Chapter 645: A Child’s Core is Pure
Chapter 645: Chapter 645: A Child’s Core is Pure
"Willow, thank you for the compliment. I’m flattered." A smile lit up Diana Jennings’s eyes, and she reached out to pat the girl’s head. "How about I take you and Glenn for a haircut this weekend?"
Willow didn’t respond. Instead, she offered a gentle reminder. "Sister Bella, you should hurry and take Zane and Jasmine to school. It’s almost time."
"Alright." Diana smiled and patted Glenn’s head. "See you tonight."
Willow and Glenn watched Diana, Zane, and Jasmine until they were out the door.
Glenn Zane said softly, "Willow, Glenn, come eat breakfast."
After they finished breakfast, the siblings started helping with the housework.
When Rhea Dempsey and Dalton Jenson came downstairs and saw the scene, Rhea sighed. "Willow, Glenn, why are you two working again? If Renee sees this, she’s going to lecture me."
It was certainly a lot of work for Glenn Zane to clean such a large villa by herself. She’d been looking for a new housekeeper, but she just hadn’t found anyone who felt like the right fit.
Willow stuck her tongue out playfully. "Aunt Rae, we were just about to start helping when you caught us."
"Stop that now. I’ll help when I get home from work," Dalton Jenson added. "At your age, your priority should be your studies. Haven’t you picked a new school yet?"
"I’ll ask Renee in a bit," Rhea said. "You go eat breakfast first."
"Alright." Dalton Jenson nodded.
As he finished breakfast and prepared to leave, he added, "Rae, remember to ask Renee if she can handle it. If she can’t, I’ll pull some strings. They’ll fall behind if they miss too many more days of school."
Once again, Willow and Glenn watched Dalton Jenson until he was out the door.
"That’s so weird," Glenn mumbled.
Hearing this, Rhea asked curiously, "What’s weird, Glenn?"
Glenn looked at her, his innocent face filled with confusion. "Why are some dads good, and other dads so bad?"
Upon hearing his question, Rhea sighed to herself.
She gently stroked Glenn’s head, her voice softening. "Sometimes, people are like flowers. Some bloom beautifully and vibrantly, but others just rot and wither."
"Oh, so that’s how it is." Glenn nodded, though he didn’t seem to fully understand.
He remembered seeing Diana hug Zane and Jasmine earlier. He looked at Rhea, wanting to say something but hesitating.
Rhea could see he wanted to say something but was too timid, so she asked with an amused smile, "Glenn, is there something you want to tell me?"
"Mhm!" Glenn nodded vigorously, then summoned his courage. "Aunt Rae, can I hug you?"
"You want to hug me?" A smile lit up Rhea’s eyes, and she readily agreed. "Of course."
Glenn moved closer, and his small body was quickly enveloped in a warm, soft hug.
Rhea instinctively began to rub his back soothingly. Then she looked over at Willow and, with a beaming smile, asked, "Would you like a hug too, Willow?"
Willow nodded eagerly.
Rhea held out an arm to her. "Come on over."
Without a moment’s hesitation, Willow leaned in and was enveloped in the warm embrace. A sense of peace instantly settled over her.
But that feeling was immediately followed by a wave of sadness, and her eyes began to turn red.
「Meanwhile」
The cats and dogs in the yard were discussing what Willow had said earlier, and they were slowly realizing that something was amiss.
Blueberry frowned. "Are Willow and Glenn leaving?"
"Probably," Pudding guessed. "Earlier, Willow said she was reading the classic poem for the last time."
Cici couldn’t help but worry. "If Teacher Willow leaves, who’s going to teach us?"
Boo, however, was secretly a little pleased. "Isn’t no class a good thing? Those sentences are too hard! I can’t remember them, WOOF!"
"This won’t do. I have to find Renee and get a clear answer." With that, Blueberry trotted off with light, nimble steps.
Renee Jennings hadn’t slept well all night. She watched the sky outside her window turn from pitch-black to pale gray, and by the time the sun was fully up, she had quietly made a momentous decision.
Renee Jennings gently lifted the light comforter off her body and stepped out of bed onto the soft carpet.
After freshening up, she had just stepped out of her room when Blueberry leaped in through the window.
Only Michelle Fuller was on the bed, fast asleep.
Blueberry padded toward the bathroom, its steps as light as a feather.
The bathroom was quiet, too.
Unable to find her, Blueberry leaped nimbly back out the window.
When Renee got to the ground floor, she saw Willow and Glenn snuggled up against Rhea Dempsey on the living room sofa, watching television with her. A comforting warmth seemed to fill the air.
She paused in her tracks, then turned and headed for the garden, pulling out her phone to call Rhea Dempsey.
Rhea paused in surprise when she saw the caller ID, then answered. "Renee, what is it?"
Willow and Glenn immediately tensed up, and the sense of loss they had been suppressing resurfaced.
The siblings thought, ’Renee must be calling because someone from the welfare agency is here to get us. She’s telling Aunt Rae to bring us to the door.’
When Rhea hung up, both siblings were on edge.
"Willow, Glenn, you two keep watching for a bit. I have something to take care of," Rhea said gently before getting up and heading toward the garden.
Blueberry beat Rhea to Renee’s side, asking urgently, "Renee, are Willow and Glenn leaving?"
Renee looked down at the cat, raising an eyebrow slightly. "How did you know, Blueberry?"
"Willow told us," Blueberry sighed. "She said she was reading the classic poem to us for the last time today. The more we thought about it, the more something felt wrong."
Renee crouched in front of Blueberry, stroking its fur. "Don’t worry," she said with a smile. "Willow and Glenn aren’t leaving."
Blueberry’s eyes widened. "Really?"
Renee nodded. "For real. When have I ever lied to you?"
Blueberry tilted its head, thinking it over. She was right. "Then I’ll go tell everyone the good news!"
"Go ahead." Renee’s lips curved into a smile.
As it left, Blueberry spotted Rhea arriving. It let out a "Meow!" that sounded like "Mom!" then took off at a run, dashing away like a little cheetah on joyful paws.
"Renee, what’s going on?" Rhea asked. Hearing how serious she’d sounded on the phone had made her heart leap into her throat.
Renee pursed her lips and said quietly, "Mom, yesterday Henry Stark told me he found a children’s home that can take in both Willow and Glenn..."
Rhea frowned and cut her off. "We’re sending them to a children’s home?"
Renee explained, "Yes, that’s the standard procedure. None of Willow and Glenn’s relatives are willing to take on their guardianship..."
Rhea’s eyes instantly reddened, her voice catching with a distinct sob. "Those poor children have been through so much. After all that, to end up in a place like a children’s home..."
She was a sensitive and soft-hearted person by nature. The thought of Willow and Glenn having no one to depend on made her heart ache with sadness.
Rhea clutched the hem of her shirt and asked urgently, "Renee, can’t they just stay here with us for a while longer? At least until they’ve had time to heal from the pain of losing their mother..."
She had grown very fond of Willow and Glenn. Even though they had scammed people by selling rotten fruit at the market, they had been forced to do it by a cruel and heartless person. That wasn’t who they really were; at their core, the two children were good kids.