In the brightly lit backyard, the boys were kicking a ball around while Estella, holding up her skirt, ambled behind them. Even though she didn’t manage to get a kick in, she smiled widely the entire time.
“Mommy!” Benny, who had just kicked the ball in the direction of the door, was given a fright when he suddenly saw Roxanne emerge from the house.
The moment she stepped out, Roxanne was stunned to see the ball flying straight at her face. Just when it was inches away from her, she felt a hand reach out from behind and pull her to the side.
In the next second, the ball brushed past her body before falling onto the ground. As Lucian appeared from behind Roxanne, he looked at the dumbstruck children and instructed in a deep voice, “Come back in for dinner.”
It wasn’t until they gradually gathered their wits that they hurried up to Roxanne’s side.
“Mommy, I’m sorry for scaring you. Are you all right?” Benny apologized meekly.
Roxanne gave his hair a reassuring tousle. “I’m fine, but you have to be more careful next time.”
Just as she spoke, something else occurred to her. Giving Estella an amused yet helpless look, she reprimanded the brothers, “How could you play ball with Essie? She’s wearing a dress, for goodness sake. What if she had fallen?”
Having heard Roxanne’s words, the boys exchanged glances before scratching their noses to hide their guilt.
Suddenly, Estella’s high-pitched voice rang out. “They didn’t ask me. It was I who wanted to play with them.”
Roxanne’s brows jumped in surprise, for she didn’t expect Estella to speak out on behalf of the brothers.
Nonetheless, it was still dangerous for her to be running wild with the boys while wearing a dress. On top of that, she barely had any energy left given how hungry she was.
It was one thing for the children to be playful but another for Lucian not to stop them.
With that thought in mind, Roxanne subconsciously threw Lucian an accusatory glance,
As if he could sense the attention she placed on him, Lucian explained without turning around, “Essie rarely gets the opportunity to run. Since she’s having fun, there’s no reason to stop her.”
Roxanne had no further comment after hearing his response. She then took the children to wash their hands before leading them into the dining room.
As the food had already gotten cold, Lysa reheated them.
Considering how famished they were, the boys began wolfing down their food once everyone took their seats at the table.
The innocent Estella, after observing them, picked up her cutlery and ate just as aggressively
Watching the scene unfold, Roxanne just couldn’t hold back her laughter. She then patted her boys on their backs. “Slow down. You’re setting a bad example for Essie.”
After giving Estella a glance, the boys burst out in laughter before complying.
“Mommy, why did you come back so late today?” Benny asked curiously halfway through dinner.
She gave his head an apologetic tussle. “I’m sorry. I did plan to pick you up today and even told Lysa about it. Unfortunately, something unexpected came up at work, causing me to forget.”
Upon hearing her reason, the boys gave her an understanding nod. “It’s all right. However, the next time you want to pick us up, please let us know. Otherwise, we’ll worry about Ms. Lane.”
Feeling as if her heart had melted, Roxanne agreed with a smile.
At that moment, Benny added, “To make up for letting us wait for such a long time, why don’t you pick us up every day from now on? How about that?”
