I quickly knelt down next to Gregory and pacified him, saying, “Silly boy, Mommy only left for a while. How could I have left you behind? Didn’t we agree that we’d stick together?”

However, Gregory could not be so easily appeased. He frowned in deep thought. After a moment, his eyes lit up. Extending his tiny pinky towards me he claimed, “We didn’t make a pinky promise last time, so it didn’t count. Now we have to!”

I put on an unsmiling face and hooked my pinky with Gregory’s. He cheered up considerably afterward.

Looking down at Gregory clad smartly in a tuxedo, I guessed that the three of them were heading out to dinner. In a friendly manner, I asked, “Are you going out to dinner tonight, Gregory?”

Before Gregory could reply, Ashton cut in with a low voice, “We’re going to meet my parents. You have to come too.”

We’re going to meet the Hall family? I thought, amused. I guess today isn’t a wasted trip after all.

I smiled cheerfully at Ashton, then replied, “Sure! Let me go back and change. Wait here for me.”

“It’s alright,” Ashton commanded, halting me in my tracks. “You can come as you are. There’s no need to be so formal.”

word, Ashton got into the

onto Gregory’s hand. At least I’ve saved some time

to meet the Hall family. They must be a callous bunch who attempted to wipe out their

the van. I sat in the back with Gregory while Ashton sat in the front. We seemed to have come to a mutual understanding that the earlier matter with John would not

thrilled to see me and naturally chattered on endlessly, filling me in with all the news

like to mix with the younger children at school, do you?

I won’t!” Gregory declared stoutly. “I’ll stay with my sister always and protect her. I won’t let anyone

which Gregory spoke made an amusing contrast with his still-babyish voice. A picture of Gregory and Audrey holding onto each other suddenly surfaced in my

I looked at him fondly, commending, “You’ve really grown up into a fine

saw Ashton sneakily watching us through the rearview mirror. However, Ashton looked away from the mirror the instant

another look of utter contempt that doubled up

told Gregory about Audrey. It felt like he had full

flew by as I was thus occupied in thought. It seemed as if we’d arrived at the

forward while holding

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