You More than Anything in the World (Arissa)

“Oh, don't remind me. It's all Shaun's fault for preferring to watch me suffer as I stumble around in search of where you might be than to just give me the address.”

After vented, Kingsley smiled at Tim again.

“This is Uncle Kingsley, Tim!”

Tim looked at him curiously. “Are you Uncle Kingsley?”

Kingsley was surprised. “You know me?”

The boy nodded as he had heard the name on more than one occasion.

Kingsley laughed and pinched his little face adoringly before noticing that the child was all bones.

“Poor Tim,” he said, visibly distressed. “Don't they ever feed you? I'll take you for something nice to fatten you up!”

To Arissa's amusement, Tim pouted.

Benjamin shot her a glance before turning her head to get a better angle of her eyes.

“That's enough now!” she said.

“What's wrong with your eyes, Arissa? Did Benjamin hit you?”

With Tim in his arms, Kingsley came over to tease Arissa next.

“He did not,” Arissa explained hurriedly. “It had nothing to do with him!”

Kingsley gave them a meaningful smile. “This is the first time I'd seen Benjamin dab a woman's eyes so tenderly. Becoming a ladies' man, are you?”

Arissa was embarrassed. Her whole body stiffened up at the sight of Tim in Kingsley's arms.

Regaining her mobility the next second, she got up and quickly took her son.

Benjamin glared at Kingsley before reprimanding in a deep voice, “What are you making such a racket for? Can't you see that Mdm. Mary is trying to rest?”

It was only then that Kingsley noticed the figure in the hospital bed as he had his attention captured by the children earlier.

“My apologies, Madam.” Kingsley hastily apologized to Mary.

“Don't be,” Mary replied affably. “Don't feel like you're disturbing me, too. I happen to like the noise.”

It had been many years since she found herself in the middle of a lively scene like that.

Benjamin signaled for Kingsley to leave with a severe glare, though Kingsley did not cooperate at first.

Despite wanting to stay, Kingsley quailed under Benjamin's glare and followed him out.

“I'll play with you later, children.”

Arissa looked at them before turning to address her son. “Are the altered clothes comfortable?”

Tim nodded.

At that moment, Benjamin walked in and handed Arissa an egg. “Here. Eat this.”

Arissa took it and sat down with her son in her arms. With a smart rap against the table, she peeled the shell off neatly and handed it to Tim.

“Thank you for the egg, Tim. Here, it's yours.”

Tim shook his head. “You should eat it, Ms. York.”

Arissa was moved by the sincerity in her son's eyes.

“How about we share it?”

Tim looked at Gavin and the other five. He bit his lip and shook his head.

It's not fair that I get to eat the egg and the others do not.

Interpreting her son's reluctance correctly, Arissa smiled.

“One egg isn't enough for all of you,” she said with a glance at the five children. “It's better that I eat it instead!”