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Chapter 19: A New Playmate, Raymond

It was one of those sad days when she opened her eyes under the warm sunlight and the unfamiliar sight felt strangely familiar.

The night before, Janice had dreamed of the Bakers. A dream from the days before she knew she had a different biological father.

A dream of ordinary days—eat your vegetables evenly, don't follow strangers, don't go to unfamiliar places! Just the usual nagging from Mom and Dad.

The longing for her dream-parents was so intense that she almost felt guilty for having been curious about her birth mother after seeing the portrait, and for giggling at Garren getting hit.

A day where she was happy yet sad, sad yet happy, and at the same time gloomy—she herself didn't quite know how she felt. On that day, Janice received an uninvited guest.

"Come now! Say hello, sweetie. This is your new friend."

The old lady, her face full of smiles and excitement, introduced a child.

Plump cheeks, rosy cheeks, wild curly golden hair, and clear blue eyes like a lake.

A little angel, as if stepped right out of a holy painting, stood before Janice.

"..."

"..."

The two children sized each other up at the same time.

Janice, gloomy all day because of last night's dream, looked at him with an expression that said, Angel or not, who is this brat? Meanwhile, the little angel, who had a bit more information than Janice, looked her over with eyes that seemed to judge whether she was suitable as a playmate.

"Um, Janice is my niece... His name is Raymond, and he's a bit older than you, but mentally he's about the same... Oh, what else should I say? Ah, right! Ray, how about you introduce yourself first? You're the older one."

Fernando's explanation drifted through the air like background music between the two children, but neither listened meaningfully.

Silence followed, and silence continued. The old lady and Fernando exchanged glances, wondering how to make the two children become good friends. Then—

"You're pretty. I like you."

The silence broke. It was Raymond who spoke. Fernando blinked.

"Huh?"

"I said she's pretty. Not bad at all. I think it's actually better that she doesn't have the same golden hair as me."

Better that she's not blonde... so my sister only introduced blonde children up until now?

Fernando couldn't understand his nephew's thought process at all, but seeing that picky brat take a liking to her, he figured half the job was done.

The Janice that Fernando knew was a kind, clever child who could occasionally be ruthlessly sharp-tongued, but fundamentally had a good personality.

Compared to his nephew, she was far superior.

Fernando thought he just needed to convince Janice now. It seemed like the project to make the two children playmates would wrap up successfully, but...

"Who is this?"

"He's my nephew, and..."

"But why is he here?"

"Ah! I thought it'd be nice if you had a friend to play with..."

"...I don't need one."

A problem arose. Janice wouldn't accept Raymond.

"Wouldn't it be more fun to play together?"

"Do I have to entertain him?"

"No, not entertain—I just thought it'd be nice if you played together. Isn't it more fun playing with two than alone?"

Janice's eyes said: No, it's not.

Fernando and the old lady's expressions grew troubled. They'd brought him because they wanted Janice to have a good friend she could open her heart to—but Janice seemed to think differently.

On the other hand, seeing the two of them tiptoeing around her, Janice felt a little uncomfortable. They must have brought this child for her sake...

If she hadn't dreamed of her parents, she could have pretended to be a good child as usual, but today she really wasn't in the mood.

She'd been putting on her usual facade in front of the old couple, but she didn't want to do it in front of strangers too.

Janice hadn't wanted a rich father or rich grandparents—she just wanted the ordinary days with her mom and dad. How had things ended up like this?

The truth was, she'd wanted to go to the house she'd lived in with the Bakers today. She'd planned to ask Grandma and Grandpa after lunch, testing the waters.

Though it was clear she wouldn't be able to go today.

Janice stared at the floor, rubbing her shoe against the carpet. Seeing her granddaughter in a bad mood today, the old lady berated herself for being thoughtless.

She should have asked Janice's opinion first before calling a playmate. She'd been too hasty.

The old lady was about to apologize to Janice—to say that if she didn't want a friend, it was fine to play alone. Just then:

"She doesn't seem to want to play with me. But what can I do? I like her."

At the sudden voice, the old lady and Fernando's eyes went wide.

They quickly turned toward the direction of the voice, and found the little angel smiling brightly.

"Th, well... um... Raymond, was it?"

"Ray, wait a minute. You can't hit Janice. Got it? You can't make her cry either. Listen to your uncle, okay?"

They'd been so focused on Janice's feelings that they hadn't considered the other child standing right beside them—Raymond.

Normally, if someone says they don't like you, you'd dislike them back. Especially for a young child like Raymond, they'd usually feel hurt or sad before even registering dislike.

But in this situation, for a child not even ten years old to smile and say, "You don't like me? Too bad—I like you," was just wrong.

Both the old lady, who didn't know Raymond well, and Fernando, who knew him all too well, were flustered and at a loss.

Perhaps due to the atmosphere, or perhaps shame at her own rudeness, Janice was also caught off guard by Raymond's words.

Janice knew it too—she knew she shouldn't say things like that in front of a friend.

But the fact that Raymond's arrival meant she wouldn't be able to go to the Bakers' house had turned her into a mean child.

That was the moment Janice's prickliness softened.

She felt sorry for Raymond, and for the old lady and Fernando too. She hated herself for being like a hedgehog, unable to control her emotions and hurting everyone around her.

She really didn't want to be like this, but she didn't know why she was acting this way. Janice wanted to apologize to Raymond.

"...Sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm sorry. For saying mean things."

"Well, it's okay. It didn't sound that mean anyway."

At Janice's apology, Raymond replied nonchalantly. The old lady and Fernando were relieved. But only for a moment—

"Since you're sorry, play with me. Where's the playroom?"

"Playroom?"

"If there isn't one, your room is fine. A study would work too. Somewhere without adults."

"...?"

"We need to be alone to become friends."

Raymond said with an angelic smile. Janice felt a vague unease, but since she'd been the one to misstep first, and since the old lady and Fernando seemed to want her to be friends with Raymond, she cautiously nodded.

"My playroom is over there."

Janice invited Raymond to her playroom. Raymond gave another pretty smile and extended his hand to her. Then he turned to the old lady and Fernando and said:

"We'll go play in the playroom now."

"Ray, about Janice..."

"I'll get along with her. Don't worry, Uncle!"

Raymond dispelled Fernando's anxiety.

"...Raymond? Shall I send you some snacks? Do you have any favorites?"

"I like everything. I'm a good child, so I don't picky-eat. I eat anything well. Even broccoli cookies."

"What a good child."

"Of course I am!"

He even received praise from the old lady for being a good child.

At Raymond's claim of liking broccoli cookies, Janice felt a renewed unease about what this child really was—but having already made one mistake, she didn't utter another bad word.

"Grandma, I want chocolate cookies."

"Of course. My baby gets chocolate cookies. Grandma knows. Go play now. I'll send them up soon."

Realizing that her prickly granddaughter had returned to her usual self, the old lady replied with a warm smile.

The start might have been a little rough, but perhaps by spending time together, the two children would eventually become friends. Thank goodness Raymond was a good child.

The old lady imagined Janice spending ordinary days like a normal seven-year-old with Raymond. And she resolved to make that happen.

"Butler! Tell the chef to prepare snacks for our adorable little guest. Broccoli cookies, chocolate cookies, ice cream—oh, and canelés and walnut pie would be nice too. Actually, I'll make the walnut pie myself."

The old lady had dreamed of this scene for a very long time—having a pretty daughter and preparing snacks for her friends.

―Mom, if you eat that much sweets, your teeth will rot. It's bad for you.

―But I want to eat...

―Don't. If I don't eat, you shouldn't either.

―I don't want to. Why should I...

―Mom, Fernando says he won't eat either. So just leave now. You're annoying.

For just a moment, the nightmare of the past came to mind—but the old lady quickly shook her head.

My granddaughter is not a demon like Garren!

The old lady resolved to forget the past for a new future. Leaving even Fernando, who was part of that past, behind, she ran to the kitchen.

Left alone, Fernando watched his nephew and Janice's retreating backs with concern, but there was nothing he could do in this situation.

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