Chapter 78
On the podium, a staff member of the Panda World was asking for all visitors to maintain order with
a megaphone, "Order please! Do not squeeze! Please take care of your children. Please maintain
order as our lucky draw event is going to start soon. The winner gets to take a photo with the
panda!"
On Theodore''s shoulder, Adrienne took a look at her badge and said, "My number is 28. How about
you, stair?"
stair grabbed Everleigh''s hand and murmured, "30."
In order not to let the children down, Everleigh reminded Adrienne in advance. "Adrienne, you have
to be very lucky to get picked. Promise me you won''t be angry if you don''t get picked, okay? We''ll
take a photo with the panda statue near the entranceter. It''s the same thing."
Adrienne held Theodore''s head and nodded seriously. "I won''t get angry. I''ve already seen the
panda anyway. stair, do you want to see it? I can see it clearly from up here."
Theodore was surprised when Adrienne asked stair if he wanted a clearer view of the panda.
Theodore''s shoulder could only amodate one child, but Adrienne was willing to give up her
spot for stair. Theodore always thought children of Adrienne''s age were usually self- centered
and it was rare for them to care about others.
Adrienne was usually quite yful and it was her brother who would always give in. Nheless,
whenever she was enjoying something good, she would always think of sharing it with stair.
"No. I can see it from here." stair shook his head.
Theodore looked down and saw stair standing silently between him and Everleigh. When the
crowd was not moving, he could indeed watch the giant panda inside its cage. However, when the
crowd moved and there was no consistent gap between them, his view was significantly blocked.
Everleigh had always treated her children equally, but there was nothing she could do under the
current circumstance.
Theodore whispered something into Adrienne''s ear and thetter voluntarily hopped down from his
shoulder.
"She''s heavy, isn''t she?" Everleigh asked Theodore apologetically. She helped Adrienne onto the
ground and reminded her, "You saw the panda, right? Now be a good girl and stop fussing about it,
Adrienne."
Adrienne blinked at her, indicating for her to look.
Everleigh didn''t understand but then she heard Theodore''s voice. "stair, do you want to see the
panda?"
When she looked up, she noticed Theodore bending down to face stair with his hand ced on
the boy''s shoulder. Theodore''srge figure overshadowed stair''s tiny body. She was not sure if it
was due to the lighting system of the Panda World, but Theodore''s ck eyes looked inexplicably
amiable.
stair was in deep thought; in fact, it was his signature move whenever he had to make a
decision. He shook his head and answered, "No, it''s okay."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Besides, I don''t even like pandas."
"No, he''s lying. He likes pandas the most!" Adrienne interrupted from beside stair, eximing,
"Even his favorite plushie is a panda! He holds it whenever he sleeps!"
Adrienne''s revtion made stair''s cheeks blush, as if something he had been keeping private
was revealed to the public. He frowned and knitted his lips together tightly.
Theodore actually smiled and lifted him up without a word. With a sudden cry, stair was now
sitting on Theodore''s shoulders.
Everleigh was stunned and looked nervously at her son.
As a mother, she had never known much about her son''s preferences. She had thought that the
panda plushie at the top of stair''s bed was actually ced by Adrienne. She did not know that it
belonged to stair since he had a dispensable attitude towards his belongings. It was hard for her
to urately tell what he liked or disliked as he had been the way he was ever since he was a
toddler.
Theodore did not bother about stair''s feelings when he had carried the boy up and ced him on
his shoulder. She was surprised by this and she was afraid that stair might lose his tamper.
Things might get a little awkward if that really happened.
Everleigh carefully studied stair''s expression. The only time he showed any traces of unease
was when he was being shoved up onto Theodore''s shoulders. His expression immediately
changed the moment heid his eyes on the panda. His grin was now so wide that his tiny teeth
were visible.
Everleigh felt relieved. Even as a mother, she had never seen him this happy before.
She felt something was pulling the hem of her clothes, so she lowered her head and saw Adrienne
waving her hand. She crouched down and asked, "What''s wrong?"
Adrienne tiptoed and wrapped her arms around Everleigh''s neck. She whispered, "Just now, Daddy
asked me if stair really likes pandas. When I said yes, he asked me to let stair have a look at
the panda."
Adrienne''s remark left Everleigh dumbstruck. She observed the man next to her in astonishment.
His figure definitely stood out among the crowd and the lighting inside the venue only further
amplified this. His hands were now holding stair''s legs.
Suddenly, she became distressed.
How could she let someone like Theodore slip from her grasp seven years ago? He was a man who
shined brightly among any other man she had ever met.
When we are young, we are prone to making hasty decisions. We insist even if the move will soon
bring painful consequences. However, as we grow older, we tend to be more sentimental. It is hard
for us to just let it go and move on.
Everleighmented the decision she had made seven years ago. If her 29- year- old self was given
another chance, she would have done things differently.
When the Panda World stadium was fully upied, a staff member spoke through a megaphone,
"Ladies and gentlemen, we''ll be having our lucky draw next! Let''s see who is the lucky winner who''ll
be able to take photos with our panda, Poppy!"
"No. 29."
When the number was announced by the staff, the Panda World became a noisy mess. There were
visitors who shook their heads, regretful for not being selected. They were also children who began
to throw their tantrums as soon as they knew they would not be taking photos with the panda.
Holding Everleigh''s hand, Adrienne began counting, "My number is 28. stair''s is 30. Mommy,
what''s your number?"
"Mine is 31." Everleigh was regretful.
"Is anyone holding a number 29 ticket? Please raise up your hand! We''re going to arrange a photo
session for you and your family!" the staff announced through the megaphone again.
"Over here." The voice came from beside Everleigh.
Everleigh turned and, to her surprise, saw Theodore slowly raising his right hand that was holding a
ticket with the number 29 written on it.
Sometimes, destinyes when you least expect it.
Everleigh remained in the state of disbelief even when she prepared herself by putting on the
protective gear.
She was never a lucky woman, which was why she had never put much hope on something like a
lucky draw. Why was Theodore this lucky then?
While she was still in a daze, a staff member brought over a baby panda. The young man asked,
"It''s quite dangerous if the kids hold the panda. Will the father or the mother hold it?"
Everleigh hurriedly exined, "We are not..."
"I''ll do it." Theodore''s voice fell, ovepping whatever Everleigh had meant to say.
Everleigh shot a re at Theodore and for the moment; she just did not know what she should do.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.