Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Peeling Shrimp

The congee wasn’t as sweet as before. Ethan Shaw tasted it a couple of times, then looked up and asked, “Did you make this?”

Naomi Kenway nodded. “Didn’t you say you don’t like sweet things? So I made two versions.”

’Naomi actually took what I said to heart?’ Ethan was touched.

Naomi grew a little flustered under his intense gaze. “You… is the congee not to your liking?”

“No, I appreciate it.”

Naomi dismissed his thanks. “It was no trouble.”

When it came to making the congee, it was just a matter of adding another handful of rice. She hadn’t expected Ethan Shaw to have such a strong reaction.

Ethan Shaw’s gaze sharpened. ’He and Naomi have achieved a relatively harmonious partnership for now, so why am I reading so much into this? Every relationship needs proper boundaries. Naomi has certainly done plenty of things to frustrate me in the past.’

Ethan Shaw never noticed the intensity of his own gaze as he looked at Naomi Kenway.

There was seafood on the table, including shrimp and crab, which were a hassle to peel. Naomi Kenway put on a pair of gloves, peeled some, and fed a piece to Ian.

“Is it yummy, Ian?”

Ian nodded, but when she offered him a second piece of shrimp, he didn’t open his mouth. “Mommy, you eat too.”

Naomi ate one. “Auntie Warren’s cooking is as good as ever.”

Watching the heartwarming scene between mother and son, Ethan Shaw’s mind drifted back to a time when Naomi had been madly infatuated with him. Back then, she’d wanted to be stuck to his side at all times. Now, the way she looked at him was like he was the most familiar of strangers.

Naomi had changed so much. She’d become rational and clear-headed, and the fervent passion she once had for him had vanished along with it.

Ethan’s thoughts were a mess. He used to find it annoying when Naomi relentlessly clung to him, but now, he couldn’t get used to her lukewarm attitude.

’No, that’s not it.’

Ethan’s gaze snapped to Naomi.

’The old Naomi, no matter how her attitude shifted, never truly captured my attention. She was like a machine that only knew how to please. But now… the reason I’m drawn to her is because she’s changed. It’s her vitality, growing stronger each day, the way she glances back without thinking…’

His thoughts in a jumble, Ethan Shaw put down his chopsticks after only a few more bites.

He watched Naomi across the table, still peeling shrimp for Ian, and said, “You know, you can just let the staff handle that. You’ve barely eaten anything yourself.”

Naomi’s hands paused. “I just feel that I neglected Ian in the past, and my attitude toward him was terrible. So I want to…”

“Make up for it,” Ethan Shaw finished.

“That’s right.”

“There are many ways to make up for it, but punishing yourself by not eating isn’t one of them,” he reminded her. “Naomi, your food is getting cold.”

He deliberately put on a pair of gloves and picked up a shrimp from the plate. “I’ll feed him. You should eat.”

Ethan Shaw didn’t just hand the shrimp to Ian Shaw; instead, he demonstrated how to peel it while giving instructions.

“Ian is so little. Can he even peel a shrimp?” Naomi said, reaching for another shrimp, but her hand was quickly caught.

The warmth of his palm traveled through the thin, disposable glove to her fingertips. Naomi froze for a second before pulling her hand back.

Ethan Shaw placed the shrimp he’d just peeled onto her plate. “Ian is much smarter than you think. You’re always carrying him, you can’t bear to refuse his requests, and you try to manage every little thing for him. Naomi, I know you care about Ian, but we have to let go sometimes so he can learn to grow up.”

Naomi was stunned. ’That prophetic dream hangs over my heart every second, and I don’t dare to relax for a single moment. The memory of my son’s suffering is like a knife slowly carving up my chest, and I’ve been desperately trying to make up for it. But maybe… maybe my overbearing concern really is hindering Ian’s own development.’

“I… what should I do?” For a rare moment, Naomi was truly lost.

Ethan Shaw looked at her suddenly fragile, pale face and said in a steady, comforting voice, “Naomi, don’t be nervous, and don’t be afraid. I’ll be with you to take care of Ian and face all of this together. You can’t always keep yourself wound so tight. Besides Ian, I hope you can put some of your energy into things you enjoy. It will make things much easier.”

“Naomi, your life isn’t just for Ian. You are yourself first, and Ian’s mother second.”

Naomi’s heart inexplicably settled. Countless identical nightmares had tormented her, robbing her of sleep. She took a good look at Ian Shaw. He was a far cry from the thin, gloomy boy in her dreams. The path he was on was already a positive one, wasn’t it…?

Ethan Shaw observed Ian Shaw’s clumsy, half-hearted attempts without saying a word, just watching him quietly.

Ian Shaw had an innate reverence for his father. He put down the shrimp and said in a small voice, “I want Mommy to feed me.”

“Is it not okay if Daddy feeds you? Or do you want to keep your mother from eating her dinner?”

Ian Shaw shook his head frantically, his eyes turning red. “No, n-no, I don’t want Mommy to be hungry…”

“Don’t cry.” The warm, dry pad of Ethan Shaw’s thumb wiped under Ian Shaw’s eye. “No crying. You’re four years old now. You should know that crying doesn’t solve problems.”

Ian Shaw held back his tears.

Naomi wanted to intervene several times, but she stopped herself each time, remembering what Ethan Shaw had just said.

Ian Shaw turned and grabbed Naomi Kenway’s hand. “I’m sorry, Mommy. Ian doesn’t want you to be hungry. Ian just… just…”

He just loved the gentle, focused look on his mother’s face. Whether she was holding his hand or feeding him, he felt surrounded by her love. It made him feel warm all over, and he didn’t want to be separated from her…

“Ian just wants Mommy to look at Ian a little more…”

Ian Shaw was too young. He couldn’t clearly put this hazy, desperate craving for his mother’s love into words.

“Mommy will never blame you,” Naomi Kenway said, cupping his face. She took out a handkerchief and wiped his tear-stained cheeks.

“Ian, listen to me.” Ethan Shaw gently turned Ian Shaw’s shoulders to face him. “I know you want to be close to your mother, but there are other ways to do that. You’re four years old now; you’re a little man. You can take care of your mother too, right?”

When it came to his son, Ethan Shaw was extremely patient.

Ian Shaw froze.

Ethan Shaw said, “Why don’t you feed the shrimp you just peeled to your mother?”

Ian Shaw did as he was told. His small, chubby hand picked up the shrimp from the plate and held it to Naomi Kenway’s lips. This time, he saw that same gentleness in his mother’s eyes.

*

After dinner, Naomi Kenway went upstairs with Ian to read him a bedtime story, just as she always did.

Ian Shaw would often name a few stories he wanted to hear—stories his friends at kindergarten had told him. He was just copying them, hoping to receive the same kind of motherly love from Naomi Kenway.

Naomi Kenway knew what was on Ian’s mind, so she insisted on reading to him every day. In addition to the stories Ian requested, she would also look up recommendations from other moms online.

Naomi Kenway had decided to let go a little and allow Ian to grow, but when it came to something like bedtime stories—something all the other children had—she didn’t want her son to miss out.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep