I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 191

The sound of a child crying drifted from the play area. Sophie Sullivan and Gavin Gilmore immediately stood up and walked over.

A mother was urging her son to leave. After several failed attempts, she lost her temper and swatted the little boy hard on the back.

"How many times do I have to call you? Are you deaf? Do that again, and I'm never bringing you out to play!"

As the woman spoke, she yanked the boy's ear, clearly furious.

The little boy trailed after his mother, sobbing.

Mia Jenkins was obviously frightened. She voluntarily stepped out of the play area, staring blankly at the departing mother and son, and asked Sophie, "Is that woman his stepmom?"

Sophie bent down, trying to comfort her. "What makes you say that? That mom might just be in a bad mood. Adults occasionally lose control of their emotions too."

"Snow White's stepmom was super evil and gave her a poisoned apple. Cinderella's stepmom wouldn't buy her new clothes and made her do so many chores every day."

Mia pouted, a look of distress on her face that was far too heavy for her age.

For a moment, Sophie didn't know how to argue with that.

The stepmothers in fairy tales were always wicked, leaving many little girls who grew up reading them with a deep-seated fear. She had felt the exact same way once.

It wasn't until she grew up and witnessed the harsh realities of the world that she realized there were toxic biological mothers and incredibly kind stepmothers. Human nature was complex; it could never be summarized by a single label.

Sophie led Mia back to their seats and asked her softly, "Did someone say something to you?"

Mia lowered her head. After a long while, she looked up at Sophie and said hesitantly, "My mom said that if my dad marries Gwen, she'll be my stepmom. Then they'll have a new baby together, and she'll hate me and abuse me."

"That's not true. If Gwen marries your dad, it just means you'll have one more person to love you. Gwen loves your dad, and she loves you too. She'll care for you alongside him. Even if they have a new baby, you'll always be their precious darling."

"But, my mom said..." Mia didn't know how to finish. She tapped her index fingers together, looking down with a pitiful expression.

"Mia, you've seen for yourself how Gwen has treated you all this time. Has your dad treated you any worse since he started dating her? You can feel the truth, can't you? Right now, Gwen's father is sick. Your dad went with her because he was worried she couldn't handle it alone, not because he was trying to ignore you."

Mia nodded, half-understanding, and leaned into Sophie's embrace.

"Mia, adults don't always tell the truth. You can't just listen to what others say about whether someone truly cares for you; you have to feel it with your own heart. Someone who genuinely loves you might not say it all the time, but they'll do plenty of things that are good for you."

Sophie was a hair's breadth away from adding, *"Think about what your mother has actually done for you. If she truly cared, she'd be here taking care of you instead of driving a wedge between you and your father."*

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