Mrs. Berry went downstairs to the kitchen. Charlotte changed her clothes and went to help her out. When she got to the living room, however, she heard a car pull into the driveway.
There was a Rolls-Royce parked at the gates of the house.
Immediately, Charlotte stood up and ran to receive them.
The car door swung open, and Zachary lifted the kids out of the car one by one. Setting Robbie and Jamie onto his shoulders, he hoisted Ellie into his arms. Meanwhile, Fifi lay in Ellie’s arms, hiccupping as she slept.
This scene was simply too adorable.
Charlotte burst into laughter. Running up to help Zachary with the children, she asked, “Why did all of you return home together?”
“There wasn’t much to do in the office today. I went to pick them up at a kindergarten.”
From a distance, Zachary seemed like a big tree. Three children were hanging from his body, and there was a bird in some crevice to boot.
Robbie and Jamie had dug their fingers into Zachary’s hair to stop themselves from falling off.
Because she was afraid, Ellie had wrapped her stubby little legs around Zachary. She looked like a koala bear as she rested in his arms.
“Oh, look at those three monkeys! Here, let me take them from you.”
Just as Charlotte was going to take Ellie from him, Zachary twisted away. “You’re still recovering from an injury. You can’t carry heavy items yet.”
“I’m not heavy!” Ellie snapped, pouting in annoyance. “Look how skinny I am.”
“Haha…”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Since the three children arrived in the villa, the house was full of laughter again. In the past, it had only been full of dead silence.
“Alright, you’re skinny.” Charlotte helped Ellie onto the ground. She bent down and helped to dust off her clothes. “Ellie,” she lectured, “it doesn’t matter if you’re fat or skinny. Your health is the most important, got it?”
“But I’m very skinny, to begin with!” Ellie protested, touching her face. In a glum voice, she said, “Today, Ms. Cheney told me that I got skinnier. Apparently, I should be getting more vitamins and having more food.”
“Yes, of course you should be eating more!” Mrs. Berry emerged from the front door in an apron, brandishing a spatula. Smilingly, she said, “I cooked lots and lots of dishes today. And all of them are your favorites!”
“Mrs. Berry…”
When they spotted Mrs. Berry, the triplets burst into screams of excitement.
Ellie tottered over to her on her plump legs. Throwing herself into Mrs. Berry’s arms, she hollered happily, “Mrs. Berry, when did you get here? I’ve missed you so much.”
“Good girl, Ellie. I’ve missed you too.”
Mrs. Berry bent down to hug her, her eyes swimming with tears.
Robbie and Jamie struggled to get down. Zachary had no choice but to set them down onto the floor.
Robbie leaped into Mrs. Berry’s arms immediately. Jamie wanted to run over to her, but Zachary picked him up and placed him into the wheelchair.
Jamie kicked his legs furiously. “Come on, push me forward!”
Mildred rushed forward and pushed him towards Mrs. Berry. The three children crowded around Mrs. Berry, chattering at the top of their lungs.
“Mrs. Berry, I’ve missed you too!” Robbie cried.
“Me too, Mrs. Berry, me too!” Jamie yelped.
“I’ve missed all of you,” Mrs. Berry said, wiping her tears away as she enveloped them in a hug. “In the future, I won’t have to go to the hospital anymore. I’ll stay with you guys and make lots of yummy food for you.”
“Okay!” the triplets said, nodding.
“We were planning to visit you in the hospital after we got off from school today! Are you feeling better now?” Robbie asked, feeling concerned.
“Of course, of course. I’m much better now,” Mrs. Berry said, smiling. “All my ailments seem to disappear whenever I see you guys!”
“That’s great!” Jamie said, smiling brightly. Seriously, he continued, “Now that you’re back, Mrs. Berry, we won’t have to eat burned mac and cheese and hot cross bunnies with salt in them…”
“Oh, dear.” Charlotte smacked her head, feeling so embarrassed that she wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
The children must have been suffering a great deal from her cooking these past few days.
“Exactly! Your cooking is the best, Mrs. Berry.” Ellie tilted her head and said innocently, “Because you haven’t been cooking for us, I’ve become so skinny!”
Here, she gave her arm a good pinch and whined, “Look! I have no fat here anymore.”
