From the very first moment Everett laid eyes on Abigail, she stood out to him like a beacon in the night, and he felt an inexplicable pull towards her.
He had thought it was merely because her eyes reminded him of Dorothy. But as fate would have its twisted dance, it turned out that Abigail was his own flesh and blood.
"Yes, she's our daughter," Dorothy said, sensing the storm of emotions within him and taking his hand in comfort. "Come on, they're all waiting for us."
Everett's gaze rested on the little girl's face, and he nodded slightly.
"Alright."
"Mommy! Mommy, I'm over here!"
Spotting Dorothy, Abigail waved her small arms frantically.
Upon seeing the man next to her mother, Abigail's face fell into a pout.
"Aren't you that... that man?"
The man who took the money from her and didn't bring back any candy!
Langston, ever the unflappable brother, tugged at his sister's sleeve, "He's Dad." Langston knew his sister was stubborn and decided to let it be.
As Dorothy and Everett approached, Karen greeted them with a smile, "Tired, Dorothy? Did you catch some sleep on the flight?"
"I did, slept the whole way," Dorothy replied with a smile, bending down to embrace her children.
But as she did, pain flashed across her face, and she winced.
Everett quickly took Abigail into his arms, saving Dorothy from the discomfort.
Abigail's big eyes sparkled, "Sir, where's my five dollars?"
Everett had prepared for this moment. He pulled out a hundred-dollar note from his pocket, "Here you go, repaid in full."
He had made sure to have it ready first thing in the morning.
But to his surprise, Abigail pushed the note back, "I don't need that much, just five dollars! Mommy won't let me spend a hundred!"
Everyone couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.
Dorothy sighed with fond exasperation, "If I give you a hundred, you'd spend it all on candy. What about your teeth then?"
Jeffrey had been holding Langston the whole time. Watching the playful banter, his grievances seemed to melt away.
"Why don't we head to the car? Find a place to eat and chat, the airport's no place to linger."
Dorothy nodded, "Sounds good."
With everyone's agreement, Jeffrey, still holding Langston, turned to leave. Everett stepped forward, but noticed Dorothy lagging behind, who was pulled aside by Karen.
"You guys go ahead to eat, I'll pass," Karen said, her mood soured by the thought of having to buy a new phone thanks to Jeffrey. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...
"What's wrong?"
"I don't want to see Jeffrey. He's a piece of work." Karen was clearly not looking forward to dealing with him again.
Dorothy glanced at Jeffrey and asked with concern, "What did he do to you this time?"
"Don't get me started. I don't even want to talk about him!"
Karen rolled her eyes dismissively.
"Karen, Everett and I just got here. Let's have a meal together. If you leave midway, it'll be awkward for me to explain. Can you endure it for a while? What do you say?"
With Dorothy putting it that way, Karen relented with a nod, "Alright."
"Don't worry, I'm here for you. If Jeffrey steps out of line, I've got your back."
Karen opened her mouth as if to reveal the incident with her phone, but then closed it, choosing to keep the peace.
After all, today was a day of reunion and joy, and she didn't want to be the one to spoil it.