Arissa was not sure what he was talking about. “Boss?”
Tim nodded. “Quick, call him back; otherwise, your boss will be mad at you!”
Arissa glanced at him before taking over the phone.
Arissa could not help but chuckle after seeing the name on the phone.
She then pulled Tim over to the bed, carried him in her arms, and explained in a serious voice, “This boss is your Daddy, so don't worry!”
Tim froze for a moment. What? Mr. Graham?
Arissa grinned and explained further, “I work in your Daddy's company, so technically, he's my boss too.”
Tim nodded in response.
“Come, sweetheart. It's time to sleep!'
After getting the boy to lie in bed, she lay beside him and tucked him in.
Tim snuck a glance at her, wanting to remind her to call back. But before he could open his mouth, Arissa's phone rang. It was a call from Benjamin.
Arissa answered the call and put it in speaker mode.
“What?”
“Why didn't you pick up my call earlier?” the man questioned her.
Arissa rolled her eyes. “I was in the washroom and left my phone elsewhere. What do you want?”
Benjamin kept mum for a moment before continuing, “Is Tim asleep?”
“He's about to sleep soon.”
Arissa turned around to look at Tim, whose eyes were still wide open and smiled at him.
“How about Gavin and the rest?”
“They just fell asleep!”
Benjamin responded with a gentle grunt. “All right. You should sleep early too. Shaun will take care of Mary.”
“Oh. You have a good rest too. Bye.” Arissa then ended the call without hesitation.
Benjamin knitted his brows and was bewildered by her response. Why is she so eager to end the call?
Arissa put away her phone and started coaxing Tim to sleep. “Would you like to listen to a bedtime story?”
Tim looked at her and shook his head. “It's all right, Ms. York. You should sleep early too!”
The little guy then shut his eyes.
Arissa could not help but sigh in secret. How she wished she could make up to Tim by showering him with motherly love, but it seemed he was trying to maintain a distance from him.
She was unsure if Tim did this because he was uncomfortable having a family member around him or if he still bore a grudge against her.
Arissa gently stroked his cheek, leaned forward and gave him a peck on his forehead.
Unlike the other children, Tim gave out a more down-to-earth vibe.
Once again, Arissa leaned forth and kissed him on his cheek.
She then refrained from doing it again when she realized how stiff the boy's body was.
“Sleep tight, Sweetheart.” She gently patted Tim's back and coaxed him. Minutes later, she fell into a deep slumber.
Yet, the boy was still awake.
Tim felt a little uneasy as he was not used to being embraced in such a manner.
He opened his eyes to check on Arissa. When he realized she had fallen asleep, he mustered up the courage to study her face closely.
Upon noticing how tired she was, Tim pressed his lips.
Ms. York must be exhausted since she woke up at four o'clock in the morning.
He felt like stroking Arissa's face but was afraid of waking her up. He then retracted his hands and decided to let her rest.
Tim blushed in an instant when he took a whiff of Arissa's fragrance.
That's what a Mommy's hug feels like. It's so nice and warm!
Tim looked at Arissa, and his lips curled into a smile.
Tim gradually fell asleep as he listened to Arissa's steady breathing.
Meanwhile, Arissa had a nightmare. She dreamt that Tim held grudges against her and refused to return home with her.
“I'm sorry, Sweetheart. It's all Mommy's fault. You had a rough childhood all because of me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry-”
Arissa burst into tears as she was overwhelmed with guilt.
Tim up woke up from his sleep when he heard her cry.
“I'm sorry, Tim. Please forgive Mommy. Please forgive Mommy-” Tears rolled down Arissa's cheeks. She hugged the little boy even more tightly because she was afraid he might run away.
Tim's heart skipped a beat when he heard she was calling his name in her dream.
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