Chapter 187
The sugary taste melted on her tongue, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like the warmth she had been denying herself. Unconsciously, the corners of her lips curved into the faintest of smiles.
Teresa drove to Melanie's house to pick up Isabel. Not even two years old, Isabel babbled in her soft, incoherent way. Teresa glanced at her half-sister, her expression indifferent, feeling no connection to the toddler.
Evelyn had been missing Isabel and wanted her by her side, so Teresa brought the child to the hospital. When Evelyn mentioned wanting to be discharged, Teresa's tone was firm. "You can't leave until next week. Just stay here and rest." "Then let Isabel stay here with me. I can take care of her," Evelyn said, her voice full of affection. She looked at Isabel as if the little girl were her entire world. "Did you miss me, Isabel? I missed you so much."
Watching her mother dote on Isabel, Teresa felt a familiar bitterness rise in her chest. She turned to leave, but Evelyn called out to her.
"You paid the hospital fees, didn't you? How much was it? I'll pay you back," Evelyn said.
"There's no need," Teresa replied, her voice noticeably colder.
"Why are you always so stubborn? I'll transfer the money to you. Just take it," Evelyn insisted, her tone soft but persistent. Teresa cut her off sharply. "You can't even take care of yourself right now. What's the point of sending me money? Keep it. I don't need your pocket change."
"You really are—" Evelyn trailed off, at a loss for words in the face of her sharp-tongued daughter.
Teresa handed over the formula, diapers, and other supplies she had brought, her movements brisk and efficient. Just as she was about to leave, Isabel started crying; it was time for a diaper change.
Evelyn sighed deeply and struggled to get up, ready to tend to the child.
"I'll take care of it. You should lie down and rest; you're still so weak," Teresa said.
Evelyn frowned and said, "You? You're so clumsy. How could you possibly know how to change a diaper? Let me handle—" Before Evelyn could finish, Teresa had already unfastened Isabel's diaper and, with practiced ease, replaced it with a clean one.
Evelyn pursed her lips and gave Teresa a few surprised glances. "You know how to change diapers? Since when?" Evelyn asked, clearly taken aback.
"There are plenty of things you don't know about me," Teresa replied nonchalantly.
Evelyn furrowed her brows. "Are you hiding something from me again? Spill it."
"No," Teresa said dismissively. After finishing the diaper change and preparing a bottle of formula for Isabel, she left. As she walked, she recalled that Michael had already stopped drinking formula at this age, yet Isabel was still dependent on it. Not only that, Isabel couldn't even speak yet, while Michael had been able to clearly articulate words at the same age.
Teresa wondered if Evelyn would blow up at her if she ever found out about Michael. But it didn't matter. Teresa had made up her mind—she would always stand by her son.
She had come to terms with the fact that her mother had her priorities. Isabel came first, then Hannah, and Teresa herself was always last. As long as she fulfilled her duty as a daughter and had a clear conscience, she wouldn't bother worrying about anything else.
Teresa returned home and noticed Michael's hair was getting a bit long. Since tomorrow was free—a day for haircuts—she decided to take him to a nearby salon for good luck.
Many people had been coming in for haircuts recently, and all the salons in the area were packed. After some searching, Teresa finally found a salon with only a few cars parked outside. She stepped inside with Michael, only to spot Edward and Jonathan sitting there.
Teresa instinctively tightened her grip on Michael's hand, but the little boy had already wriggled free. "Wow, Mr. Lime? Edward?" he shouted excitedly, his legs carrying him straight toward them. A flicker of panic flashed across Teresa's eyes.