ever again.
43:30Kelly stood stunned,
43:31looking at the clear
43:31yet distant expression
43:32in Leo's eyes.
43:33She opened her mouth
43:34but couldn't say a single word.
43:35At that moment,
43:36the school security guards
43:37and the homeroom teacher
43:38hurried over.
43:39Seeing the scene,
43:40the homeroom teacher
43:40immediately stepped in front of us.
43:42I must ask you
43:43to leave the school
43:43entrance immediately
43:44or we will call the police.
43:45Kelly saw more and more
43:46people gathering around
43:47and knew that continuing
43:47to make a scene
43:48wouldn't end well for her.
43:49She shot me a vicious glare,
43:51muttered,
43:51just you wait,
43:52turned and rushed
43:53into the rain,
43:54quickly disappearing
43:54around the street corner.
43:55The rain was still falling.
43:57A few strands of Leo's hair
43:58were damp from the splashing rainwater,
44:00plastered against his forehead.
44:01Did that scare you?
44:02Mom,
44:02I'm not scared
44:03because I knew you
44:04would come to save me.
44:06Silly child,
44:07mommy will always be
44:07by your side.
44:08No matter what happens,
44:09I won't let anyone hurt you.
44:11Mrs. Hayes,
44:12I really didn't expect
44:13something like this to happen.
44:14Leo has had quite a fright today.
44:16Would you like to take him
44:17to the office first
44:17for some hot cocoa?
44:18Thank you, Mrs. Wong.
44:20I nodded and,
44:20holding Leo's hand,
44:21walked into the school building.
44:25In the office,
44:26the warmth of the hot cocoa
44:28traveled through the cup
44:29to his palms.
44:30Leo held the cup
44:30and said quietly,
44:31Mom,
44:32was what that aunt said true?
44:34Was I really born from Wendy?
44:36I crouched down,
44:37looked into his eyes
44:38and said,
44:39Seriously,
44:40Leo,
44:40you are mom's biological son.
44:42As for who gave birth to you,
44:43that's not what's important.
44:45What's important is
44:46who raised you with love,
44:47who's willing to go
44:47to any lengths to protect you.
44:48In mom's heart,
44:49you are my treasure,
44:50the person I most want
44:51to protect in this lifetime.
44:52He blinked,
44:53his eyes reddening a little,
44:55but he nodded firmly.
44:56I understand, mom.
44:57I only recognize you as my mom.
44:59That night,
45:00for the first time,
45:01Leo voluntarily told me
45:02about how Wendy
45:03would occasionally
45:03bring Kelly to the house.
45:05Aunt Kelly always cursed at me
45:06for being stupid,
45:07said I wasn't as well behaved
45:08as Ethan,
45:09and would secretly take my things.
45:11Back then I used to thought,
45:12if only I had a mom
45:13who truly loved me.
45:14I pulled him into my arms
45:15and gently patted his back.
45:17That will never happen again.
45:18Mommy will give you all her love
45:20and make sure you're happy
45:21every single day.
45:22The rain outside the window
45:23gradually stopped
45:24and moonlight filtered
45:25through the clouds,
45:26illuminating a corner of the room.
45:29I met Daniel at a community book club.
45:32I had accompanied Leo
45:33to borrow books
45:34and was drawn in
45:35by a sharing session
45:36on women's autobiographies.
45:37Daniel was the host
45:39in his early 40s
45:40and spoke with a gentle
45:41yet compelling voice.
45:43After the session ended,
45:44he stopped me at the door
45:45and said,
45:45Your perspective just now
45:46was very unique.
45:47Could I get to know you?
45:48That was how
45:49our conversation began.
45:51Daniel was a locally born
45:52Chinese American,
45:54his family originally
45:55from San Francisco.
45:56Leo, divorced for five years,
45:58his daughter lived
45:59with her mother.
46:00He was a middle school
46:01history teacher
46:02and volunteered
46:03at the community center
46:04in his spare time.
46:05For our first official date,
46:07we went to the
46:07California Science Center
46:09and of course
46:10Leo came along too.
46:12Daniel didn't try too hard
46:14to win the child over.
46:15In the space exhibition area,
46:17he naturally started
46:18talking about the Apollo program.
46:20You know why astronauts
46:21bring a knife to space?
46:22Leo shook his head.
46:23To fix equipment,
46:24the most dangerous thing
46:26in space is a loose screw.
46:28Leo's laugh was very relaxed.
46:36Another spring had passed
46:38when Daniel came over
46:39for dinner at our home.
46:40After the meal,
46:41Leo did his homework
46:42and Daniel and I
46:43had tea on the patio.
46:45The night was cool.
46:46He draped his jacket
46:48over my shoulders.
46:50Leo has made
46:50some new friends recently.
46:52I saw him playing basketball
46:53with classmates.
46:54I was a bit surprised.
46:56The child had always
46:57been alone before.
46:58Children need time
46:59and so do you.
47:01He paused for a moment.
47:03That night,
47:04I told him about
47:04what happened 10 years ago.
47:06Daniel listened quietly.
47:08Only after I had finished
47:09did he gently take my hand.
47:10Walking through all of that alone,
47:12it must have been so hard.
47:13Those words made my eyes redden.
47:15So what I had needed
47:16was someone to see
47:17the weight behind the strength.
47:19Mom, if you like Uncle Daniel,
47:21you can be with him.
47:22When he said this,
47:23Leo was assembling
47:24a model airplane.
47:25Why are you suddenly saying this?
47:27I stared at him stunned.
47:28Because when you look at him,
47:29you smile,
47:30a real smile,
47:31not the fake kind.
47:32I sat down beside him.
47:33And what do you think about it?
47:35I hope someone loves you
47:36the way you love me.
47:37You deserve that.
47:39I hugged him.
47:40He had grown up
47:41without my noticing.
47:42Falling in love with Daniel
47:43was different from how it was
47:45when I was 20.
47:46No wild passion,
47:46no anxiety.
47:47It was a steady kind of intimacy.
47:49After dinner,
47:50we would take walks together.
47:51Listening to me talk about
47:52the trivial things at work
47:53and things about Leo's school,
47:54even the sale items at Whole Foods.
47:56Leo gradually accepted this rhythm.
47:58One day when I came home
47:59from working late,
48:00I saw them playing chess
48:01in the living room
48:02and soup was simmering
48:03in the kitchen,
48:04the aroma filling the house.
48:05In that moment,
48:06I realized that the happiness
48:07I'd thought was out of reach
48:08had long since landed gently
48:10in the palm of my hand.
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