Joshua carried Luna into the car.
Luna sat in the back seat in silence throughout the car ride, gazing at the scenery outside the window.
The car pulled further and further away from the city center, heading toward the outskirts.
Luna could not help frowning as she watched the trees go past. “Why would Neil be at such a faraway
place?“
Gwen gave her a meaningful look, then closed her eyes, unwilling to be the one to burst Luna’s bubble.
Joshua reached out to hold her hand but paused. His hand hung mid-air for a moment, then finally drew
it back.
He let out a sigh and said, “So that he can be at peace, with no one disturbing him.“
Luna nodded, thinking that Joshua’s explanation did not seem right yet made sense at the same time. “
Hmm, I guess you’re right! Neil definitely needs some alone time by himself. This child is far too
talkative… Even though he’s only six, he acts like a grown-up. Sometimes, I even think he might be older
than me.
“He’d always tell me not to stay up too late and forbid me from pulling an all-nighter, like a nagging
grown-up. He’d always tell Nellie not to disturb me and ask us all to sleep in and get plenty of rest, but
he’d always wake up early to make us breakfast.
“He constantly nags us to take care of our bodies… Nellie always teased him and told him he was acting
like an old man. He’s only six, but he’s so talkative all the time. It’s like he’s afraid if he doesn’t talk, he
won’t have a chance to do so in the future…“
As soon as she realized what she had said, Luna pursed her lips and did not say anything more.
Everyone grew silent.
The atmosphere in the car was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Lucas, who was driving the car, stifled his tears and focused on the road ahead.
Throughout the entire car ride, Luna was bubbling with anticipation and excitement. She was looking
forward to seeing Neil again. She believed that everything was like Joshua had described—that the
reason Neil was so far away from the city center was that he needed some alone time.
When the car finally pulled up next to a cemetery, Luna could no longer keep herself together anymore.
As soon as she stepped out of the car, her legs gave out beneath her, and she slumped onto the ground.
She could not accept this.
Lucas took out a wheelchair from the trunk and assembled it. Then, Joshua and Gwen helped Luna into
the wheelchair.
Luna closed her eyes, her entire body trembling. “ Why? Why? Joshua Lynch, I entrusted Neil in your
care. You told me you’d take good care of Neil and
Nellie. You promised me you’d fulfill your responsibility as a father! Why… Why did my Neil…“
At this point, Luna was so choked up by tears that she could not say another word.
Sorrow and despair engulfed her entire being like an invisible net. She had no way of escaping.
Tears streamed down her face, and Luna clung to the hem of her shirt desperately. She was so
overcome by grief that she had trouble breathing.
It was her fault.
She should not have put her hope on Joshua. She should not have thought Joshua would be able to
save Nigel.
It was her fault for being stupid.
She should have listened to Nigel and stayed with him. She should not have brought Neil and Nellie
along with her when she returned to Banyan City.
With her baby gone and Nigel could not be saved, even Neil was…
Luna sniffed and sobbed but could not say a single word.
Gwen walked slowly into the cemetery, pushing Luna’s wheelchair before her.
Joshua walked next to them and said in a low voice, “ It’s all my fault.“
If only he had discovered Alice’s true identity earlier.
If only he had trusted Luna and believed she and Theo were never together, things would not have
turned out like this.
“What use is it for you to admit your mistake now?“ Luna could not stop her tears from falling.
At the same time, it started drizzling, as though even the skies were weeping for her loss, weeping for
Neil.
The cemetery was a large one, but they soon made their way to the end of it.
At the end of the cemetery was a small, fenced -in yard standing all by itself. The yard was covered with
all kinds of plants, flourishing and blooming beautifully, as though symbolizing Neil’s short but prosperous
life.
At the center of the yard was a big tombstone. Joshua pushed the gate open while Gwen wheeled Luna
into the yard.
This was where Neil laid.
In the black-and-white photo on the tombstone, Neil was grinning at the camera, as if the next moment,
he was going to pop out and nag Luna about not taking care of herself.
“Neil…“ Luna stood up from her wheelchair, stumbling. It was as though every cell in her body was
trembling and shaking in grief.
Despite that, Luna still made her way toward Neil’s tombstone and wrapped her arms around it. “Mommy
is sorry…“
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