Chapter 974: Four Servings

Estella had already been taken away, so there was nothing they could do. Roxanne returned to the mansion with Archie and Benny. The three children were to help with lunch, but Roxanne ended up preparing it herself.

After finishing, she went to the living room to call Archie and Benny to eat, but received no reply after calling twice. Confused, she found them sitting on the carpet, absentmindedly staring at their untouched Lego model. "What are you thinking about?" she asked.

Noticing their despondent expressions, Roxanne squatted beside them. Only then did they seem to return to the present. They exchanged a glance but remained silent, lost in thought about Sonya's words. Their focus on helping Estella had left them no time to process their own feelings. Now that Sonya and Estella were gone, the weight of what had happened settled heavily upon them.

"That's our grandma," Benny finally said, "but she doesn't want to acknowledge us. Mommy, can we still play with Essie in the future?"

Roxanne paused. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "Knowing Sonya, she might transfer Estella to another school, or even do what Aubree did and get you both kicked out of kindergarten."

But meeting Benny's hopeful gaze, she couldn't bring herself to say no. "Of course," she said, forcing a smile.

Archie, his face a mixture of doubt and disappointment, lowered his head. "But Grandma doesn't like us, and she doesn't allow Essie to call us her brothers."

They were indirectly lamenting Sonya's rejection, though Roxanne sensed their primary concern was whether they would still be allowed to see Estella.

"What she says isn't important," Roxanne said, stroking their heads. "It's enough that Essie loves you both. You treat her so well, and she loves you. She'll remember that. Even if you don't see her for a while, she'll definitely come back to play with you again."

"Really?" Benny asked.

"I believe Essie loves you as much as you love her," Roxanne said with a smile. A faint smile finally touched Archie and Benny's faces.

"All right," Roxanne said, "let's eat. The food's getting cold." They obediently joined her at the table.

Roxanne thought she had comforted them, but their dejected expressions remained evident as they ate. "Are you both still upset?" she asked gently.

Archie and Benny were still preoccupied with Sonya, but didn't want Roxanne to know. Benny panicked, unsure what to say. Archie, however, was quicker. "We made four servings," he said.

Roxanne glanced at the table. Estella's favorite meatballs sat untouched. Archie's reminder only deepened her sadness, but she pushed it aside, focusing on her sons. Giving each of them a meatball, she said, "Since Essie can't eat them, we'll help her eat them. It'll be like she's eating with us."

Staring at the meatballs, Archie and Benny nodded obediently.