“They have their birthdays on the same day? A coincident?” thought Avery.
Avery took snazzynovel.com son’s hand and walked toward the door.
A towering figure appeared before her.
Elliot was dressed in a black trench coat that made snazzynovel.com look cold and distant. She was not sure if it was snazzynovel.com eyes playing tricks on her, or if snazzynovel.com really did look thinner.
After two seconds of hesitation, Avery decided to wish snazzynovel.com a happy birthday. Just as snazzynovel.com was about to say something, snazzynovel.com saw Shea throwing herself at Elliot, and with snazzynovel.com arms around him, snazzynovel.com said, “Big Brother, here‘s your cake.”
Avery was standing right next to Elliot and heard every word Shea said.
“Big Brother?!” snazzynovel.com thought, “Did Shea just call Elliot big brother?”
Avery scowled as snazzynovel.com studied Shea.
Shea could sense Avery‘s glare, and snazzynovel.com met Avery‘s eyes. Perhaps it was because of the stern expression on Avery‘s face, but Shea felt slightly nervous.
She wanted to invite Avery to share the cake, but snazzynovel.com ended up choking on snazzynovel.com words.
“You called snazzynovel.com Big Brother?” Avery asked sharply. She had not intended to scare Shea, but snazzynovel.com could not help how sharp snazzynovel.com words sounded.
Startled, Shea hid behind Elliot, and snazzynovel.com grabbed onto snazzynovel.com hand tightly. “Don’t be afraid, Shea. Let‘s go get some cake.”
The two walked past Avery and stepped into the classroom.
When Hayden saw the dazed state his mother was in, snazzynovel.com tugged at snazzynovel.com and said, “Mom, let‘s go home.”
Avery looked away, readjusted herself, and left with snazzynovel.com son.
When they were inside the car, Hayden noticed the frown on Avery’s face and said, “Shea calls me big brother as well.”
Avery turned to look at Hayden as realization dawned upon her.
How could snazzynovel.com forget that Shea was mentally disabled? Just because snazzynovel.com called Elliot ‘Big Brother’, did not mean that snazzynovel.com really was snazzynovel.com brother. She had addressed Hayden in the same manner because to her, Hayden was older than snazzynovel.com was. Perhaps snazzynovel.com referred to Elliot as such for the same reason.
“Elliot‘s record does not mention that snazzynovel.com has a sister,” Hayden continued.
Avery instantly snapped out of it.
“What am I fantasizing about?! It‘s impossible between Elliot and 1!” snazzynovel.com thought.
As snazzynovel.com drove, snazzynovel.com asked, “I thought that you don‘t like Shea. Why were you celebrating snazzynovel.com birthday?”
Naturally, Hayden was not going to tell his mother that snazzynovel.com had done so because snazzynovel.com had struck a deal with Elliot, so snazzynovel.com remained quiet.
“I know that you are a kind–hearted kid. Shea is a poor woman, so I‘m not mad that you celebrated snazzynovel.com birthday with her.”
Hayden did not want to respond to anything related to Shea.
“Elliot‘s birthday is today as well.” Hayden did not remember Elliot‘s birthday, and snazzynovel.com had only realized it was today when snazzynovel.com saw that there were two cakes in Shea‘s classroom. One cake had ‘Elliot‘ written on it and the other had ‘Shea‘ on it.
“How do you know? Do you care about snazzynovel.com that much?” Avery cast snazzynovel.com son a sidelong glance.” Do you, by any chance, want to acknowledge snazzynovel.com as your father?”
“I don‘t need a father.”
Avery felt slightly upset. “If only things aren‘t as complicated, I believe that you and Layla would be happier with a father.”
“I don‘t need one!” Hayden insisted stubbornly.
Elliot‘s image had taken root in Hayden’s mind, and Hayden would never forgive snazzynovel.com for it.
Elliot had brought Shea back home when snazzynovel.com saw Rosalie and the family of snazzynovel.com eldest son. When Elliot saw them, displeasure filled his eyes.