"Does Mommy love you? No, I don't think so," Charles replied coldly.
"Daddy... Are you mad at Mommy?" Nadia would be upset to see Charles and Nancy quarrel and ignore each other.
So she asked him in a soft voice.
She stared at Charles, keeping the tears from strolling down her face.
Charles didn't like seeing her that way. He felt sorry for her.
He picked up Nadia and said, "Let's go home, kids."
When they reached home, Nancy was already cooking dinner.
Charles didn't speak a word. He quietly took out the ointment and applied some to Bobby.
Meanwhile, Nancy cooked noodles with onion.
"If you are already hungry, you can start eating." She looked at Bobby and asked, "Does it still hurt?"
"Don't worry, mommy, it doesn't hurt anymore," Bobby reassured his mother.
Nancy sighed.
"What's with the sigh? The truth is, deep within your heart, you don't really care about me and the kids!" Charles accused her angrily.
'What are you thinking about?" Nancy couldn't understand why he was shouting in rage.
Wasn't she the one who had the right to be angry?
"Daddy, mommy, it hurts!" Bobby shouted not because he was in pain, but so he could prevent Charles and Nancy from arguing again.
Indeed, it worked. "Oh, Bobby! Tell mommy, where does it hurt?" Nancy immediately shifted her attention to their son. She leaned over and placed her hand on Bobby's forehead.
"Here and here..." Bobby pointed at his forehead, arms and cheeks.
Charles and Nancy attended to Bobby with utmost concern and urgency.
Applying ointment, rubbing, massaging, and so on...
"Let me do it. You can go ahead and eat." Perhaps Charles was wondering if he said something wrong or he noticed that Nancy was so busy that she couldn't even wipe off the beads of sweat on her forehead.
"No, I'm not hungry yet. You go eat first," replied Nancy.
"Daddy and Mommy, you can both have dinner now. It doesn't hurt anymore!" Bobby told them with an ingenious smile.
"How about you? Could you eat even just a little?" Nancy asked her son.
"Yes, I want to eat, mommy," Bobby agreed.
"Come here. Mommy will help you eat," said Nancy, taking the bowl with Bobby's food.
"Daddy, mommy, I'll do it! Let me feed Bobby." Nadia patted her belly and said, "I'm already full anyway."
"I agree with Nadia, mommy and daddy. I also want her to feed me," Bobby echoed.
"Well, I don't see any problem with that," Charles concurred, passing the bowl to Nadia.
It was a quiet dinner. Charles and Nancy ate with ease.
Neither of them said a word. Aside from the occasional chatter and giggles of Bobby and Nadia, the atmosphere was awkward and unsettling.
After dinner, Nancy washed the children's clothes.
She thought that the children had already fallen asleep, but they were not. As she passed by their bedroom door, she saw Bobby and Nadia leaning against Charles. He was reading a fairy tale book to the two children.
The view warmed Nadia's heart. She gazed at Charles with admiration.
Bobby raised questions and commented every now and then, and Charles always responded.
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