Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 439

Because of this, Hayden spent most of his time happily secluded in his playpen, strictly refusing entry to anyone. It was only in the evenings, after his parents had been at work all day, that he would finally grant them permission to enter his domain.

The moment Bonnie stepped over the barrier, Hayden would look up at her with those massive, soulful eyes, waddle over, and hand her his absolute favorite toy. When Lawrence walked through the door, Hayden would dig through his mountain of blocks, select another prized possession, and yell, "Dad!"

He was always perfectly fair.

The three of them would play on the floor until dinner was ready. Afterward, they'd take Hayden for a walk, give him a warm, bubbly bath, and then he would starfish in his crib, dead to the world until morning.

He was an incredibly easy child to raise.

And importantly, he never ruined his parents' evening activities.

On weekends, Bonnie and Lawrence loved taking Hayden out, often meeting up with Helen, Ned, and their son, Leo Sutton. The two boys were close in age and got along well.

Leo was almost three now, a mischievous little terror who flashed his tiny canine teeth whenever he smiled. He idolized Hayden and took his role as the older brother very seriously.

He particularly loved trying to teach Hayden how to talk. But Hayden was aloof. With a chubby face that practically screamed *'You do you, I'm busy,'* he blatantly ignored all of Leo's frantic coaching, refusing to utter a single word.

Leo, being a toddler, didn't understand the concept of introversion. After a solid twenty minutes of being ignored, he put his hands on his hips and declared that Hayden was stupid.

Even June the dog barked back when you talked to him! Why wouldn't his little brother say anything?

The adults had burst into laughter at the time.

It was a trivial childhood interaction, one Bonnie completely forgot about the moment they got home. After showering, she curled up on the sofa with Lawrence to watch a movie while Hayden played quietly in his pen.

Perhaps spurred on by Leo calling him stupid earlier, Hayden actually cooperated this time. Lying on his stomach, he repeated every single sentence his dad read to him.

It was painfully obvious that Hayden's speech was perfectly clear; he absorbed information like a sponge—he just genuinely hated small talk.

Overcome with overwhelming fatherly pride, Lawrence showered his son with extravagant praise. Hayden remained completely unfazed, blinking his clear, innocent eyes, engaging in a silent staring contest with his dad, giving absolutely no indication of whether he cared about the compliments or not.

Bonnie sat on the sofa, a soft smile playing on her lips as she watched them. Her favorite movie was playing on the screen, her deeply devoted husband was on the floor, and her brilliant son was safe in his home.

If the phrase 'picture-perfect life' had a physical manifestation, she was looking right at it.

She only wished time would slow down. Just a little bit.