It was not a big room, but it was very cozy, and the pattern of the beddings was also something that a young boy would like. Looking around the room, Elissa guessed that all these things were probably things that Raphael would have dreamed of having when he was a child, and now, he had arranged them for Brantley.

Without a word, she turned around and went back to her bedroom.

At the sight of his new room, Brantley was very excited at first, but then, his face fell again upon seeing Elissa walk away without saying anything. “What's up, young man?" Raphael asked, caressing his head affectionately. “Come on, keep your chin up. You can't be as weak as this if you really want to be my boy."

Brantley blushed when he heard this.

"You are not my daddy!" he suddenly yelled at Raphael, still blushing.

But Raphael simply broke into a faint smile.

Then he proceeded to check Brantley's homework. Before long, he found some mistakes in it. Perhaps it was because the boy had just gone through a lot of things and he simply could stay focused on his study.

But Raphael didn't scold or rebuke him. Instead, he just left Brantley to deal with his issues by himself at his own pace.

Not only him, but all of them were scared in life.

That included himself and Elissa as well as Brantley.

As for the baby he and Elissa were expecting, he hoped it would grow up living a simple and carefree life.

In the dead of night, Raphael retreated to the bedroom.

Elissa sat lost in contemplation, her solitude betraying her profound sorrow. The recent loss of her parents weighed heavily on her heart.

The sound of the door closing brought Elissa back to the present.

Tearfully, she gazed at her husband.

Raphael approached and tenderly dabbed at her tears with a tissue.

Softly, he inquired, “Are you thinking about your mother?"

Setting aside the photo album she found in her parents’ home, Elissa composed herself.

She nodded, her voice heavy with grief. “I can't shake the thought. If I had persuaded my mother to stay that day, would things have turned out differently?"

Raphael knelt beside her, tenderly placing a hand on her belly.

After a pause, he spoke up softly. "But if she had stayed, she might have lived her whole Life in resentment and anger, never finding true closure, let alone happiness. I'm not justifying her decision, but what's done is done, and we can't change it. It's not your fault. Please, don't blame yourself, alright?"

Elissa cast her gaze downward, meeting his eyes.

She stared at him for a moment before tears welled in her eyes and spilled over.

The nagging thought persisted that she could have altered the course of events.