Chapter 45
Chapter 45
“Okay,” Trisha nodded obediently.
They had barely left when Ernest and his group showed up at the school gate.
Sylvia smiled and asked, “Irene, are you hungry? Want to grab a bite before heading home?”
“Will you join us too, Ms. Jansen?” Irene looked up at her, cyes full of hope.
“Of course,” Sylvia nodded happily. “I’ll stay and finish the meal with you before heading home.”
After everything that had just happened, especially with Ernest acting all strange, Sylvia couldn’t shake off this sense of
urgency.
She decided to take every chance to spend more time with them and build a closer relationship before anything was finalized. She didn’t want to be caught off guard.
“Yay!” Irene cheered, pointing happily in one direction. “Ms. Jansen, Dad, can we eat over there? Lucy’s parents take her there the other day, and she said their ice cream is the best.”
“Do you like it?” Stella asked.
“It’s too cold. I don’t like it,” Trisha said, scrunching up her little face as she pushed the ice cream away.
Stella was taken aback. She honestly thought all kids went crazy for ice cream-just look at Irene, she couldn’t get enough of the stuff. But Trisha not liking it was unusual.
Kristy smiled and explained, “Ever since she was little, Trisha has never liked cold things. Even her drinks never have ice.”
“That’s a really good habit,” Stella agreed, gently squeezed Trisha’s cheek. “Keep it up, Trisha.”
“Okay.” Trisha nodded eagerly.
“Stella, don’t just fuss over her. Make sure you eat too,” Kristy called out with a smile.
“Okay,” Stella replied. Just as Stella was about to dig in, a familiar voice rang out nearby.
“Dad, Ms. Jansen, I want two ice creams,” Irene called out, bouncing with excitement.
Sylvia smiled fondly, holding Irene’s hand. “Of course, you’ve been such a champ today. Have as many as you want.”
Ernest, sitting nearby, remained unfazed, but Stella couldn’t sit still. Irene’s stomach was fragile, and she had ended up in the hospital several times from eating too much ice cream.
To break her habit of eating ice cream every day, Stella had tried everything, making all sorts of desserts, just to barely get her to accept it.
“Irene’s stomach is pretty fragile. It’s best if she doesn’t have too much ice cream,” Stella chimed in. Her suddenly dropping that advice kind of shattered that warm, happy vibe.
Everyone turned to find Stella sitting just a couple tables over, her voice gentle but carrying weight. “Irene has ended up in the hospital a few times because of this. The doctor recommended she avoid too much cold food.”
1/3
Honestly, Stella could’ve kept quiet and let them pass without a word. But as a mother, she couldn’t turn a blind eye. Even though her bond with Irene was nearly gone, she didn’t want to see her daughter sick again.
Irene, however, didn’t care. “Mom, if you don’t want me to eat it, fine. But Ms. Jansen is buying it for me, so it’s really none of your business, right?”
Frustration bubbled inside her, remembering how her mom had ignored her earlier and how she had missed out on her medal. “Also, Mom, can you stop meddling in my stuff? Don’t you know how annoying you are?”
The words hit Stella hard. She pressed her lips together, bitter inside, but deep down, she was numb. Seven years of being pushed aside had left her emotionally numb.
Stella didn’t say anything more, nor did she spare them another glance. Quietly, she turned back to her food, trying to focus on her meal.
But the food, which should have been delicious, tasted strangely bitter and hard to swallow.
“Dad, Ms. Jansen, let’s go,” Irene called out. With her mom there, the food didn’t taste good. Irene grabbed both their hands and led them outside quickly.
Sylvia allowed herself to be led along by Irene, giving her a sheepish grin. “Irene, I’m sorry. I really didn’t realize you couldn’t have cold treats. Let’s look for something else you’d like a bit later, okay?”
“Don’t worry about it, Ms. Jansen. It’s not your fault at all, so there’s no need to say sorry,” Irene replied, smiling warmly.
“You’re such a considerate girl, Irene,” Sylvia praised her.
Irene giggled. The laughter faded into the distance, leaving behind a thick, suffocating silence in the hall.
“Stella, are you alright?” Kristy asked, casting her a worried glance.
“I’m fine,” Stella answered, forcing a smile.
Kristy looked at her, unsure of what to say. She could tell from their short exchange what had happened. No one would feel good in this situation.
Any attempt at comfort felt hollow, like it was missing the mark entirely. The only thing Kristy could do was stay by Stella’s side, giving a small gesture to Trisha, signaling her to comfort Stella.
Trisha understood instantly and clambered into Stella’s lap, “Ms. Spencer, Dad always says I’m the family’s happy pill. If you hug me, you might feel better, okay?”
“Okay,” Stella answered. With Trisha in her arms, the soft, milky scent around her lifted Stella’s spirits. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ
After what just went down, Kristy and Stella weren’t in the mood to hang around and make small talk anymore. They just grabbed a few quick bites, then headed off their separate ways.
“Stella, we’re gonna head out now. Come by our place sometime, and I’ll cook you a proper meal,” Kristy said.
“Okay,” Stella replied.
“Trisha, say goodbye to Ms. Spencer,” Kristy reminded her.
“Bye, Ms. Spencer,” Trisha waved cutely.
Stella smiled back and waved. After they left, her smile quickly faded.
2/3
Night had nnally faшen, anu me en
everything pulsing with unstoppable energy.
But Stella felt out of place. Her eyes wandered aimlessly, unable to focus. Even the shadow cast by the streetlights on the ground seemed lonely and solitary.
“Stella?” The gentle voice snapped her out of her daze.
She turned around and was surprised to see a familiar face. “Jeremy? What are you doing here?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that instead?” Jeremy said, his brows furrowing in concern. “Why are you out here looking so lost? Did something happen?”
He had been on his way to find Stella when he happened to spot her walking absentmindedly on the street, looking like she was lost. He’d been worried she might walk into traffic.
That was why he pulled his car over in such a hurry and rushed outside to find her.
“I thought I was still at the school gate,” Stella began, but then trailed off, suddenly feeling disoriented.
She had wandered so far without even realizing it, and now she realized she had been walking in the direction of home.
“School?” Jeremy asked, confused. “You were at Irene’s school? Did you go to one of her events? Did she say something?”
Stella rubbed her forehead, feeling a little overwhelmed. “Jeremy, can you give me a moment to catch my breath?”
3/3
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