Chapter 489
Elliot was momentarily lost in thought upon hearing those words. He just stared at Tarquin, clearly taken aback by his sudden statement. The speaker might not have meant much, but the listener took it to heart. A mix of emotions suddenly surged within him—it was hard to pinpoint exactly what he was feeling. There was pride and surprise at being acknowledged, but also a tinge of bitterness and grievance at not being recognized earlier. But where did this grievance come from? He couldn’t quite figure it out. After all, he hadn’t expected to be recognized! And really, Tarquin was someone he could do without.
The three brothers had lived with their mom since they could remember. She was their world-caring for them, loving them. Joyful moments, sad ones, sick days, sleepless nights, learning to eat, to speak, to walk… it was always just Mom.
As for Dad… Back when they lived in the countryside, they barely had any idea of what having a dad meant. Probably because Mom took such good care of them, they never really felt the absence of fatherly love. But then, returning to Jindale City and accidentally finding out about him… The brothers didn’t feel joy, only resentment and anger. Not for failing to be a father, but for the pain he caused Mom! They even thought about getting back at him, to take revenge for Mom!
However, as they learned more about him, and with Elijah’s presence, as well as being influenced by their peers in preschool… Their understanding of ‘Dad’ began to change. No child is devoid of the desire for fatherly love. Preschool is such an innocent environment. At three to five years old, kids, unlike older students, don’t have their own circles or topics of interest that are as varied. Even though they are away from their parents at school, their parents are still their everything. When chatting, every sentence would revolve around their parents.
“Wow, your bunny hair clip is so pretty p>
“Isn’t it? My mom bought it for me p>
“Your quiet book is so cool p>
“Of course, my dad made it for me p>
Talking about Mom, the brothers had endless stories. But whenever the topic shifted to Dad, they fell silent. Nothing to say, unable to join in. And yet, kids, especially the boys, loved to brag about their dads. Evan, due to his personality, disliked Tarquin the most. So, initially, when kids discussed their dads, he would become impatient. He’d interrupt them, annoyed, “Let’s not talk about dads! What’s so great about stinky dads? Let’s talk about moms! My mom’s name is Elysia. She’s so pretty, kind, and gentle, and she can cook so many delicious things p>
But gradually… After spending more time in preschool, Evan stopped interrupting. After all, one moment he’d interrupt, and the next, kids would start talking about their dads again. Evan would just sulk, looking annoyed and frustrated. Emmett once asked him privately, “Elliot, is having a dad something to be really proud and happy about? Why do they all like talking about their dads so much?” He countered, “Emmett, do you want a dad?” Emmett paused for a long while before hesitantly saying, “I love Mom the most! But I also wish I could proudly tell them we have a dad who loves us! I wish I had a dad to drop me off and pick me up from school, to hug me and lift me high… Whenever they ask about our dad, I’m afraid to answer, worried they’ll laugh at us for not having a dad’s love p>
Clearly, Emmett, too, yearned for a dad. Though Evan didn’t express his longing for a dad as directly as Emmett did, deep down, he felt the same. In this world, there’s probably no 5-year-old child who doesn’t crave the love of a father. But still p>