Chapter 325

Instead of returning to his mother's arms as he had the previous day, Nelson clung to Grace's legs.

"Sorry," Kyla Corbyn said, "Nelson's not usually like this. He seems to like you."

"It's all right. I like Nelson too," Grace replied, picking up the toddler.

He didn't struggle and was remarkably compliant. He even grinned broadly at Grace after she lifted him. The smile, tinged with timidity and a hint of ingratiation, made Grace strangely sad. "Hello, Nelson," she said, reaching to touch his head. He couldn't hear her, however. He only looked at her with confusion.

Kyla Corbyn looked from her son to Grace. A shadow crossed her face. Did Nelson mistake Grace for someone else? Was that why he was so unusually close? If so, it was a shame; they could never see that person again.

"Can you teach me some sign language someday, Kyla? I want to learn to communicate with Nelson," Grace asked.

"Sure, of course," Kyla Corbyn replied, recovering quickly.

Grace interacted with Nelson for a while, but the lack of sign language made communication difficult. She needed Kyla Corbyn's help.

By noon, Grace began delivering food. She found riding the electric bike manageable; it was like riding a bicycle—easy to pick up again even after a long break. However, she drove slowly to get accustomed to it.

The small restaurant received a surge of delivery orders at noon, but things slowed after 1:30. It was almost 2:00 before Grace finally had time for lunch.

"Are you tired?" Kyla Corbyn asked.

"I'm fine," Grace said, smiling. Making money wasn't easy, she thought.

"It's just that the restaurant can get busy, and you can't always eat on time," Kyla Corbyn explained. She, too, often had to wait to eat.

"By the way, how old is Nelson? Doesn't he go to kindergarten?" Grace asked, watching him eat fruit.

Kyla Corbyn offered a wry smile. "He could have started this year, but his hearing impairment prevented it. While there are kindergartens for children with special needs, the tuition is expensive, and children like him often need cochlear implants. Plus, a parent needs to accompany him. With my current situation, it's impossible."

"Nelson doesn't have a cochlear implant yet?" Grace realized she hadn't seen one.

"I'm saving up for it. Maybe in two or three months I'll have enough," Kyla Corbyn said, hope flickering in her eyes. Maternal love radiated from her as she tenderly looked at her son. "Once he has the implant, Nelson will be able to hear and learn to speak."

Grace could see Kyla Corbyn's deep love for Nelson. Despite owning a small restaurant, she wore inexpensive, worn clothes, no jewelry, and kept her hair simply tied back.