Anthony followed behind silently and explained in a justified manner, “I just don’t trust John’s fashion sense.”
He’s obviously jealous.
No one exposed him despite it being clear as day. With knowing smiles on our faces, we watched the three of them walk further in.
Come to think of it, I was quite rusty in selecting clothes. Being brought her so abruptly and without Anthony by my side, I lost my confidence. The last time I picked clothes for Summer was six years ago, and a lot could change in that amount of time. Would my taste still suit hers?
While I was doubting myself, someone linked arms with me. Turning around, I saw that it was Summer. As she leaned against me affectionately, she set her sights on the women’s clothing section a distance away. “Mommy, let’s go over there. I saw something I like.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and walked over arm in arm.
Meanwhile, Jared and Joseph watched us from afar. At first glance, one would think that they were mannequins. Hence, the two of them drew quite a lot of attention.
Summer had good taste. The two outfits she casually threw on accentuated the vibrancy of a girl her age.
While waiting for her to try more clothes, I tried choosing a modest one for her.
Right then, I noticed that Gregory was in low spirits.
I speculated that he was probably upset because he felt left out, so I asked gently, “Gregory, boys must be more tolerant when it comes to girls. Once your sister is done, I’ll accompany you to buy some clothes, okay?”
Gregory’s face showed no emotion when he raised his gaze to me and shook his head. “It’s okay, Mommy. My clothes are custom-made and will be regularly delivered to our house. My wardrobe is already full of clothes. I don’t need new ones.”
Although his tone was neutral, I still sensed the subtle change in him.
Arching my lips into a smile, I caressed his hair and said, “I need to use the washroom. Accompany your sister here and don’t go anywhere. Can you do that?”
“Yes!” Gregory affirmed and he subconsciously straightened his body and snapped his feet together, looking like a miniature soldier.
Anthony was probably the one who trained him to do this.
This boy had been with him for six years and developed well in all aspects except emotionally. Just like his father, he kept everything in his heart.
Feeling reassured by the confident gleam in his eyes, I got up and left.
When I passed by the girl’s clothing area, I discovered Anthony and John in a stand-off with each other.
“…Listen to me, Audrey. This princess dress suits you the best. You’ll become the prettiest princess after putting it on,” John persuaded.
“There’s nothing special about it, but this one is different. It’s low profile and modest, which highlights a little girl’s innocence. Are you sure you don’t want to take Daddy’s advice, Audrey?”
Goodness gracious. Two grown men coming together to make life difficult for a six-year-old child?
I was about to go in and rescue Audrey, but in the next second, I realized that I was worrying over nothing.
“You should just focus on taking care of your son. What do you know about what little girl like?”
“If I’m not mistaken, you only have a son. Do you think you have more experience than someone who has a daughter?”
“Stop!” Audrey’s shrill voice halted their verbal war. She stepped forward to grab the dress in John’s hand, then turned around to grab the attire Anthony selected for her. With a disapproving yet cute frown on her face, she chided, “Stop fighting. I like both Uncle John and Daddy, so the two of you must behave. Aunt Emma said that we’re not supposed to speak loudly in public!”
Anthony and John exchanged glances and instantly clamped their mouths shut.
Audrey looked at the two of them and nodded with satisfaction. “That’s better. I’m going to try these on now. Wait here for me, okay?” she drew out her question as though she was the adult and they were the children.
“Okay,” they answered in unison.
Audrey hugged the clothes to her chest and entered the fitting room.
As soon as she left, Anthony and John shot each other withering glares, then turned to face different directions.
I was greatly amused by this scene. Indeed, everyone had an Achilles’ heel.
After staying to make sure war wasn’t about to break out again, I spun on my heels and walked toward my target destination.
When women shopped, we always struggled with indecision, and it was this syndrome that profited many luxury brands. Faced with two sets of clothing with styles that were both to my liking, I made the mistake most women made.
Something that obviously could have been solved in one minute, I used nearly ten minutes. In the end, I decided to just grab both sets.
When I went back to the others, everyone was standing by Audrey’s fitting room door, discussing about separating ways to search for me.
I broke into a small jog and called out, “I’m back, I’m back.”
“Well, finally. For a second there I thought you lost your way,” John said jokingly.
I shot him a deadpan look before bringing the clothes over to Gregory. Holding out one in each hand, I asked, “Which one do you like?”
Gregory’s eyes flashed with pleasant surprise, but he recovered very quickly. Glancing at Anthony who was beside him, he shook his head and rejected, “I already have a lot of clothes.”
It’s obvious that you like it, kiddo.
Ignoring his protests, I stacked the clothes and stuffed them into his arms, then gently pushed him into the fitting room. “How’s that the same? These were handpicked by me. You must try them on. Be a good boy and go on in. I’ll wait for you outside, okay?” I coaxed.
With the clothes in hand, Gregory took two steps, then looked over his shoulder to gauge Anthony’s reaction.
I quickly stepped in between the two of them, blocking them from each others’ views, and advised solemnly, “This is between you and me, okay? You don’t need anyone else’s opinion. Understood?”
At this, Gregory’s obsidian eyes lit up. He hugged the clothes to his chest and nodded vehemently. “Mm. Understood!”
Flashing a smile at me, he happily entered the fitting room.
Soon, he emerged in a white two-piece casual suit.
Relieved, I exhaled inaudibly before stepping forward to squat down in front of Gregory, carefully examining every inch of his body.
Luckily, Gregory was a miniature version of Anthony. Hence, everything looked like it was tailor-made for him.
“Now this is what a boy your age should look like. Usually, you either wear your school uniform, or just like your dad, you strut around in formal attire, which is ridiculously boring, if you ask me. From now on, wear the casual clothes I pick for you when you’re at home, okay?”
Gregory’s eyes curved into crescents as he nodded happily.
As expected, which child wouldn’t look forward to receiving clothes selected by his own mother?
I merely said those words to coax a child, but my casual remark was taken seriously by the man behind me.
The next second, a cleared throat carrying a hint of warning sounded.
Of course I knew that it was from Anthony. With my back still to him, I raised a brow but pretended not to hear him.
John, however, never let go of the chance to make a dig at him. “Finally, someone who has a point.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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