256 your ho
Hearing Margaret would go with him, Leonard grunted, jumped down from the toilet, opened the door, and stepped out. But he was still crying. “Where are the fire noodles?”
Margaret quickly wiped his tears away. “It’s nothing serious. I’ll be there with you tomorrow. The noodles are in the kitchen, and Ann made fried chicken legs for you, topped with your favorite honey mustard sauce.”
Margaret cherished Leonard above all others. She only had two grandchildren. One was Cheryl, daughter of her eldest son Simon–though Simon was actually adopted by the family. And while Cheryl grew up at the Pierce residence, she was adopted, too.
Unable to have children after Simon and Vivian got married, they adopted a girl from an orphanage and named her Cheryl.
Margaret’s younger son, Humbert, didn’t even have a girlfriend. Margaret knew she’d never live to see grandchildren from him.
She always spoiled Leonard the most, feeding him until he was chubby. She adored him deeply. Right then, she took his hand and went to the kitchen for a little extra food.
*****
The next morning, Margaret changed into some comfortable casual clothes. But she was unsteady and twisted her ankle going downstairs.
Ann quickly helped Margaret sit down. “Mrs. Pierce, are you all right?”
Leonard skipped down the stairs with his little backpack, thrilled because today he’d not only go out and play and see Winifred, but also eat lots of yummy treats. Suddenly hearing Margaret’s voice, he dashed back up, grabbed her arm, and looked at her worriedly.
“Grandma, are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine…” Margaret meant to say she was all right, but when she took a step, the sprain pulled painfully. She winced, and Ann hurriedly helped her down the steps.
Joseph heard the commotion upstairs and came out. “What’s going on? At your age, tripping and twisting your ankle–how careless is that?”
In the living room, Leonard’s face turned grave, the earlier joy gone. “Grandma, can you make it to school with me?”
still
“Of course, I’ll go with you,” Margaret said. But when she stood, she wavered and caught his hand. “Leonard, maybe your grandpa should take you instead.”
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Joseph gave her a look. Margaret fell quiet. Sighing, they both found themselves thinking of Edward.
Early in his business career, Joseph was a ruthless tycoon who made many enemies. A kidnapping twenty–one years ago that shook Sonisburg saw Edward and Humbert taken by those Joseph had unwittingly offended, ending in tragedy.
Joseph now lived quietly and kept a low profile, mostly fishing with friends and staying out of the public eye, afraid someone might recognize him out of spite.
Leonard choked back sobs, tears streaming down his face as fie cried. He wiped them on Margaret’s sleeve. Though he couldn’t go, he worried over Margaret. “Does it hurt, Grandma?” he asked.
Margaret’s heart went out to her grandson. “It doesn’t hurt a bit. Be good, Leonard. Oh dear, it’s all my fault. I haven’t worn these shoes in ages, and I wanted to look nice for your school event today.”
Just then, Ann saw Humbert walk in and said urgently, “Mr. Pierce, you’re back. Mrs. Pierce twisted her ankle.”
Humbert had spent the night at the Pierce residence. He rose early for his usual jog, running a few laps. Stepping over, he took a look and said, “It’s nothing serious. Use a cold compress first.”
Leonard was still sobbing. Margaret grabbed Humbert’s hand and got an idea. “Humbert,” she murmured.
Humbert saw Margaret’s expression, raised an eyebrow, and leaned in slightly. “Go on, please,” he said.
Margaret continued, “Leonard has a school field trip today, but Jessica’s stuck at work, isn’t she?”
Humbert’s voice was deep with a chuckle. “The company can’t run without her.”
Margaret glared at him and thought, ‘His tone is just like Joseph’s. Truly father and son.‘
She said, “My foot’s twisted. Are you busy today? You’re always worn out from work, so it’s a good chance to relax and have some fun with Leonard.”
Humbert replied, “I’m pretty busy. I’ve got meetings with Mason and Gavin today.”
Margaret continued, “Mason’s getting married, right? I already got the invitation last week. Look at him. He’s a year younger than you. And I also heard Gavin has met a girl lately.”
“Grandma.” Leonard held Margaret’s arm and shook it gently, urging her to drop it. What
Chapter 34
mattered most was getting Humbert to come along for the school event.
Margaret cleared her throat. She gave Leonard a reassuring look, then glared at Humbert, and said with a stern face, “Just take Leonard with you. I can’t even get you to listen to me, huh?
“Okay, I’ll go along with that,” replied Humbert.
Leonard clapped his hands excitedly. Afraid Humbert might back out, he darted out to jump into the car parked outside.
Humbert went upstairs to change into something casual. The weather was nice, so he put on a black jacket over a thin black sweater.
Ann grabbed an ice pack and went to the living room to give Margaret a cold compress. She smiled, “Mr. Pierce’s look today takes years off him–almost like a college kid. He got your and your husband’s handsome genes. No wonder girls flock to him.”
Joseph gave a cold snort but agreed. He also thought Humbert had gotten the best looks from both of them. He told Margaret he was off to fish with friends and then got up and left.
Margaret felt her ankle didn’t hurt anymore. “Ever since he was little,” she said, “he’s been the prettiest one. Now he seems a bit distant, but back then, he was a darling little rascal.
“I once put him in Jessica’s hand–me–downs. He looked gorgeous in pink dresses. His brother Edward had a more serious look…” At that, Margaret sighed, her cheer gone. Her face fell.
Margaret knew the truth. After Edward died, Humbert slowly changed from a spirited youth to a withdrawn, distant person. He began to act more like Edward and less like himself.
Edward’s death changed more than just Humbert. During that time, the whole Pierce family had been steeped in gloom. Margaret remained heartbroken.
Edward was born just ten minutes before Humbert. No one wanted the kidnapping to happen. It was over twenty years ago, though. When Humbert was rescued, he was covered in blood, but all of it was Edward’s.
Humbert saw his twin brother die before his eyes. The shock changed him deeply. He had a fever for a month, whispering constantly, “I should have died, not my brother.”
*
“We’re on the school bus now. When will you get here, Leonard?” Humbert was driving, eyes on the road, when Leonard played a voice message from his smartwatch. Winifred’s voice came through–soft, way softer than normal, the singsong tone parents would use on toddlers.
Humbert had heard plenty of those fake–sweet voices; they always sounded forced and sticky, too cutesy for him. But Winifred’s had the gentle rasp that felt real. He raised an eyebrow.
7:37 Thu, Sep 11
Chapter 34
Leonard said, “Uncle Humbert and I are almost there. Winifred, can you save a seat for me? I want to sit behind you.”
“Is your uncle coming too?” Winifred asked.
“Yes, he is,” Leonard replied again over the voice message. He set his backpack down, opened it to check, and counted the chocolates inside. Margaret had packed them that morning.
Jessica told Leonard not to eat too much chocolate, but he wanted to bring some for Winifred and Rosalind to try. He’d also gotten a toy for Rosalind and a gift for Winifred.
Humbert’s brow shot up sharply. The second Winifred realized he was tagging along, the baby voice vanished–pure surprise in its place. ‘She changes fast,’ he thought to himself.
B
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
