Part 2Mom’s Two Children

Thanks to that pocket watch, I had a rare chance to go home early today. A cold wind blew on the way home. My clothes were already half-wet, and now the chill felt biting. But I barely noticed it, my mind a chaotic mess. The moment I closed my eyes, I could see that photo in the pocket watch again.

The gentle, beautiful woman was my mother, in her younger days. So, who was the little boy she was holding? Was it Lucas? What was their relationship?

I'd always known my mom had been divorced once before and had another child. I was the child she had with my father after their remarriage. My parents had never hidden this from me. But I couldn’t connect Lucas with my mother’s previous child…

But if Lucas really was my older half-brother, then all my questions finally had answers. Why he targeted me, bullied me… Because he was abandoned by our mother, so he hated me. Why did he threaten me after bullying me, telling me not to tell anyone at home? He also said his family was powerful and could easily shut down my mother's flower shop… Because he was afraid. Afraid I would tell Mom. He was afraid Mom would find out he was bullying me!

The more I thought, the more startled I became, my heart thumping uncontrollably fast. I started to run, the cold wind sharpening my thoughts. I had to ask Mom to confirm!

What was usually a twenty-minute walk, I ran in ten. My mom looked surprised when I returned. "Home so early today?" Every day, Lucas bullied me, and to keep my mom from worrying, I'd lied, saying I was studying late at school. To prevent her from noticing anything, I always pulled down my long sleeves to hide the bruises on my arms before coming home.

Mom, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen and smiled at me. "Go wash your hands quickly, dinner will be ready soon." Her gaze lingered on my hair for a moment. "Why are your hair and clothes a bit wet?"

"I… an old lady spilled water on the sidewalk and accidentally splashed me."

"Then go take a bath quickly, don't catch a cold."

I nodded, dropped my backpack, and went to my bedroom to get a change of clothes for a shower. When I came out, Mom had already finished dinner. Dad was away on a business trip and wouldn't be home for a while. I sat at the dining table, looking at my mom's gentle face, and hesitated before speaking.

"Mom, I have a question for you."

Mom placed a chicken leg in my bowl. "Eat while it's hot. What's the question?"

I deliberated for a moment, then asked, "Mom, do I have an older brother? What’s his name?"

Mom’s hand, holding her chopsticks, paused, and the smile on her face stiffened slightly. "Why are you suddenly asking that?"

"Just… a little curious."

Mom remained silent for a long time, barely eating any of her meal. I suddenly regretted it. I shouldn’t have asked, Mom suddenly looked so unhappy. But after dinner, Mom called me into her room. She handed me a photograph.

"His name is Lucas Rothwell. He’s my first child."

I took the photo, my hands trembling slightly. This photo was identical to the one in Lucas’s pocket watch.