The More the Merrier

“Gavin, why are you pretending to be sick?” Shaun cut to the chase right after Darius and the other kids left.

Little did they realize that Arissa suddenly turned back to check on Gavin again. She scratched her head after overhearing Shaun’s question.

Gavin is pretending to be sick? She halted in her tracks, refraining from opening the door. Why is Gavin pretending to be sick? Could it be he’s worried about me staying alone at home?

After quite a while, Gavin replied sheepishly, “We don’t feel like going to school because Mommy is not feeling well…”

His words sent a ripple of warmth into Arissa’s heart.

Shaun cut him off, “You can call me any time if your mommy’s not feeling well. I can attend to her at once. Besides, she’s not feeling well because she stayed up all night last night. I presume she’ll be fine after taking a good rest. Regardless, you shouldn’t have pretended to be sick. Don’t you know everyone is worried stiff about you, especially your mommy? This is definitely not something an obedient kid like you should do.”

Arissa was about to open the door and enter. It never crossed her mind that she would have an emotional breakdown in the next moment because of the devastating news she was going to hear.

Gavin stuttered, “W-We have something to tell Mommy.”

“What is it?” Shaun asked in bafflement.

After taking a deep breath, Gavin muttered, “We’ve managed to track down our missing brother.”

Shaun was flabbergasted. “What? Where is he now?”

“That heinous woman threw him into a dumpster. Nobody rescued him. I think… I think he’s gone forever…” Gavin’s voice trailed off as he choked up.

ensued

eye, Arissa felt her world turned upside down. It

she had collapsed on the floor. As she stared blankly at the ceiling, there was a glint of indecipherable agony in her

the sound outside the room. He dashed forward and opened the door right

at the sight of Arissa

the look of despair on his mother’s face, Gavin rushed forward to help her

only managed to stand after a

Gavin mumbled incoherently,

a loss for words

mommy into her room,”

from bursting into tears as he helped Arissa

down, he reprimanded himself for being reckless. I shouldn’t have acted impulsively. Now that Mommy’s overheard

a surge of indescribable guilt from within him.

after what seemed like an eternity. As she locked her gaze with Gavin, tears that welled up in her eyes started trickling down

sobbing silently for quite a while, she finally

out harrowing yowls of

sweetheart… I’m sorry… I wasn’t able to protect you…” She wept in sheer grief, her tears flowing down her cheeks

started to slap

and