Chapter 96

Three years later. "Leo, Mommy's home!" Emma called out as she stepped inside, dropping the groceries in the kitchen before heading toward his room. The little guy quickly slammed his laptop shut with a loud "snap." "Emma babe, I've told you—knock before you come into my room," Leo said with a dramatic pout. "My bad, I'll remember next time. But didn't we agree you shouldn't stare at screens so much? It's bad for your eyes," Emma replied, pretending to scold him. "But it's so boring being alone at home all day. Watching cartoons is the only fun thing," Leo mumbled back. Emma sighed. Hearing that made her heart ache—she was always working, and Leo had to spend too much time by himself. She couldn't help but feel guilty. "I'm sorry, Leo. I'll make it up to you. How about we go to the amusement park tomorrow?" she said, scooping him into a hug, trying hard to stop the tears from falling. "Yay, awesome!" Leo cheered, arms flailing in excitement. "Go play for a bit, sweetheart. Mommy's gonn