Chapter 0028
Agnes
I tucked Thea into bed, pulling the blanket up to her chin. She clutched her favorite stuffed rabbit to her chest as I settled on the
bed beside her.
“Mommy, can you read me a story?” she asked.
“Of course, sweetheart,” I replied, reaching for the well–worn book of fairy tales that was sitting on the nightstand. Flipping through the pages, I found one of her favorites–a story of a brave princess and a kind prince who overcome all odds to be
together.
As I began to read, Thea listened intently, her little fingers tracing the illustrations. When I reached the part where the prince
rescued the princess from the tower, she sighed dreamily.
“Do you think they’ll get married and live happily ever after?” she asked, tilting her head back to look up at me
I smiled softly. “Well, that’s how the story goes, isn’t it?”
She nodded, then thought for a moment, tapping her chin. “Will you and Daddy get married like them?” she suddenly asked.
My heart skipped a beat at the sudden reminder. She hadn’t mentioned it since this morning, and I had sort of hoped she would
have moved on from it by now. “Oh, Thea… it’s not that simple,” I said gently
“But why not?” she pressed, her brows knitting together. “You kissed him last night, didn’t you? Doesn’t that mean you’re in
love?”
I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. “Well… Sometimes, in real life, things are a bit more complicated than in stories.”
“But you like Daddy, and he likes you,” she insisted. “Why can’t you be like the prince and princess?”
I took a deep breath and momentarily set down the book, taking a moment to search for the right words. Finally, I said, “Because
sometimes, people have responsibilities and… other commitments that make things difficult.
She pondered this for a moment. “But I know you and Daddy will fall in love someday,” she declared confidently.
I brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead. “Maybe,” I whispered, even though I highly doubted that. “But for now, let’s just enjoy our story, okay?”
She nodded slowly, her eyelids already growing heavy. “Okay.”
I continued reading until her breathing became slow and steady. Once she was asleep, I gently closed the book and watched her
for a moment, envying the simplicity of her little fantasy world. If only things were as straightforward as they are in the Imaginations of little girls, I thought. Things really would be so much simpler in life.
But they weren’t. And that was just a fact.
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