Chapter 1080: Thank You, Darlings

The sound of the downstairs door opening and closing reached Roxanne. She froze, glancing at her empty hands. Lucian was gone.

Rushing to the balcony, she caught a glimpse of him carrying Estella to the car before it pulled away from the mansion. Watching their car disappear, Roxanne felt a profound sense of loss. All she wanted was to discuss Estella's behavior; how had things escalated so unexpectedly? If this were goodbye, Estella's final impression of her would be dreadful.

By the time she recovered, her cheeks were wet with tears. Archie and Benny, waiting downstairs, came upstairs to find her. They found her standing on the balcony, her back to them, her sadness palpable even in silhouette.

"Mommy?" Benny called cautiously.

Roxanne didn't respond. Exchanging a glance, the boys ran to her side; Archie tugged her sleeve. The touch startled her. Surprised by their presence, she frantically wiped away her tears. But the boys had seen.

"Mommy, are you crying?" Benny asked anxiously.

Resigned, Roxanne squatted down. "Why did you come up?" Tears continued to flow. The boys' presence reminded her of Estella.

Archie reached out to wipe her tears. "We were worried you didn't come down. Mommy, are you worried about Essie?"

Smiling through her tears, Roxanne choked out, "I'm fine. Sorry to worry you."

Benny offered comfort. "Don't cry, Mommy. Even Essie didn't cry when she left."

That statement sparked something in Roxanne. Essie hadn't cried? She'd clearly seen tears.

Noticing Roxanne's suspicion, Archie said in a childish voice, "Essie said she'll definitely come play with us again!"

The boys hugged Roxanne, restoring her composure.

After a long pause, Roxanne asked hesitantly, "Am I... not nice to Essie?"

The boys were surprised. "Mommy, no one treats her better than you do!" They pointed out that their father and grandmother didn't consider Estella's feelings; only Roxanne cared. They saw that, despite her denial, Roxanne treated Estella as she did them. Her love for Estella was equal to her love for them.

"This is all our fault," Archie and Benny said. "We didn't set a good example, and we didn't take good care of her."

Roxanne pulled them close, her voice raspy with gratitude. "Thank you, darlings."