Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Perhaps someone had alerted the children. Half an hour later, Sophie appeared downstairs, holding Elma’s hand.
Maybe because of her illness, Elma’s complexion seemed pale and strained. But as soon as she saw Leila, her eyes brightened, and a smile spread across her face. She ran over eagerly and jumped into Leila’s arms, grinning playfully.
“Mom, I knew you couldn’t bear to leave me. Did you remember me?”
Leila froze, her body going rigid. Instead of hugging Elma, she cleared her throat and gently eased Elma away. Staring at the sweet girl, she hesitantly called out, “Elma?” Elma’s eyes sparkled, but they quickly turned misty.
Elma spun to Sophie, beaming.
“See? Our mom remembers!” Sophie simply smiled, her expression calm, not one of excitement. A hint of sadness gripped her as she sensed Leila hadn’t truly remembered them and that Leila had only come to accept that they were her children.
Sophie couldn’t help but wonder when, or if, Leila would truly remember them.
Leila’s gaze softened as she watched Elma’s grin. Unable to resist, she reached out and pinched Elma’s cheek.
Elma giggled, her teeth showing, making her even more adorable.
Leila didn’t feel the strangeness or rejection she had imagined. Instead, she felt a surprising sense of comfort as she touched Elma. Seeing Elma’s smile made her heart soften. Was this what maternal love felt like? Though a part of her subconsciously felt that Elma wasn’t her daughter, she couldn’t resist the pull of maternal love.
Without thinking, Leila reached out, pulling Elma into her arms. The contact felt natural, as if it was something she had done countless times before.
Leila figured maybe Landon was right. These children could really be hers.
Out of the corner of her eye, Leila noticed Sophie standing quietly, looking forlorn.
Leila walked over, placing a gentle hand on Sophie’s head. Feeling the warmth on her head, Sophie tilted her face up, her eyes filled with longing.
At fifteen, Sophie appeared more mature, her demeanor less innocent than Elma’s. Yet, her eyes betrayed the longing she couldn’t conceal.
Sophie gazed at Leila’s gentle smile and whispered, “Mom?” Leila glanced at the young girl before her, a pang of unease settling in her chest.
“I’m sorry,” Leila murmured, her voice heavy with regret as she gazed at Sophie.
“I truly lost my memory, and I can’t remember you kids. When I first woke up, I couldn’t accept the truth that I am your mother. Now, I see I may have gone too far.”
Leila figured that if she were in Sophie’s shoes, being denied acknowledgment by her mother must have been heartbreaking. Tears quickly gathered in Sophie’s eyes. She shook her head desperately, her voice shaking with emotion.
“Mom, please don’t say that. You don’t need to apologize. I know you never meant for things to turn out like this.”
“It’s all right,” Leila said softly.
“As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters. I believe you will remember me one day.”
Leila gently brushed the tears from Sophie’s face.
“Don’t cry. Due to my memory loss, I need you to help me piece together the past. Let’s go upstairs for a nice talk.”
Elma, ever considerate, handed Sophie a tissue.
“Sophie, please don’t cry. You always say everything will get better.”
Sophie sniffled and smiled through her tears.
“That’s right. Everything will get better.”
The three of them made their way upstairs to Sophie’s room, where Sophie and Elma took turns recounting the past to Leila. However, they were unable to fill in the gaps of Leila’s life before they were born because Leila had never spoken of it.
Leila kept her past to herself with words like, “We should look to the future instead of dwelling on the past. No matter how difficult or painful some memories may be, they shouldn’t hold us back.”
Listening to her children, Leila was surprised by the pieces of her past they revealed.
“I can’t believe I was like that before. I can’t even imagine what I was like.”
Upon waking up, Leila had always thought of herself as easygoing, but Sophie shared stories of how she had managed a vast company, a woman who was decisive, determined, and respected by her employees.
The thought made Leila uneasy. She furrowed her brow and asked, “Now that I don’t remember, who’s managing this Nixon Group you mentioned?”
Sophie reassured her gently, “Don’t worry. The senior managers at the Nixon Group were all handpicked by you. And if they’re not reliable, we’re here to help.”
Sophie winked playfully. Though she hadn’t shown much interest in the company, she had picked up a few management skills over time.
Sophie’s dreams had evolved. When she was younger, she had aspired to be an actress, drawn by the glamour. But after spending time with Leila, she had come to believe in taking control of her own life. She planned to start her own entertainment company. Once that idea took hold, she began learning the ropes of management with Calvin.
Leila had always intended for Sophie to follow in her footsteps. Although Sophie started later than Calvin, she had quickly caught up, her knowledge on par with his.
Calvin and Sophie took turns visiting the company each week, monitoring the operation. This week, it was Calvin’s turn, so he wasn’t with them today.
Leila, amused yet surprised by the story, asked, “But you’re so young. Do you really manage to learn everything so well?”
Sophie shrugged nonchalantly.
“It’s normal. My dad believes Calvin and I still have a lot to learn and wants us to pick up more with him.”
Leila’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“Your dad? Who is he?”
Sophie and Elma exchanged a glance. Before Elma could speak, Sophie raised a hand to silence her.
Sophie gave a strained smile to Leila.
“Mom, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you. But you and my dad still have some unresolved issues. Honestly, we don’t think you’d like to face him while you’re still dealing with your memory loss. We just want you to regain your memories first.”
Leila nodded in understanding. One was most vulnerable without their memories, as they couldn’t distinguish friend from foe, leaving themselves exposed and uneasy.
Leila couldn’t help but marvel at how capable she must have been to raise such intelligent and thoughtful children. Sophie and Elma were perceptive, charming, and, above all, incredibly smart. Not all adults could match their wisdom. Perhaps children from wealthy families were expected to be this way. Leila hesitated before asking, “Was I very strict with you before? Did I refuse to let you eat if you didn’t study well? Or did I forbid you from resting for extra courses? Did I scold you?”
Sophie and Elma exchanged a mischievous glance before nodding in unison.
Leila’s eyes widened in surprise, and her heart clenched with self-reproach.
“I was like that before? That’s awful.”
While Leila could understand parents’ common wishes for their children to become somebody, each child was unique. She figured most parents, overwhelmed by the excitement of their children’s arrival, should be solely consumed by how to provide their kids with happy lives.
Leila immediately apologized, her voice filled with remorse.
“I’m sorry. I won’t do that anymore. I’ll be gentler with you.”
Sophie couldn’t help but laugh. She hugged Leila’s arm, acting playful.
“Mom, we were just kidding. You were always so good to us.”
“We were the ones who wanted to learn so much. You always worried we’d overexert ourselves.”
Elma nodded in agreement.
“That’s right. Sophie’s not lying. You always said our happiness was the most important thing and never pushed us to be perfect. We chose to learn voluntarily.”
“But…” Elma’s face fell slightly, her tone turning wistful.
“You didn’t spend much time with us before.”
Leila smiled warmly, her eyes soft with love.