Chapter 67
Chapter 67
After a moment of hesitation, Stella couldn’t resist and asked Simon.
He was still caught up in his awkward mood, taking a couple of seconds before snapping back to reality. “Are you talking to met Amusement park? I’ve never been to one, Simon replied.
Stella was at a loss for words. Trying to be patient, Stella pressed again. “I’m asking if Daisy can go play at the amusement parky
“No, Simon said after a long pause, his voice weak.
But really, it wasn’t entirely impossible. If the whole park was reserved and they made sure nothing unexpected could trigger her, Daisy could actually go.
But even if they went to an empty amusement park, it wouldn’t be much fun.
Stella was taken aback. She’d thought Daisy might not be able to go, but hearing it confirmed still made her feel sad for the little girl.
Stella couldn’t think of anywhere else to go. Looking down at Daisy’s big, hopeful eyes, she didn’t want to disappoint her. So, she tossed the problem back to Simon. “You figure it out.”
“What?” Simon asked.
She gave him a side-eye, “Can you focus on Daisy for once? She just said she wants to go play. Isn’t it obvious? We need to figure out where she can go.
“Wait, you’re coming too?” Simon blurted out, clearly missing the point.
Stella raised an eyebrow, misunderstanding his concern. “If you think I’ll just get in the way, I can stay out of it.”
“No, no, you’re not in the way at all,” Simon interrupted, almost speaking too fast. “Let me think, somewhere Daisy can go. It’d have to be a place we can book out, or somewhere indoors.
“No haunted houses or anything too intense. How about something like rock climbing or archery?”
Simon shot Stella a questioning look, but she couldn’t be bothered to respond.
Simon quickly realized that she didn’t fully understand Daisy’s situation, feeling a bit embarrassed as he scratched his nose. He fell silent, thinking it over.
Honestly, he rarely took Daisy out, mostly to protect her from anything that might set her off. The only time she went out was for a little fresh air on the way to the hospital.
Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t come up with a good place for her.
“How about we grab some food first?” Simon suggested, rubbing his belly. They’d been running around all morning and honestly, he was getting hungry.
Stella just stared at him, too stunned to speak.
“Wait, I actually know a restaurant with a kids’ playground inside. Daisy could play there too,” Simon blurted out, scrambling to salvage the situation.
“Alright, show us the way,” Stella said.
“My car’s just over there. Let’s drive,” Simon said, gesturing toward the parking lot.
1/3
“Sounds good. I wasn’t feeling like walking either,” Irene said.
Inside the restaurant, Irene was suddenly scooped up, her view lifting way above everyone’s heads. For a moment, she felt like she’d shot up tall, towering over the crowd.
Just as she was about to cheer, she spotted something and immediately pouted. “Why is she here?” she complained, her lips pushing out in protest.
“Irene, who did you see?” Sylvia asked, her voice curious.
Irene frowning, answered unhappily, “It’s Mommy. She’s sitting right over there.”
Sylvia glanced in the direction Irene was pointing, and her eyes flickered with surprise. ‘Wait, Simon is here too? And he’s with Stella. That little girl between them, isn’t that Daisy?’ she wondered.
Sylvia had barely seen Daisy before, so she hardly remembered the kid at all.
But Ernest, seeing how close Daisy was to Stella, looked surprised.
Most people didn’t know, but Ernest, being Simon’s childhood friend, was well aware of Daisy’s serious mental health condition. Normally, only Simon or her other personality, Lily, could get close to her.
Anyone else might accidentally set her off, causing a stress-induced episode that could lead to a complete meltdown—or
worse. Chapters first released on
But now, Daisy seemed perfectly fine, happily munching food as Stella fed her. Her cheeks puffed out like a little hamster, making her look absolutely adorable.
It was hard to imagine this was the same child who suffered from a psychological disorder.
“Are you full?” Stella asked with a smile.
Daisy rubbed her round little belly and flashed a huge grin. “I’m stuffed. I want to go play now.”
“Alright,” Stella said, taking her hand and leading her off toward the indoor playground the restaurant had set up for kids.
“Wait for me!” Simon called out, quickly swallowing his food.
He was just about to catch up to them when two adults and a little kid slid into the seats opposite him. Seeing those three familiar faces made him totally freeze up.
“Ernest, what are you doing here?” Simon blurted, surprised.
“Simon, shouldn’t we be asking you the same thing?” Sylvia shot back, teasing.
Simon frowned slightly, sensing that her tone might have had a bit of a sharp edge. Maybe it was just his imagination.
He didn’t really give it much thought and quickly summed up what happened. “She’s been helping me take care of Daisy, so I invited her for a meal-just wanted to say thanks.”
The truth was, Simon just wanted to spend more time with Stella. But with Ernest around, he never felt confident enough to admit it, so he gave a vague answer.
“You should thank her,” Sylvia nodded. “Since we’ve run into each other, why don’t we all sit together? It’ll be more lively.”
Simon hesitated. He knew that Stella and Sylvia didn’t get along, and putting them together at the same table seemed like it would only cause trouble.
2/3
“Alright.” Since Ernest had made the decision, Simon could only go with the flow.
Simon went to ask the waiter for some extra dishes and utensils, while Ernest handed the menu to Sylvia. “Just pick out something yourself, I honestly have no idea what you like.”
Sylvia’s smile stiffened for a moment, but she quickly recovered. She didn’t take the menu from him, instead lifting Irene in her arms. “Ernest, you know what I like. Just order for me, okay? I’ll take Irene to the playground for a bit.”
Before Ernest could say anything, Sylvia was already heading off with Irene in her arms.
“Sir, what would you like to order?” the waiter asked.
“Anything’s fine,” Ernest said, closing the menu with an unconcerned tone.
“Well, alright, then may I recommend a couple of our signature dishes? Would that be okay?” the waiter suggested.
“Yeah, whatever,” Ernest replied, making it clear he didn’t care at all.
“Alright, I’ll put in your order now,” the waiter said, hurrying off.
Just as the waiter left, Simon returned, leading the staff to set up some extra chairs and utensils. “Ernest, have you ordered yet?” Simon asked.
Ernest nodded casually. “Yeah, it’s already done.”
“That fast?” Simon put on a surprised look. “Guess you really know what Ms. Jansen likes.”
“Ms. Jansen?” Ernest raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re not that formal with her, are you?”
‘Is he trying to hint at something?’ Simon wondered.
Seeing Ernest’s calm, unreadable expression, Simon felt the pressure mount. He forced a laugh and said, “Well, I was just afraid you’d get jealous.”
Ernest replied coolly, “Maybe.”