The dark stairwell, the wind howling.
It was cold outside.
I wore only a thin dress, and the chilly breeze swept up beneath its hem, as if it could seep right into my flesh and blood.
"Mother, don't be sad." Ye Zhaoxuan wiped the corners of my eyes.
I turned away in silence. Even after returning to the living room, I didn't say a word.
Yangyang poked her head out of her nest.
Ye Ranxing's little hand froze in midair, her water glass halfway to her mouth.
I looked at my three daughters, who were worried about me, and managed a strained smile. "Mom's fine. I'm a little tired, so I'm going to rest first."
"When you're done playing, remember to knock."
Ye Xiaoyao, you can't pass your negative emotions on to the babies.
I forced my exhausted body onward, repeating the admonition to myself over and over.
I left Ye Zhaoxuan in the living room.
I returned to the bedroom and shut the door.
Only after I had shut myself away in a room of my own did my pent-up emotions surge out like a tide.
I collapsed onto the bed and curled into a helpless ball.
What had they gone to do?
Were they fighting?
In the end... would someone leave?
I thought of far too much, and my mind turned into a complete mess.
When the soft pillow pressed against my even softer cheek, tears slipped down like beads from a broken string, soaking the cotton stuffing beneath me.
I didn't cry out loud.
Because I could barely make a sound.
My big, lifeless eyes made me look like a broken rag doll.
"Little Little."
Cat mother woke with a start and shakily crawled over to me.
The sound of my mother's voice made my heart give