They responded with a smile. “You’re welcome. We’re glad as long as you are safely reunited with your family.”
The band members even added a friendly reminder to Roxanne, “Your son is very gifted in music. If you can afford it, we suggest you send him to a music academy to receive proper lessons.”
Roxanne grinned in agreement.
“I’m sorry, Benny,” Archie apologized to his brother when the crowd shifted their attention away from them. “It was my fault for not holding your hand tightly enough that you got lost in the crowd.”
Benny gazed at his brother and said casually, “It wasn’t your fault, Archie; it’s too crowded here. Besides, I wasn’t lost, and it was fun playing the drums, anyway!”
Archie frowned for several seconds before nodding slowly. “I will hold your hand tightly next time,” he promised, “and never allow something like this to happen again.”
Benny nodded vigorously as he squeezed his brother’s hand.
Estella came over to join the fun. “Me too! I’ll hold both your hands!”
The little girl clutched Benny’s hand as she spoke.
Touched to see the three children walking hand in hand with similarly solemn expressions, Roxanne smiled gratefully. “Come, Benny,” she said gently. “Thank Mr. Farwell.”
Benny appeared to be surprised by her words.
“Mr. Farwell was the one who found you,” Roxanne said.
The boy glanced up at the man before him.
As Lucian was standing with his back against the moonlight, Benny could not see his expression at that moment.
Nevertheless, the boy obeyed his mother by expressing his gratitude. “Thank you, Mr. Farwell.”
Lucian nodded noncommittally. “No problem. You were clever enough to wait here.”
The boy was taken aback by his father’s compliment. He stroked his nose awkwardly.
The crowd on the beach thinned out after the fireworks show,
Despite Roxanne’s reservations, she took the children for a walk at the beach, considering that they might be suill fearful.
The weather was lovely, and the water was placid. As the children wanted to go to the beach, Roxanne let go of their hands and allowed them to run toward the shore while
she waited on the side.
accidentally got lost because there were too many people just now. If anyone sees someone looking for a child, please help me inform my mommy that I’m here. My mommy is very pretty, so it will be easy to identify her!”
Benny contemplated briefly after saying that. Then, he added, “Perhaps there will be an uncle searching for me too. Everyone can also tell him that I’m here. He’s distinguishable too because he is very tall and handsome. There are also two children around my age beside them.”
Roxanne was amused by Benny’s description of them.
Even Lucian wore a faint smile as he listened to Benny’s speech.
Perhaps the four of them were too eye-catching. Soon, people were turning their heads in Roxanne, Lucian, and the two kids’ direction.
Benny also noticed them, and when he spotted Roxanne, he held the microphone and called out in excitement, “Mommy!”
The crowd made way for Roxanne and the others to reach Benny’s side.
“Mommy!”
Benny jogged over happily with the microphone in his hand when he saw Roxanne.
She bent down while beaming and pulled Benny into her embrace. “You scared me, Benny. Luckily, you’re so smart.”
Benny gently patted his mother’s back and said, “I’m sorry, Mommy. But don’t worry about me because I’m very smart. I will not follow the bad guys.”
When Benny realized he had gotten lost just now, he had immediately run toward the band, following the music, because he thought he would be safer there. He had planned on borrowing the microphone from the band to find Roxanne.
Fortunately, the band members were kind and friendly. After they had been made aware of Benny’s situation, they had agreed to his request with alacrity.
Benny turned on his heels and sensibly expressed his gratitude to the band members. Thank you all.”
They responded with a smile, “You’re welcome. We’re glad as long as you are safely reunited with your family.”
The band members even added a friendly reminder to Roxanne, “Your son is very gifted in music, If you can afford it, we suggest you send him to a music academy to receive proper lessons.”
Roxanne grinned in agreement.
“Archie…” Benny looked at Estella, who was beside him cautiously. “Was it really Mr. Farwell who found me?” Archie nodded. “Mommy was panicking earlier. She was about to take Essie and me to look for you when Mr. Farwell stopped her and went to look on his own.”
Benny glanced at Lucian, who was standing not far away, with a complicated mix of emotions within him. “It was fortunate that Mr. Farwell found you in time. Otherwise, Mommy would have really cried.” Archie‘s heart twinged with guilt when he thought about how anxious Roxanne had been.
Because of that, the boy had to thank his father despite not liking him.
Benny was full of regret when he learned that Roxanne had been on the verge of tears. “Did I not thank Mr. Farwell enough earlier?”
As he was unaware of the situation, he had only thanked him because his mother had told him to. Looking back on it now, he felt a little guilty.
Although he did not like his father, he thought he should thank him properly for doing their mother such a big favor.
Archie smiled at his brother, who still looked dejected. “Mommy will thank him for you.” He glanced toward the two adults. “Besides, Mr. Farwell would probably want Mommy to thank him.”
Deep in thoughts, the two boys gazed at their parents.
Estella, on the other hand, was busy amusing herself.
Roxanne did not know what the children were thinking. Seeing that it was getting late, she called out to the children, “Are you done playing? It‘s getting late, and we should head back. We‘ll come back tomorrow!”
The children ran toward them, while Benny ran straight toward Roxanne, who noticed that the child‘s expression was odd.
“What‘s the matter?” she asked as she leaned over to pull him into her arms.
“I‘m sorry, Mommy,” the boy answered glumly. “I will remember to stay by your side next time and not wander off.”
Roxanne was confused.
They were doing fine when they were out playing earlier. Why is he mentioning this all of a sudden?
Roxanne caressed the boy‘s head lovingly upon noticing his solemn expression. “I know,” she said tenderly. “Thank you, Darling. I will do a better job protecting you as well.”
“I will protect Benny, too!” Archie chirped.
Roxanne pulled the two boys in for a hug.
Meanwhile, Estella, who was standing forlornly on her own, looked a little crestfallen as she watched the two boys in Roxanne‘s arms.
The scene did not go unnoticed by Lucian.
He watched as his daughter stood pitifully at the side, and a strange feeling welled up within him
Although he understood that Roxanne was comforting the boys because she had been shaken by the events earlier, he nevertheless wondered how Roxanne would feel if she knew that Estella was also her child and that she had neglected the girl on more than one occasion.
Lucian scowled at the irony of that thought and reached out to Estella.
Gazing enviously at the two boys, the girl took her father‘s hand.
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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