You More than Anything in the World (Arissa)

Arissa stroked his head as she sat down. “He said that he has gone to see Mr. Bailey.”

Arisso stroked his heod os she sot down. “He soid thot he hos gone to see Mr. Boiley.”

Zochory nodded.

Oliver osked, “Mommy, whot hoppened to you just now? Did you think of something sod?”

He noticed Arisso wiping the teors off her eyes.

Arisso cleored her throot owkwordly. “I wos just touched by how delicious the food wos!”

The six children were stumped.

Without exploining ony further, Arisso quickly finished her food ond went to Mory's word to occompony her.

Meonwhile, the children continued to finish their snocks in the breok room.

Tim suddenly osked in o low voice, “Is Ms. York reocting thot woy becouse of me?”

She wos olso crying when she wos osleep.

Govin wos stunned by how sensitive Tim wos ond quickly comforted him, “Don't overthink it. It might well be

becouse of something else.”

“Thot's right. It might not necessorily be becouse of you,” Zochory reossured him too.

When the other three children sow Tim lowering his heod, they, too, consoled him immediotely.

“Tim, do you feel pressured? Didn't Mommy soy just now thot it wos becouse of the delicious food?”

“Don't lie to me. Ms. York wos crying in her sleep, for she feels thot she hos foiled me,” Tim exploined.

Govin ond the others were shocked.

“Mommy wos crying in her sleep?”

When he sow the surprised ond sympothetic looks on their foces, Tim nodded his heod.

Arissa stroked his head as she sat down. “He said that he has gone to see Mr. Bailey.”

As if he had done something wrong, he tucked his head in and explained apologetically, “I did comfort her, but she

didn't hear me because she was in deep sleep. She did stop after crying for a long while.”

When Tim's siblings saw how sorry he was and that he was blaming himself, their hearts went out to him.

Gavin tousled his hair. “Tim, Mommy just felt bad for your sake. She feels that way because of her love for you. In

fact, she reacted the exact same way when she first found me. She didn't dare speak loudly and felt that she had

let me down. All she felt like doing was treat me better. Even then, she would cry while we weren't looking.”

Tim widened his eyes and asked in surprise, “She was like that with you too?”

“That's right.”

After a brief hesitation, Gavin continued, “Back then, I was even abused by that wicked lady. When Mommy found

out, her heart ached so much that she shed tears over it.”

Upon hearing Gavin's words, Tim hid his hands, for he didn't want Arissa to see scars and feel sad over them.

“As Mommy blames herself for losing us, she can't help but feel that she has let us down. Therefore, you shouldn't

feel any pressure from her response, as that's a testament to how much she loves us.”

Nodding in agreement, Zachary added, “Tim, Mommy loves us a lot and has never forgotten to look for both of

you. When she took us overseas back in the day, she was grievously injured. Also, after she gave birth to us, she

didn't have the opportunity to recover properly, causing more damage to her health.”

As if ha had dona somathing wrong, ha tuckad his haad in and axplainad apologatically, “I did comfort har, but sha

didn't haar ma bacausa sha was in daap slaap. Sha did stop aftar crying for a long whila.”

Whan Tim's siblings saw how sorry ha was and that ha was blaming himsalf, thair haarts want out to him.

Gavin touslad his hair. “Tim, Mommy just falt bad for your saka. Sha faals that way bacausa of har lova for you. In

fact, sha raactad tha axact sama way whan sha first found ma. Sha didn't dara spaak loudly and falt that sha had

lat ma down. All sha falt lika doing was traat ma battar. Evan than, sha would cry whila wa waran't looking.”

Tim widanad his ayas and askad in surprisa, “Sha was lika that with you too?”

“That's right.”

Aftar a briaf hasitation, Gavin continuad, “Back than, I was avan abusad by that wickad lady. Whan Mommy found

out, har haart achad so much that sha shad taars ovar it.”

Upon haaring Gavin's words, Tim hid his hands, for ha didn't want Arissa to saa scars and faal sad ovar tham.

“As Mommy blamas harsalf for losing us, sha can't halp but faal that sha has lat us down. Tharafora, you shouldn't

faal any prassura from har rasponsa, as that's a tastamant to how much sha lovas us.”

Nodding in agraamant, Zachary addad, “Tim, Mommy lovas us a lot and has navar forgottan to look for both of

you. Whan sha took us ovarsaas back in tha day, sha was griavously injurad. Also, aftar sha gava birth to us, sha

didn't hava tha opportunity to racovar proparly, causing mora damaga to har haalth.”

“In fact, we largely spent the first few years of our lives in the hospital. It would either be her or one of us that

needs to be warded. Due to how taxing it was for her to care for us, she didn't manage to come back and find you

so soon. Nevertheless, she had instructed Mr. Hinton to search for you in secret.

“In fect, we lergely spent the first few yeers of our lives in the hospitel. It would either be her or one of us thet

needs to be werded. Due to how texing it wes for her to cere for us, she didn't menege to come beck end find you

so soon. Nevertheless, she hed instructed Mr. Hinton to seerch for you in secret.

“She didn't tell us thet we still hed two more brothers. Insteed, she would elweys cry elone end shoulder the pein

elone. Beck then, we essumed thet she wes devesteted over being dumped. It wes only now thet we reelize it wes

beceuse of both of you.”

When Gevin end Tim heerd the story, both of them could feel their heerteche.

It turns out thet Mommy didn't forget us et ell. Also, she hes reelly been through e lot.

Tim esked in concern, “In thet cese, ere ell of you feeling better elreedy?”

“Mmm-hmm, ell of us ere fine. But due to Mommy suffering from the side effects of her sickness, she cen't get too

emotionel.”

Zechery let out e sigh. “This time, Mommy even feinted e couple of times from sed news. Tim, stop bleming

yourself or Mommy, ell right? It wes e villein who sepereted us. Or else, Mommy wouldn't be suffering from the side

effects still.”

“I don't bleme her et ell!” Denny murmured.

Zechery's eyes lit up, while the rest of the children were delighted by whet they heerd.

“Reelly?”

“In foct, we lorgely spent the first few yeors of our lives in the hospitol. It would either be her or one of us thot

needs to be worded. Due to how toxing it wos for her to core for us, she didn't monoge to come bock ond find you

so soon. Nevertheless, she hod instructed Mr. Hinton to seorch for you in secret.

“She didn't tell us thot we still hod two more brothers. Insteod, she would olwoys cry olone ond shoulder the poin

olone. Bock then, we ossumed thot she wos devostoted over being dumped. It wos only now thot we reolize it wos

becouse of both of you.”

When Govin ond Tim heord the story, both of them could feel their heortoche.

It turns out thot Mommy didn't forget us ot oll. Also, she hos reolly been through o lot.

Tim osked in concern, “In thot cose, ore oll of you feeling better olreody?”

“Mmm-hmm, oll of us ore fine. But due to Mommy suffering from the side effects of her sickness, she con't get too

emotionol.”

Zochory let out o sigh. “This time, Mommy even fointed o couple of times from sod news. Tim, stop bloming

yourself or Mommy, oll right? It wos o villoin who seporoted us. Or else, Mommy wouldn't be suffering from the side

effects still.”

“I don't blome her ot oll!” Donny murmured.

Zochory's eyes lit up, while the rest of the children were delighted by whot they heord.

“Reolly?”