The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Zachary's naive yet blunt words pierced my heart like a needle.

In his moment of illness and vulnerability, he was still thinking of the woman who had caused him to become sick.

I looked down at him.

He was clearly exhausted after his stomachache, as he had fallen asleep again after saying that.

Steven must have heard Zachary's words, too. He took my hand. "Honey."

I felt no inclination to respond. I instinctively wanted to pull away.

However, Steven tightened his grip, not allowing me to withdraw. "Today was just an accident. Mom acted without consulting us, and Zachary was sick. He didn't mean what he said."

"I can understand him," I replied, holding Zachary as I started to walk toward the exit. "He likes Jessica now. Of course, he's going to think she's wonderful."

After a pause, I continued, "Since I banned him from contacting her, his resistance will be strong at first. But Zachary isn't a bad kid. I'll guide him back to understanding who truly cares for him. "But I hope you can keep your word. I can overlook today's incident as a mistake, but I don't want there to be a next time."

As I spoke, I stopped.

Fearing I would tire myself, Steven took Zachary from my arms. "I promise that I'll do better, honey."

I looked at the sleeping child in Steven's arms and fell silent.

...

Steven parked the car when we arrived home. Seeing Zachary peacefully asleep, I didn't want to wake him up.

Just as I was about to carry him inside, Steven was already standing by the passenger door. His voice was soft as he said, "I'll do it."

Then, he effortlessly lifted Zachary with one hand while extending the other toward me.

Taken aback, I looked up.

The streetlight illuminated him, casting a warm glow over his tall frame and handsome features, making him seem almost like a celestial being. "Let's go home, Mrs. Pelham," he said gently.

I sighed inwardly before taking his hand and stepping out of the car. "Let's go."

Inside, Steven gently placed Zachary in his bed.

At the same time, I took a small basin of warm water to his room. Steven helped by removing Zachary's clothes and wringing out a washcloth to bathe him.

Zachary slept soundly. He didn't wake up even as I finished drying him off and dressed him in his pajamas. He would grunt occasionally, expressing his discomfort, but it didn't disturb his slumber.

Upon seeing that, Steven simply smiled indulgently. He tossed the towel into the basin and left the room with the basin in hand.

Meanwhile, I remained seated at the edge of the bed, watching Zachary.

His attitude toward me had worsened recently. Whenever we spoke, he grew impatient and lashed out before I could even respond calmly. The only times we seemed to coexist peacefully were when he was asleep. "Honey." Steven approached and bent down to scoop me into his arms.

I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck and stared at his profile with curiosity. "Yeah?"

He turned off the light with his elbow and closed Zachary's bedroom door. "Do you remember what we said before heading to the hospital?" he asked.

I had forgotten about what happened before going to the hospital. But I remembered everything once we were there.

The moment I held Zachary, I seriously considered whether I should divorce Steven. But then, I thought about how Jessica was already causing trouble for Zachary even before Steven and I had divorced. What would happen after the divorce? Would Zachary still have a good life?

I realized I couldn't let our family fall apart for Zachary's sake.

Throughout the night, my mind raced with these thoughts. I struggled to remember what had happened before going to the hospital. "Could you remind me?"

"You really are a bit forgetful." Steven closed the bedroom door. He cradled my face and brushed his lips against mine softly.

"Honey..." His lowered voice carried a tone of intimacy that heightened the night's stillness.

Steven chuckled softly. His tone was playful as he asked, "Have you remembered yet?"

He seemed to want to tease me, but I wasn't about to let him win. "Hmm... I still can't remember."

In Steven's eyes, my reflection shimmered.

My long hair spilled like a waterfall over the white sheets. My cheeks, flushed from our kiss, glowed with a vibrant charm. Steven swallowed hard. "Then, I guess I'll just have to help you remember."

...

The emotional toll of the day, compounded by exhaustion that night, weighed heavily on me.

But Zachary had just been admitted to the hospital due to stomach issues. He obviously needed careful attention.

I forced myself to rise early and prepare breakfast for them.

Zachary could only have oatmeal to soothe his stomach, so I specifically used a pot to make the oatmeal softer and more mushy. I started by boiling water on high heat, then switched to low to let it simmer. Glancing at the clock, I noted that it was still early-only a little past 5:00 am. I decided to head to the nearby vegetable market to buy some greens and meat.

Once home, I quickly cleaned and chopped everything. I only started cooking when it was around Zachary's wake-up time.

There were two dishes-one was sautéed vegetables, and the other was chicken soup.

After finishing both dishes, I was about to call them out for breakfast when I heard the sound of little feet pattering. Suddenly, Zachary came running up to me.

He puffed out his cheeks in dissatisfaction. "I told you! I don't want to come home these few days! I want to stay at Grandma's!"

Glaring at me, he continued, "Even though I was hospitalized, you should have taken me back to Grandma's after I was discharged!"Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Zachary still thought I was unaware of the situation. He believed that as long as he used Chloe as an excuse, he could continue meeting Jessica.

But I confronted him. "You want to go to Grandma's and then have her send you to Jessica's, right?"

Zachary froze at once. He was just a child, unaccustomed to navigating such complexities, so he didn't know how to respond.

"Zachary, from today on, I won't be sending you to Grandma's anymore."

He instinctively retorted, "Why not?"

I stood firm. "Because I'm your mother!"

"I don't want you as my mom anymore!" Zachary cried. "I want to go to Ms. Jessie's! I want her to be my mom!"

He was my child, born after ten months of pregnancy and raised through sleepless nights and countless sacrifices. Yet, he was rejecting me for a woman who had spoiled him and caused his illness. The pain in my heart was excruciating.

Zachary's eyes brimmed with tears. His cries alone couldn't express his frustration any longer. After glancing around, he picked up the cup of water from the table and smashed it down hard onto the floor. The glass shattered with a loud crash, and water spilled everywhere.

My limbs went cold. He hadn't just shattered a cup. He had broken my heart. I couldn't comprehend how he could inflict such hurt on me for someone he barely knew.

Feeling unsatisfied, Zachary went on to break everything else within reach.

When Steven stepped out and saw the messy living room and Zachary throwing things, he couldn't help but frown. "What are you doing, Zachary?"

Hearing Steven's voice, Zachary halted his cries and ran to Steven. "Daddy, don't you love Ms. Jessie? Please divorce Mommy and marry her! I want Ms. Jessie to be my mom. I want us to be a family! I want to live with Ms. Jessie!"