Chapter 68

"Tian, wait.. I want to go buy some cotton candy", Taria said, trying to let go of his hand, yet he pressed on it and walked with her towards the booth

"Ray, what color do you want?" she asked brightly, yet he only felt coldness even under the warm sunlight

"I don't want any", Ray murmured, turning around and walking away, however, Tian pulled him from his collar and carried him under his arm

"You need to eat sweet things to start a funny day, this is rule number one", Tian said

"Sweetie, are you ok? Do you feel sick or bad?" Taria said, putting her hand over his forehead to check his temperature

"No, I'm ok", Ray answered coldly, yet Tian carried him over his shoulders, held Taria's hand, and walked through the zoo that way

"Let me down, old man. You are embarrassing me, I'm not a child", Ray whispered

"You are a child, Ray, and you can see better this way", Tian said

After that, the three of them walked around like a happy family. Taria was so energetic as she wasn't able to have a good day like that for a long time. She walked in front of Tian whenever she saw something astonishing, yet she never let his hand go. Meanwhile, Ray and Tian were trying hard to see the animals as she did for them to understand why she was that amazed.

Tian was delighted to feel her warm hand hugging his cold one after all that time he spent in the coldness alone. Her bright smile filled his dead soul with life once again, and her silly moves whenever she saw a new animal was more precious than a hundred rings in his eyes. Their height difference that made her steps faster than his, her hair that swayed with the wind, and her back view as she was walking in front of him were all things he missed a lot.

"Oh oh, we are going to be late. Harry", she said after she looked at her watch, then she started running, forcing him to run as well and forcing Ray to finally hold his father's head tighter.

"What is it?" Tian asked

"Three, two, one…", both Taria and Ray said, then water splashed from the ground around them, making it like they were in the middle of a watery wall.

Taria was looking above to see the rainbow that was created, yet Tian only looked at her, filling his heart with her sparkling eyes that got wider and brighter as an evidence for her joy. He let her hand off, yet before she could realize what happened, he was holding her chin high and kissing her lips softly. The water was still getting out, and the cold splashes were wetting them like raindrops, yet they both felt their temperature increasing fast.

After their lips were separated again, Taria opened her eyes to see her son, looking at her with a deep look in his eyes, so her face got redder and she felt more blood was pumping in her head.

"Ray is here!" Taria whispered

"He should see how much his father loves his mother, right?" Tian said while smirking

"Yeah, but he is still six", Taria whispered

"Six and a half, mom", Ray said calmly

"Ray, how about you get down now so we could walk together?" Taria said, outstretching her arms to get him down, yet he jumped from his father's shoulder before she could touch him.

Ray wasn't able to understand anything any more. Why did his mother forgive his father even after leaving her for years? What is going to happen from now on as the family got back its young lord? and what if that man decided to leave them again? His heart wasn't able to accept a strange man, regardless of the fact that they share the same blood, yet he kept experiencing new feelings since the first day that man came, feeling like love and happiness. He was happy to have his mother all those years, but he always felt like she wasn't sufficient with him only, and he always knew, by the look in her eyes whenever someone mentioned the name Tian, that he would never be able to be enough.

Ray put his hands in his pockets and walked in front of his parents while they were feeling heavy after his cold looks froze their chests. His mind was a mess, thinking deeply of the sudden changes that happened in his life, so he didn't hear his mother's shouting voice, nor could he see that he reached the stairs leading to the aquarium, yet once he felt gravity pulling him, his mother's body was already surrounding his small one.

Ray heard bumping sounds as well as his father's voice shouting (Taria), yet what sneaked into his mind more was his mother's fast heartbeat sound. He felt her warm body hugging him as she usually does, yet he wasn't happy to feel her warmth that time.

When they reached the end of the stairs, Ray finally broke free from his mother's arms, yet her hands didn't let him go

"Are you ok? Do you feel hurt anywhere?" she said, putting her hands on his face and rolling her eyes all over his body to make sure he was safe, then she hugged him again while her tears were getting out.

By the time Ray finally saw blood on his mother's face, Tian came and hugged her tightly. She was finally able to feel the pain of a broken leg after the adrenaline level in her body dropped, and she started crying like a baby.

"It hurts, it hurts Tian", she said while crying

"It's ok, it's ok, we will go to the hospital now and the pain will fade away", Tian said, then he carried her and ran towards his car while Ray was following him.

After they reached the hospital, Tian stayed with Ray while Taria was taken to the surgery room. They both felt scared and nervous even after knowing that her condition wasn't that bad, yet they both stayed silent.

Ray blamed himself for what happened, and for the first time in his life, he felt that his mother was the one protecting him instead of being the one who needs protection. He knew that his mother was the bravest person ever, yet he never imagined that she would hurt herself for his sake, and suddenly, the memory of her throwing the necklace away snapped in his mind. Her brave sad look, and her hair that was shining under the sun and moving like the waves in front of her. It was different than this time, her eyes weren't brave at all but rather scared, yet it felt the same for him, and his tears started running down his cheeks

"I'm sorry.. If I paid a little more attention then..", Ray was saying, fighting his sobs, yet Tian hugged him tightly before he could continue his fight

"It wasn't your fault, and no one would blame you", Tian said, then he carried Ray and sat him on his lap then said "your mother saved me from a bullet once, so I know exactly how you are feeling. It's ok to be sad for her, but don't ever think of blaming yourself because that would hurt her more than her injury"

"Sniff, what did you feel at that time?" Ray asked, and Tian knew the reason behind his question was that he wasn't able to figure out his feeling as they must be so strong now

"... I felt like my sun was stolen and I was left in the darkness alone. My heart was hurting, and my head was spinning, and all I could think about was her. However, our sun will always stay beside us, so there is no need for you to worry. Clasp your hands, and wish that her pain would fade away and she would come to us again with her lively smile, because your wishes would make her happy", Tian said, sending his words to Ray while he needed them more.

After Taria got out of the surgery room, Tian and Ray walked beside the bed she was laying on until they reached the room together

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, mom", Ray said

"Don't worry sweetie, it doesn't hurt that much now, come here", Taria said, then Ray climbed the bed and sat beside her

"Are you ok now, honey?" Tian said, brushing her hair behind her ear softly and looking into her eyes with a concerned look

"Yeah, I'm feeling better now as you two are by my side", Taria said with a warm smile, then both Tian and Ray hugged her tightly