Ashley said to Fabio with an apologetic look on her face.
Then, she held Fabio in her arms.
"It's okay, mommy. I know that it's not your fault."
"My good boy."
Today, Ashley was wearing a white dress with a hemline right to her knees. Her fair-skinned calves and
forearms were exposed.
On the other hand, Fabio was also in a white T-shirt and black short pants.
Thus, his little arms and legs were also showing like his mother. With the mild fragrance of milk on his
body, he was indeed a handsome and adorable boy.
Fabio looked around, yet he found no sign of Andrew, his father. "Mommy, where's Daddy?"
Now, Fabio had finally accepted Andrew as his father. After all, in addition to Andrew's efforts of taking
care of his mother, this man had always treated him well.
Ashley's face was still flushed. She didn't know if it was because of the incident earlier. But she was
really taken aback by Fabio's question and wasn't sure how to answer.
With a brief thought, she eventually replied, "Ah, your father getting changed. He'll be here soon."
"Okay,"
Fabio replied and continued to find comfort in Ashley's arms.
Well, a mother's arms were always the best.
If his father were here, Fabio wouldn't be able to hug her mother anymore, since she would definitely
be in Andrew's arms.
So Fabio was secretly hoping that Andrew could stay in the bathroom longer. This way, he could be in
his mommy's arms much longer.
However, his thoughts fell through.
After a while, Fabio himself began to get out of Ashley's arms. He couldn't let his mommy hold him for
too long, or else she would get sore arms and wrists.
However, when he was about to do so, he saw the red marks around Ashley's neck by accident. To his
innocent eyes, it looked like someone had beaten his mommy.
It ultimately startled Fabio. The red marks saddened him and curiosity helped him see more red
patches on her skin.
Therefore, Fabio stopped trying to get out of Ashley's arms. Instead, he wriggled a little upward.
Fearing that her son was afraid of falling down, Ashley held him a little tighter, without realizing how her
son was feeling.
The last thing Fabio wanted to see was his mommy's injuries. All of a sudden, his eyes were welling
with tears. He put his mouth closer to one of her red patches, blew on it and tried to ease her pain. "It
doesn't hurt mommy, it doesn't hurt. Let me blow on it for you."
Ashley felt Fabio's warm breath on her neck and felt itchy. But what Fabio said later confused her.
'What?' That was the first thing on her mind.
"What's wrong, Fabio?"
Ashley put him down to the floor and watched him with a confused expression on her face.
Fabio raised his little face and looked up at Ashley. "Mommy, did Daddy hit you?"
"No, he didn't. Why are you asking such—"
Before Ashley could finish her question, she thought about how Fabio was holding on to her neck and
how her dress had exposed the red marks on her skin.
Perhaps, Fabio had noticed them.
She put two and two together and figured it out.
For a time, Ashley was too embarrassed to explain to Fabio. She had no idea what she should say.
'How to explain this kind of thing to a child?' she thought to herself.
But as she remembered how Fabio asked if Andrew had hit her, she denied it without hesitation.
"No, Fabio. Daddy has never hit me."
Fabio still didn't stop. He pointed at the red marks on Ashley's neck and asked, "Then what are these?
Those red marks are proof that someone has hurt you. It must be Dad since he was with you."
While speaking, Fabio suddenly approached Ashley and hugged her. He raised his little head a little so
he could look at her better. "Mommy, I don't want Dad. Let's live together just like before. Daddy is a
bad guy."
Ashley was rendered speechless.
She couldn't help but look away and cough.
But she couldn't let Fabio misunderstand Andrew. She had to clarify it with her son.
With a brief thought, she squatted down and looked at Fabio at eye-level. "Fabio, Daddy has never
beaten Mommy. How could he hit me when he always treats me so kindly? These marks on mommy's
neck were left by mosquitoes. They have nothing to do with Daddy. I promise."
"Really?" Fabio asked with a pout.
Ashley nodded immediately. "Yes, of course. Has Mommy ever lied to you? They were caused by
mosquitoes, believe me."
Ashley smiled at her son with certainty in her eyes as she explained.
Afraid that Fabio wouldn't believe what she said, Ashley reached out and lifted the left ruffle sleeve of
her dress to show another red mark that had been left by a mosquito on her arm. "It's true. Look at my
arm."
She thought that Fabio wouldn't be able to distinguish them.
In order to convince Fabio, Ashley had to think and react very quickly. Fortunately, she had checked
the marks on her body before she changed her clothes today.
Fabio looked at Ashley with lingering confusion on his face and asked, "Did mosquitoes really leave
those marks? But I didn't find any mosquitoes when I slept next to my brother last night."
Ashley let out a sigh of relief and explained, "That's because Mommy used mosquito repellent liquid in
your room when you were sleeping. But last night, Mommy forgot to use it in my room, so I was bitten.
I'll be fine in two days. You don't have to worry about me, Fabio."
Finally, Ashley had succeeded in convincing Fabio.
The interruption almost made Fabio forget what he was asking Ashley.
"Mommy, let's go downstairs to have breakfast. You have to drive Richard and me to school shortly
after," then Fabio said.
Ashley poked Fabio's nose and looked at him with amusement. "I remember you didn't want to go to
kindergarten yesterday. Why are you so eager today?"
"Yesterday was yesterday, today is today. Let's go, Mommy!" Fabio exclaimed with a smile on his face.
"Can you be a good boy and go downstairs first? I will check if your Dad has already finished changing
clothes. I'll come down with him later, okay? You go first and have breakfast. Then wait for me for a
short while."
The corners of Fabio's mouth twitched a little. He was reluctant to do what his mother had told him. But
since it was his mother, he only nodded his little head.
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