NovelEnglishAbner sauntered into the kitchen to start dinner, pulling an ice pack from the fridge as he went. But Shirley was just too exhausted.
Settling into the couch, she leaned back and closed her eyes.
When a cool sensation touched her cheek, she looked up to find Abner watching her, a mix of concern, reluctance, and something
deeply hidden in his gaze. Shirley couldn't pinpoint what it was, but it was clear to her that Abner truly cared. She closed her eyes
again, missing the straightforward look that suddenly took over Abner’s face as he watched her.
After a while, with the cool pack against her face, she heard him ask, “Shirley, would you ever sendback?”
That question sent a shiver through Shirley, revealing Abner’s underlying anxiety. She recalled all the arguments with her family
he'd witnessed since she’d brought him home. Perhaps he’d always been unsettled, too scared to ask her directly.
Opening her eyes, Shirley saw his hand gripping her sleeve tighten, a clear sign of his distress. His eyes were red, reminding her of
a puppy begging for affection. Shirley's heart ached. She had always focused on Abner’s academic performance, neglecting his
mental well-being. A boy who'd never seen a city skyline, suddenly thrust into unfamiliar territory, must have been terrified. Shirley
suddenly understood what her mother meant when she said raising a child wasn’t easy.
She reached out and pulled Abner into a hug. Though taller, Abner allowed himself to be small, resting his head on her shoulder. As
she soothed him, Shirley realized how much he’d physically grown since she first saw him in the countryside, a scrawny kid
pushing everyone away. Now, he was a normal-sized teenager, but his emotional state was still fragile, like that wary hedgehog.
“] won't send you back,” she assured him.
Yet, Abner remained uneasy. In the past, he'd never dared to ask, believing he was an expendable part of Shirley's life, which
seemed smoother without him. His presence broughtplications, or so he thought. Continuing tofort him, Shirley felt her
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtshirt dampen with his tears. Looking down, she saw the tall boy crying, a sight that tugged at her heartstrings. Sometimes, the
visual impact of seeing someone cry could soften the hardest hearts.
“What if your dad insists onleaving? What if Markes back for you? Would you really not waver, Shirley?”
by .
It wasn Het Mr. Davis; even the
. <<
thoughto Mark posed a threat jn:
Abner's mind. Shirley realized she
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had overlooked too many things.
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hovels
“I'm sorry, Abner. | won't nag you about studying anymore. Just grow up healthy; | can always provide for you,” she promised.
His tears stopped. “Really?”
Shirley wiped his tears with her sleeve, a smile breaking through her concern. He was still a kid at heart, his mood shifting rapidly.
« . ) .
Really. Evgn if you don't get into a ~.
universityand end up inmunity
) ~N
collegéras long as I'm here, you,
~~
wondstarve. So, No more warries. |
i H ” ON,
wan't leave you behind.” Content
Belongs to .riéet
Abner, now questioning his own
greed, had been too scared to ask
before, fearing the answer. Waking
5 .
up, he'd ofteryworry he was back in
that secluded village. But even with.
Pp
an answer, ’he wasn't reassured. He
feared these were just sweet oo
nothidgds meant tofort him. His
desires grew; not only did he-wish
fép her not to abandon hire, but he
) a
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmalso hoped she'd always stay by his
. )
side. He hoped she wouldn't get
back with Mark or marry someone
else. Ideally, Shirley should always
be with him. And if she truly needed
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a husband, he wasn't opposed to the
idea.
He was more than willing.
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