"Oh, okay, no worries," Grace agreed instantly. "Just focus on what you have to do. Maria is really well-behaved. I can take care of her for you."
"Thank you," Maria's mother sounded like she was close to choking up, but she quickly regulated her emotions which showed that she was a strong woman. "My daughter might not take it very well as she's very sensitive. She's never really been separated from me throughout these years until I returned to the country recently for work. She probably hasn't gotten used to the new environment, so I'm worried she'll cry at night later."
"Oh, it's okay," Grace said. "I will help you to calm her, don't worry about it. Rest assured that my two sons will help to take care of her as well. If you're still worried, feel free to call me anytime."
"No, there's nothing to worry about," Maria's mother said. "My name is Yvonne Attwood, so I'll count on you to take care of Maria."
"Okay, sure," Grace agreed immediately.
"Is she doing okay now?" Yvonne still sounded concerned after all, which was a normal occurrence for mothers, where they would say that they're relieved just to end up remaining worried.
"She's doing fine. She's currently eating now," Grace answered. "I'm not sure what the children are talking about now, though, but they're all happily enjoying themselves. I'll send you some photos soon so you can feel less worried about her."
"Thank you.” Yvonne was close to choking again. "Maria has never slept on her own before. I'm afraid that she won't dare to sleep on her own."
"No worries. I'll stay with her," Grace volunteered. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her as if I was taking care of my own daughter."
She understood what it felt like to be a single mother as she had been through the same thing in the past. There were times when she really couldn't handle it without Alice's help, so she understood that Yvonne probably encountered something difficult and couldn't disengage herself from it.
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Jones. I really don't know how I can express my gratitude towards you. Again, thank you. I won't be picking up Maria tonight then. Please inform her that I'll be sure to visit her at the kindergarten tomorrow morning."
"Okay, no problem. Please rest assured," Grace responded. "Grace Smith, by the way."
"You are such a good person," Yvonne said gently.
"Thank you," Grace felt shy and said. "So I guess that's it for now. I'll send you some photos soon."
"Okay, you can add me on WhatsApp."
"Alright."
Grace had a lot of questions in her mind, but there was only so much that she could have said, "If you need any help from us, feel free to call me if we can help in any way at all."
"Thank you, it's more than enough for you to help me look after my child for the night. I'm sorry but I have to go now." Yvonne quickly hung up the phone.
Grace heard her suddenly hang up her phone. It seemed like something urgent had occurred already.
Heinz looked at her in a seemingly helpless manner as he smiled. "Are you secretly treating Maria's mother as your cousin's girlfriend?"
"Partially, I guess." She continued, "Even if she wasn't, I will always do my best if someone ever requested my help."
He gazed at her, "Is it because you understand what's it like in her shoes?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Indeed, we've both been through lives as single mothers. I understand how tough it can get to work and take care of a child at the same time. If it wasn't for Alice, I really wouldn't have been able to persevere through."
Heinz hugged her and apologized, "Sorry, it's my bad."
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