Beyond the Divorce by Third Blossom

"We shall have a very happy family. We'll be inseparable as we play, live, and grow together! However, being a big sister comes with responsibilities. Do you understand what responsibility means?"

She said in her innocent voice, "Yes, the teacher says, respecting the elderly and loving the young is responsibility!"

"Oh! My good daughter is so smart, she knows so much!" I praised her, "You are right, that's responsibility! So Ava has the responsibility to take care of her little brothers and sisters. Mommy will always love you all!" "Will Daddy still love me?" She asked earnestly.

I knew she was referring to Atlas when she said "Daddy."

"Of course, Daddy loves Ava the most! No matter how many little brothers and sisters there are in the future, Daddy will always love Ava!"

"Why?" She asked.

"Because you came into this world first! Daddy has loved you for a long time, they came later! Also, Ava has a Daddy from the Murphy family! Everyone loves you!"

I patiently explained it to her. I couldn't let her have this knot in her heart.

This little kid was highly intelligent. I saw that she had a lot on her mind, but she also had a very malleable mind. One could swiftly get her to change her mind as long as her reasons were provided.

"Will my dad make a lot of money and come back?" She suddenly asked me.

I thought for a moment and said, "He will! But whether he makes a lot of money or not, he is still your dad! Even though he made mistakes in the past, you forgave him. So even if he doesn't have money in the future, you shouldn't dislike him! Can you do it?" She stared at my face and said, "Yes, I can! Even if Dad has no money, Ava still loves Dad, but as long as he doesn't hit Mom!"

I knew that in her little heart, there was already a shadow of when Matthew used to hit me.

"He won't! He doesn't dare anymore," I said seriously.

"Yeah, if he dares to hit Mom again, Daddy Atlas will punish him! If he hits Mom again, Ava won't want him anymore! Ava will only want Daddy Atlas Ava looked like she had a

common enemy.

I knew that this girl held grudges, but she still had a kind of tangled feeling towards Matthew.

"Will I have many brothers and sisters?" Her mind was very active, and she jumped back to the topic of siblings.

"Yes, there will be many! From Auntie Ivanna's family, Auntie Lauren's family, and in the future, from Uncle Arnold & Ardie's family. Just think about it, you're the oldest sister!"

Sure enough, this hit the mark. She suddenly became happy. She sat up and looked at me with her big eyes, unable to hide her excitement.

"Then can I teach them many things? I can play with them, learn with them, and... take them to eat delicious food!"

She kept listing things she could do.

I smiled in relief. I drew her back into my arms and kissed her repeatedly but I couldn't shake my uneasiness. There were too many thoughts in her young mind-more than children her age should have.

I hugged her and said, "My sweet Ava is very kind-hearted! You'll definitely be a good big sister!"

"I will! I really like my little brothers

and sisters! Wait, I don't have a sister yet, only brothers. Auntie Myra's baby and Mannie are also brothers. Mommy, is the one in your belly a sister or a brother?"

She seemed to have discovered a big problem and asked me while climbing up and flipping the blanket to touch my belly.

"I don't know yet, they're still too small! I don't know if they're a brother or a sister!" I informed her, "We have to wait a few more months, then Mommy will tell you!"

"When will I know? I'll teach her to sing!" Ava said, "And also, Taekwondo!"

I almost laughed. It seemed Ava wanted to teach now.