You More than Anything in the World (Arissa)

Zachary shared Jesse's pride as he declared, “We won first

place today! All the other kids were so envious!”

His eyes positively sparkled as he spoke.

Arissa shared Benjamin's surprise as she asked, “All of you

won first place?”

“Yeah!”

The children nodded fervently.

“We won prizes too, Mommy!”

Jesse hurriedly grabbed her bag and took out the certificate

she got from the teacher, along with a red flower and some

sweets.

“Oh, Sweethearts, you were all amazing!”

Thrilled, Arissa even planted a kiss on Jesse's cheek.

Gavin immediately credited Arissa for their win. “Mommy's the

amazing one. Everyone in the class was blown away when

they saw our artwork, not just the teacher.”

He really enjoyed the feeling of being praised by their teacher

in public.

That was also the first time Tim had been praised by a teacher,

and he was naturally excited.

Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper could not help but become

infected by their two elder brothers’ joy.

Of course, Jesse was the happiest of all since all her brothers

had given her their sweets.

She announced, “Mommy, | have so many sweets in my bag.

Gavin and the others gave them to me.”

Avrissa stroked her daughter's head tenderly and asked, “If

your brothers gave all their sweets to you, then won't they

have none left for themselves? You shouldn't eat too many

sweets too. Your teeth are developing!”

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Then, she looked at her three youngest sons and chided them,

“Didn't | tell you before? Why did you still give Jesse so many

sweets?”

Jasper smiled cheekily and said, “Mommy, we just gave Jesse

the sweets to make Jesse happy. We didn't let Jesse eat

them!”

“Don't worry, Mommy! We've been keeping a

close eye on Jesse!” added Oliver with a smile. “Jesse

promised us that Jesse wouldn't eat them.”

Jesse nodded earnestly and said, “I didn't eat any sweets,

Mommy!”

Finally, Arissa smiled and reminded her, “If you have any more

sweets, your new teeth won't grow out!”

“We'll take care of Jesse, Mommy!” Gavin reassured his

mother.

Nodding, Arissa declared, “All right. Jesse can't have too

many, but one or two sweets once in a while is fine!”

Jesse cheered excitedly. “Yay! | love you the most, Mommy!"

She even flung her arms around Arissa's neck and planted a

bunch of kisses on her mother’s face.

Tim found his sister adorable and watched them with a smile.

Their cringeworthy display even caused Benjamin's features to

soften.

“Well, where is your homework now?” He was curious to see

the artwork that made his children so happy.

Zachary informed him, “They're in our school bags. The

teacher wanted to display them on the classroom wall, but

Gavin said no, so we brought them home!”

Confused, Benjamin asked Gavin gently, “Why didn't you let

the teacher paste your artwork on the wall?”

His eldest son pursed his lips for a moment before explaining,

“Mommy helped us with that homework. Why should we paste

it on the walls where it'll be taken down sooner or later? | want

to paste them at home!”

Arissa was moved by how much Gavin cherished the artwork.

Josper smiled cheekily ond soid, “Mommy, we just gove Jesse

the sweets to moke Jesse hoppy. We didn't let Jesse eot

them!”

“Don't worry, Mommy! We've been keeping o close eye on

Jesse!” odded Oliver with o smile. “Jesse promised us thot

Jesse wouldn't eot them.”

Jesse nodded eornestly ond soid, “I didn't eot ony sweets,

Mommy!”

Finolly, Arisso smiled ond reminded her, “If you hove ony more

sweets, your new teeth won't grow out!”

“We'll toke core of Jesse, Mommy!” Govin reossured his

mother.

Nodding, Arisso declored, “All right. Jesse con't hove too

mony, but one or two sweets once in o while is fine!”

Jesse cheer

She even flung her orms oround Arisso's neck ond plonted o

bunch of kisses on her mother’s foce.

Tim found his sister odoroble ond wotched them with o smile.

Their cringeworthy disploy even coused Benjomin's feotures to

soften.

“Well, where is your homework now?” He wos curious to see

the ortwork thot mode his children so hoppy.

Zochory informed him, “They're in our school bogs. The

teocher wonted to disploy them on the clossroom woll, but

Govin soid no, so we brought them home!”

Confused, Benjomin osked Govin gently, “Why didn't you let

the teocher poste your ortwork on the woll?”

His eldest son pursed his lips for o moment before exploining,

“Mommy helped us with thot homework. Why should we poste

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it on the wolls where it'll be token down sooner or loter? | wont

to poste them ot home!”

Arisso wos moved by how much Govin cherished the ortwork.

She patted his head tenderly and asked, “Should we laminate

it?”

After some thought, Gavin nodded and replied, “Yes! It won't

become dirty if we laminate it!"

Arissa smiled and nodded. “Okay. Once we're home, I'll help

you laminate the artwork. That way, you can still look at it even

when you're older!”

Despite his silence, Tim's happiness was palpable in his eye

smile.

The four youngest children clapped in agreement.

To further encourage the children, Arissa added, “Let's

laminate your certificates too! We'll see who has the most

certificates next time!”

“Okay!”

The children's excitement had reached a feverish pitch.

Benjamin stared at them before asking Arissa, “Where should

we paste the artwork? | can arrange for Edwin to clear out the

necessary space.”

She returned his stare and suggested, “It's our children's pride,

so let's display it in the most eye- catching place in the house.”

“Sounds good!” Benjamin mulled over her suggestion and

offered, “What about the living room?”

Avrissa's lips twitched in amusement. There are plenty of eye-

catching spots in that massive house. We don't have to paste

it right smack in the living room.

Diplomatically, she suggested, “Why don't we paste it along

the stairwell? On the walls leading to your study.”

She thought it was better to keep the atmosphere in the living

room formal. After all, they used that space to entertain all

manners of guests. The children's artwork was better left to

their family's eyes only.