Melon fought back his tears.
Holden crouched down beside him and gently explained, âYour mom is very worried about you, especially after you and Adele vanished at the kindergarten.
Think about it.
What if you suddenly canât find your mom? Wonât you get scared? You will also worry, right?â
Melon sniffled and nodded.
âSo make sure this wonât happen again, okay? Your mom and I will be very worried about you if thereâs a next time.
And if you run around without telling us again, Iâll be angry, too,â Holden said.
Melon tried to hold back his tears, swiftly wiping his reddening eyes.
Sniffling, he murmured, âI get it now.
â
With a gentle touch, Holden asked in a soothing tone, âCould you explain to Daddy why you followed that lady?â
Melon looked down and explained, âI didnât mean to.
She was crying, saying she missed Adele.
I know she is Adeleâs mother.
I thought if Mommy couldnât see me, sheâd be sad, too.
But I was afraid she might not treat Adele well, so I went with the woman to protect Adele.
â
Holden let out a deep sigh and gently stroked Melonâs head.
Just then, Adele, who had gone inside the house with Ariana, rushed over, embracing Melon and comforting him.
âDonât be sad,â she said.
Adeleâs embrace nearly brought Melon to tears again, intensifying his emotions.
Holden observed, feeling his heart ache.
He understood Melonâs empathy, which had been why Melon had followed Sadie to safeguard Adele.
Holden couldnât find it in himself to reprimand Melon.
Melon bit his lip as his tears silently streamed down his cheeks.
Holden embraced him, wiping away his tears gently.
âMelon, youâre a kind child.
You meant well and managed the situation admirably.
But remember, youâre still young.
You canât shoulder everything alone.
Next time, remember to seek help from an adult, alright? Your safety matters.
â
Melon wiped his tears and nodded, his voice choked with emotion.
âBut I still made Mommy upset.
Sheâs never been this angry with me before.
â
Holden helped wipe Melonâs tears and smiled.
âHow about I show you a magic trick?â Guiding Melon and Adele inside, he retrieved some props and transformed a coin into a rose.
Melonâs eyes widened in amazement.
Holden chuckled.
âInterested in learning this?â
Melon nodded eagerly, and Holden performed the trick once more before explaining the steps.
âOnce youâve mastered it, you can surprise Mommy and make her smile,â
Holden said.
Melon nodded, swiftly learning the magic trick.
Then, he went upstairs with newfound confidence.
Reaching the third floor, Melon cautiously opened the bedroom door, finding Ariana resting on the couch, appearing asleep.
The delightful scent of Melon permeated the air as he drew near.
There was no mistaking it; Ariana knew it was Melon approaching her.
Ariana lay still with closed eyes, executing the act of pretending to be asleep flawlessly.