The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

I added, "I was thinking, why am I so lucky to have such a talented daughter!"

Embarrassed by my praise, Willow threw herself into my arms. "Mommy, you don't need to praise me that much."

I gently stroked Willow's head. "I truly believe it. Were you nervous on stage?"

Upon hearing this, Willow left my embrace and said seriously, "A little. It got much better after I imagined the audience as toy dolls."

I softly caressed Willow's cheek. "You know how to adapt and solve problems yourself. That's amazing, isn't it?"

Willow smiled even more happily. She didn't tell Annalise she had been secretly practicing her script at home every day.

Willow memorized the script thoroughly so that she could outdo Zachary. That way, Annalise would feel she was the best child!

Unexpectedly, Zachary also performed quite well. He must have been secretly practicing at home too.noveldrama

On stage, Willow was secretly relieved that she hadn't been complacent. Otherwise, she would have paled in comparison to Zachary. Thankfully, she had the foresight. "What do you plan to do next?" Zane asked, pointing the camera at Willow.

Willow asked, "Aren't we going out with Grandpa and Grandma on Saturday and Sunday? I definitely need to go home and pack my clothes."

She then turned to Penelope and said, "You too. We can meet up at my house tonight."

"Okay!" With that, Penelope left with Suzy.

Willow held my hand and said, "Mommy, let's go home."

Zachary walked obediently to Portia's side and said casually, "Grandma, I think I saw you chatting with Mommy while I was on stage. What were you talking about?"

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Portia knew that Zachary had matured and learned to hide his emotions. However, he was still just a five-year-old who undoubtedly craved maternal love.

Hence, she smiled and said, "The

video on my phone wasn't clear, so asked her to send me a copy of her recording. That way, I can watch it whenever I want."

Zachary felt a bit disappointed, as he had hoped Annalise would have asked about him.

Noticing his mood, Portia changed the subject. "You did a great job with your recitation today. It seems you put in a lot of effort."

Upon hearing her praise, Zachary

smiled and said, "Yes. I memorized it

first. Then, since I didn't know how to narrate with emotion, I asked my tutor. After she explained it to me, I practiced reading like her.

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Eventually, after reading it many times, I became more skilted."

Portia praised, "You're so hardworking!"

He smiled shyly and replied, "It's nothing."

...

Jessica leaned over her desk, diligently working on her illustrations. As her pregnancy progressed, her work became increasingly challenging.

She wondered if she could still find a man to support her if she wanted. If so, why was she pushing herself so hard?