Theo ran to the entrance, about to throw himself into Maeve's arms. He stopped abruptly, however, when he saw Will beside Maeve. The words "It is over" floated over Theo's head.

Maeve's eyes widened in amazement. She looked from one child to the other, blank and dazed. "How... how could there be two Theos?" she thought.

Will hadn't expected this. His heart raced. He looked nervously at Maeve, his lips pursed. Is Mommy frightened? Could she not accept a baby like me? If I could bring my savings and grow up without spending a single cent of Mommy's money, would Mommy accept me? he wondered.

Maeve remained silent. Will and Theo felt uneasy. Theo kept winking at Will, urging him to speak. Will, too nervous to meet Theo's gaze, was lost in Maeve's silence.

Then, Will was pulled into Maeve's arms. She felt utterly different, as if holding a lost treasure—a hint of strength mingled with a fear of hurting Will. "You... you are..." Maeve's voice choked. She couldn't finish her sentence.

Will felt Maeve trembling. That trembling spread from Maeve to his heart, leaving him at a loss yet inexplicably warm. "Mom, I'm your other child," Will said in a low, formal voice, his nose twitching slightly. "My name is William McDaniel, and my nickname is Will. This is the fourth year you have brought me into the world." Maeve's eyes welled up uncontrollably.

He is my child. He is really my child, whom I thought had died long ago, Maeve thought, and whom I parted with in such a hurry that I couldn't even take another look.

Maeve hugged Will and sobbed. She used to have endless words for his ultrasound photo at night; now, holding him, she was speechless. One couldn't hold back tears when overjoyed, it turned out.

Will, wanting to wipe Maeve's tears, realized he had no handkerchief. He hastily used his sleeve instead. He looked clumsy, a far cry from the little prince he once was.

"Mom, don't cry," Will said, trying to hold back his own tears and comfort Maeve. He glanced at Theo, hoping for help. But that glance proved disastrous. Theo was crying even more miserably than Maeve, sobbing uncontrollably.

Will couldn't hold back any longer. He buried his face in Maeve's neck, whimpering softly. Originally, only Maeve had cried; now, all three were weeping—a parent-child triple cry. Theo's cries, especially, took on a strange, almost musical quality, a blend of crying and laughter, more dramatic than any play. This interrupted Maeve's emotions; her tears stopped, but her eyes were bloodshot.

She grabbed Theo's face, unsure whether to laugh or cry. "If you're going to cry, cry! Why the drama?"

Theo sniffed. "Mommy, I'm afraid your eyes will swell from crying and you won't be pretty. I'm cheering you up."

Will looked up and corrected him seriously. "Mommy is always beautiful."

"Wow, you've learned to flatter!" Theo teased.

"I'm telling the truth," Will replied.

Maeve laughed, hugging them both. She felt an unreal sense of fulfillment; it felt as if letting go would make everything disappear. The mother-son connection was strong; Will and Theo sensed Maeve's fear.

Theo tactfully pecked Maeve's cheek. "Mommy, I love you!" He then glanced at Will: What are you waiting for?

Will clenched his fists, summoning his courage to kiss Maeve's cheek. "Mom, I love you, too!" His little face flushed; despite initiating the kiss, he was as shy as a girl.

Maeve laughed and kissed their foreheads. "I love you, too."

"Mommy, I have an important question!" Theo said seriously, raising a hand. Maeve looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

"Who's older, me or Will?"

Theo's words shifted the atmosphere between him and Will. They glared at each other, sparks flying. Despite their good relationship, brotherhood demanded competition; everyone wanted to be the older brother.

Theo was confident. "It must be me! I'm clever, considerate, obedient, and omnipotent in housework. I also have a heart that loves and protects my younger brother!"

"Suspected false advertising," Will countered. "Your culinary skills are zero. You can't be considered omnipotent. The big brother should be stable—it promotes family harmony and sustainable development."

Maeve felt surreal.

Those in the know understood their "election" for big brother; others might think they were running for president. Each was eloquent and reasonable. They went back and forth, neither winning. Finally, they looked at Maeve. "Mommy, what do you think?"

Maeve thought, I'm just going to watch the show.

"Well, Theo, I know you want to be the big brother. That's good. Let's keep it that way," Maeve said tactfully. "But Will was born a few minutes before you. Look..."

Theo was stunned. Impossible! he thought. How can I be younger? How embarrassing for the kindergarten boys!

Theo's mouth curved demurely. "I'll be good to you, little brother," he said earnestly to Will.

Theo pouted. "If I'd run faster, you'd be calling me big brother." He'd staked his dignity on those few minutes! Maeve's smile deepened as she watched his frustration. Then, she noticed something amiss.

"Darling, did you know Will long ago? Why didn't you mention it?"

Theo and Will exchanged panicked glances. Oh, no, Mommy found out so quickly!

"Mommy, it's a long story. Listen to my excuses..." Theo blinked innocently.

Maeve snorted. "I want to hear your defense." I can tell they've known each other a long time. They've been keeping it from me! she thought.

Will, as the older brother, stood up decisively. "Mom, Theo and I decided not to tell you. We wanted to wait until you and Dad got back together."

The final sentence, "Search the FindNovel.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality," is a promotional message and should be removed if not desired in the cleaned-up passage.