Chapter 71
Anathea watched Xander, trying to read something from his face.
But Xander just blinked at her, his gaze unwavering as he held the cup of water up to her.
When she didn’t respond, he called again, “Mom?”
Anathea snapped out of her thoughts, her expression softening slightly. “Thank you.”
The water was still warm.
She took her medicine with it, and Xander handed her a handkerchief to wipe the water from the corner of her lips.
He held the handkerchief, his movements a little clumsy but careful.
Anathea was momentarily stunned.
“All done,” Xander said, smiling.
These small, thoughtful gestures felt almost unreal to Anathea, so she asked, “Did you have something you wanted to talk to me
about, Xander?”
At her words, Xander nodded. “Yes!”
Anathea’s chest tightened as she braced herself for the possibility that he might say something unintentionally hurtful again.
After all, at the hospital, he had told her right to her face that he wanted her to divorce Gregory, that he wanted Natalie to be his
mother.
She had heard things like that many times before.
Though she always pretended not to care, that didn’t mean it didn’t sting every time she heard it.
“Mom, can you teach me how to fold a thousand paper cranes?”
Anathea was surprised that that was all he asked, and she hesitated for a second.
“It’s homework, but I don’t really know how to do it,” Xander explained.
He tugged at the hem of her sleeve, looking up at her pitifully. “Can you, Mom?”
So… All Xander wanted was for her to teach him how to fold paper cranes?
Anathea felt a pang of guilt for assuming the worst about a child.
No matter what, Xander was still her son, so she nodded. “Alright.”
The moment she agreed, Xander’s face lit up with pure joy. “Yay!”
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Chapter 71
The school must have given this assignment to encourage parent–child bonding.
Anathea could feel it working, especially when, after she demonstrated a few different ways to fold a paper crane, Xander started
looking at her with admiration in his eyes.
“Mom, you’re amazing! You know so many ways to fold them!”
Anathea froze for a second. This was the first time Xander had ever praised her.
He had never complimented her like this before.
For a moment, she felt complicated.
She took a slow breath to steady herself, then smiled at him. “Which one do you want to learn?”
“Since you’re teaching me, I want to learn all of them!” Xander was already eager to start.
Anathea’s expression softened as she began teaching him from the simplest method.
Xander had always been a smart child. He was quick to pick things up. It wasn’t long before he had mastered all the techniques she had taught him.
He carefully folded a particularly beautiful paper crane and held it up to her. “Does this one look good, Mom?”
“Yes,” Anathea replied while nodding.
“Then, this one’s for you!”
Xander cupped the paper crane in both hands and held it out to her. “Do you like it?”
Anathea’s hands stilled as she looked at the delicate paper crane in front of her.
She then looked at Xander, noticing he was anticipating.
For some reason, a wave of complicated emotions surged in her chest.
And suddenly, she felt a little greedy. She wanted to keep Xander by her side.
“You’re seriously this happy over a single paper crane?”
From the other end of the phone, Hannah sounded both amused and exasperated.
“This is the first time Xander has ever given me anything,” Anathea murmured, standing on the balcony as the cool evening breeze brushed against her.
Inside the room, Xander was seated at his desk, fully focused as he folded one paper crane after another before placing each one into a glass jar.
Chapter 71
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“So, you’re touched? Just because of this? Wait, don’t tell me… You’re thinking about fighting Gregory for custody just because of this one little thing?”
Anathea didn’t answer. When Xander had cupped that paper crane in his hands and looked at her with those bright, expectant eyes, she had wavered.
She had always thought Xander was distant from her because of the way he had been raised by the Sinclairs.
His private tutors had never given him assignments like this to foster emotional bonds.
They had only taught him how to be a proper heir and to discard any unnecessary emotions.
That was why, from the very start, he had never been close to her.
