Roxanne finished her bracelet soon after. When she swung her gaze to the side, she saw Estella’s head was still buried over her desk, so she silently sat at her station, waiting for Estella to finish.
“Ms. Jarvis!” A while later, Estella’s voice rang out beside her. She turned around to see a finished sea shell keychain dangling in front of her.
Roxanne was stunned briefly. Thinking Estella wanted her to comment on her craft, Roxanne praised, “It’s beautiful.” The shell Estella picked up was already pretty and colorful by itself. When Estella attached a blue chain to the shell, the final product looked lovely.
It’ll look great to hang on Essie’s bag. Delight filled Roxanne’s eyes at the thought of Estella walking around carrying a bag with the sea shell keychain.
The next second, Estella’s voice rang again. “This is for you!”
The smile on Roxanne’s face stiffened for a while before casting a look of disbelief at the little girl.
I remembered how happy Estella was when she picked up the seashell. Yet, she’s willing to part with something she loves so much as a present to me. So she was distressed earlier about what to give me.
A hint of guilt surged within Roxanne at the realization.
I don’t know what’s so good about me that makes her like me so much.
Estella thought Roxanne didn’t like her present when Roxanne didn’t respond. Her shoulders slumped, looking crestfallen. “You don’t like it, Ms. Jarvis?”
But I did it exactly as Ms. Jarvis told me. Estella’s voice pulled Roxanne’s thoughts back. More guilt surged within her when she caught the sad look on Estella’s face.
“No. I… I love it. Thank you, Essie.” Roxanne suppressed the guilt in her heart and reached for the keychain in Estella’s grip with a smile.
Seeing Roxanne accepting her present, a smile returned to her face.
Roxanne carefully kept the keychain in her purse, then reached for the bracelet she made. When she held onto Estella’s wrist, Estella was confused but still lifted her wrist nonetheless.
Soon after, she watched as Roxanne clasped an exquisite seashell bracelet over her wrist. Estella’s eyes sparkled seeing the accessory.
Roxanne compared Estella’s wrist with the length of the bracelet and let out a breath of relief when they fit. “I have a present for you too. Do you like it?” she asked with a smile..
Estella nodded her head with her gaze glued to the bracelet and applied the words she learned from Lucian. “I love everything Ms. Jarvis gives me!”
Roxanne laughed at her words. She only learned how to speak recently, yet she already knew how to make me happy with sweet words.
Estella was earnest, though. She looked down at the bracelet on her wrist, unwilling to tear her gaze away.
Seeing how much Estella loved the bracelet, Roxanne felt guilty about having to give her cold shoulders in the future.
She turned her attention to the boys and noticed that they were still busy. They were working so hard that there was even a thin sheen of sweat on their foreheads.
Roxanne’s curiosity piqued at what the boys were making that deserved their utmost attention.
“Archie, Benny, what are you guys making?” Roxanne asked after watching them for a while.
Maybe she was reading too much into things, but she saw the boys peek at Lucian after she asked them. The boys didn’t let Roxanne think further when they chorused, “It’s a secret!”
