The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

It was clear what Jessica was asking. Cody had to have that locket.

But Steven was not playing along. "I've given you plenty of money lately. If you want to give Cody one, take him shopping yourself."

As he spoke, he gently nudged Zachary. "Do you want to open it and see if you like it?"

"Yeah!" Zachary had caught on.

While Steven often sided with Jessica and Cody, he still protected Zachary when it really mattered.

Zachary set the bag aside and opened the jewelry box. Staring at the gleaming gold locket, he declared, "I love it, Daddy!"

"You'd better find a safe place for it, then," Steven said as he patted Zachary's back.

Zachary scampered back to his bedroom. After closing the door, he opened his custom desk. Inside was a hidden drawer containing a few bankbooks. They detailed all the money Annalise had saved for him. There were also some property deeds, mostly for retail spaces, which Annalise had bought for him. Zachary started to put the locket in with them before changing his mind and closing the drawer. He found another spot for the locket instead.

Then, he opened his door, only to see Steven playing with Cody while Jessica cheered them on. The happy scene only made him feel even lonelier.

Zachary suddenly realized that there was a limit to Steven's love for him. He would defend Zachary one time, then act like Cody was his real son the next second. Staring back at his desk, he wondered if giving Annalise all the properties and savings back would make her forgive him.

...

Fresh from her bath, Willow

snuggled into bed. I sat beside her with a storybook, reading patiently. But she kept staring at me anxiously.

Noticing something was on her mind, I set down the book. I looked at her and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Mommy..." Willow sat up and hugged me. She then buried her face in my chest. "Remember how Zachary apologized to me the other day?"

Her sudden mention of this caught me off guard. "Yeah?"

"I knew he didn't really mean it then," she said softly. "But today, he came up to me and said sorry when no one was looking. He also promised never to be mean to me again. could tell he really meant it this time." , FindNovel

As she spoke, her voice turned sad. "He's been so much better lately."

I just smiled and asked, "Has he?"

"Yeah." Her voice got even quieter. "What about you, Mommy? Will you forgive him?"

Her question surprised me. I looked down at her curled in my arms.

When I did not answer, she continued, "When Zachary was mean, you didn't want him around. But now that he's being good..." Her voice started to crack.

Seeing tears well up in her big eyes, I quickly wiped them away. "Why are you crying, Willow?"