SOME THINGS ARE MEANT TO BE

CHAPTER 84

Unlike this child who was so sensitive that one would pity her.

“Come, this is from Granny. It is to thank Raya for doing such a great job of cleaning my clothes,” she said as she put the piece of candy into the child’s pocket.

“Thank you, Granny,” she replied in a soft, candy-like voice that would melt one’s heart. She hugged the clothes close to her and retreated, straggling on tiny steps.

A young child like this would, at times, struggle to get a stable footing. Right now, she was already helping her mother with chores.

She would look up constantly to look for her mother, and her arms were tired. Once she spotted a woman approaching, she smiled with her eyes squinting. She ran to the woman.

“Mommy.”

Julianna saw the child coming. She squatted, put down the load of clothing that she had just collected, and caught the staggering child.

“Raya, are you tired?” Her hand gently caressed the child’s hair. Then, she took over the pile of clothing from her daughter and put it aside.

“No.” Raya shook her head before hugging Julianna’s neck. “Mommy, let’s go home.” Her petal-like lips pouted, and she planted a big kiss on Julianna’s face. She loved her mother the most.

“Okay.” Julianna rubbed her daughter’s hair. Then, she carried the pile of clothes from the ground. Raya stood obediently by her side. She reached out with her small hand and held onto a chunk of her mother’s blouse.

She reached into her pocket with the other hand, but she took it out again and held tightly onto Julianna’s blouse, afraid of losing herself.

Julianna walked slowly, matching the child’s tiny footsteps. Yet, at this speed, Raya still felt as though she was running.

They arrived back at the place they had been staying for the past three years. They no longer reside in the dark warehouse. Now, she had two jobs, and they could afford to rent a small apartment.

It may be small, but it was a home for her and her daughter.

The door opened, and it led to a small room; it was sufficient for them.

A child’s hands and an adult’s hands were doing the laundry in a water basin. However, the child’s hands were not strong enough. It looked more like she was playing with water.

Julianna looked at her daughter’s flushed face. Her curly eyelashes batted as her eyes moved to her tiny hands. Such small hands should belong to a child who was still insensible.

Her daughter was very obedient, so much that her heart ached for her.

“Raya, you can stop if you are tired. Okay? Mommy can do this alone.” Actually, the little one had not been of much help.

Raya looked up at her beautiful face as she shook her head very seriously. “No, I’m not tired. I want to work with Mommy because I have grown up.”

Julianna wiped her sweat with her hand and rubbed her daughter’s face. “Whose character did you take after? Being so stubborn.”

“Haha...” Raya laughed happily and continued clumsily to wash a piece of clothing. She was happy to be able to work with her mother.

Her small frame looked even smaller when she was squatting. The warm light in the room shone on her and made her look like an angel with wings. She was indeed an angel.

She had come to save her mother, who had nothing.

The two finally hung all the laundry after they were done washing. It concluded their day’s work.

In the tiny kitchen, Raya grabbed onto Julianna’s clothes, without leaving a step.

“Hungry?” Julianna turned around and asked her daughter tenderly.

Raya smiled shyly and hugged Julianna’s thigh tightly with both her hands. “Yes, Mommy. Raya is a bit hungry, just a bit.”

She stressed on the ‘bit’ part when, in reality, she was famished.

Julianna turned back. She did not know why her eyes started tearing, and she almost cried. She was already trying very hard, but there was still a limit as to what she could give her daughter. She could not afford nice clothing to wear or delicious food. At times, she even had to starve with her.

“Mommy.” Raya hugged her thigh tight and rubbed her cheek against it.

“Mommy, Raya loves Mommy. Very much.”

Julianna turned back again and held her daughter in her arms. She kissed her face. “Mommy loves Raya, too.”

A bashful smile appeared on the child’s flushed face. She hugged Julianna’s neck and smiled prettily.

Two dishes and two bowls, one big and one small, lay on the undersized table. The big one was for Julianna while the small one was for Raya.

Julianna held her daughter in her arms. “Come, Raya. Mommy will feed you.”

Raya blinked her eyes stubbornly and shook her head. “No, Raya has grown up and can eat on her own. I don’t need Mommy to feed me.”

She climbed off Julianna’s lap, sat on her small stool, and held her chopsticks clumsily as she started to eat. The speed that she was eating was slow, but not a grain of rice had fallen on the table.

“Raya, why won’t you let Mommy feed you?” Julianna asked her daughter curiously. Ever since this child was two years old, she had not allowed Julianna to feed her. She preferred to eat on her own.

Raya put a mouth of rice carefully. Her tiny apple-shaped face was full of grievance. “Mommy’s arm hurts.” Julianna’s eyes teared up upon hearing her soft voice. How could a sensitive daughter be so obedient and intelligent ? She would rather she had a temper like other children and be naughty or act like a spoilt child. However, she did not. She was very good.

Raya climbed off the stool and hugged Julianna’s leg. “Mommy, carry.” She reached out with two small hands, allowing Julianna to carry her.

Julianna turned around and lifted her daughter off the ground while Raya reached into her pocket and started digging. After some time, she produced a piece of candy in one of her tiny hands and presented it to Julianna. “Mommy, a candy. Granny gave it to me.”

She looked up, her beautiful eyes kept blinking. “Granny insisted that I keep it, or else I was not obedient.I am the most obedient child.”

She lay the candy in Julianna’s palm with a yearning look in her eyes. She really wanted to eat it.

“Mommy doesn’t want it. Raya, you can have it.” Julianna put the candy back into her daughter’s hand as she caressed her face. She had wanted to eat it so badly, and yet she had thought of her mother. The suffering she had while giving birth was worth it; her heart ached even more for her daughter.