Torn

Before ascending the stairs for the night, Gu Zi informed her second son that his little sister, Lele, would be sleeping with her tonight, and he needn't bring her over.

The boy seemed a bit disheartened, "Mom, is it because I didn't take good care of Lele?"

In truth, he knew he wasn't as adept at caring for his sister as his older brother was, but he yearned to assist his mother and gain her approval.

Gu Zi gently patted the top of her second son's head, explaining softly, "Of course not, don't think like that. If I thought you couldn't take care of Lele, I wouldn't have entrusted her to you in the first place. It's just that I haven't held Lele to sleep in a long time. Can I have her tonight?"

"Sure, Mom. I'll go brush my teeth now," the boy's face brightened, and he headed towards the bathroom downstairs.

Only the master bedroom upstairs had an en-suite bathroom, so the two older boys usually performed their nightly ablutions downstairs.