Expired Expectation

After hurriedly getting Coco discharged from the hospital, Astrid took her to the supermarket to buy the snacks and ribbons the teacher instructed them to bring tomorrow.

While Astrid was busy picking out snacks, Coco pranced up to her and asked in a voice filled with wonder, “Mommy, I saw Daddy picking out a doll in the gift section! Do you think it’s a Children’s Day present for me?”

Astrid turned around to look.

She spotted Isaiah, who seemed busy choosing a suitable doll.

He was wearing a gentle and affectionate smile while doing so.

Suddenly, from behind the rack, Emmie ran and wrapped herself around Isaiah’s leg and called out “Daddy!” in a cheery voice.

Then came Juno with a cup of yogurt.

Astrid quickly removed her earphones and put them on Coco while shielding her eyes in one smooth gesture, “I’m sure you’ll get a present. Come on, let’s go, it’s getting late.”

That night, Isaiah did not come home again.

Coco slept with Astrid and was so excited that she woke up before the sun had risen.

She happily stuffed the rainbow music box into her school bag, then she asked Astrid to braid her hair into a tiara around her head.

She even drew a family portrait and planned to give it to Isaiah as a gift to remember her by.

Astrid took Coco to the kindergarten and waited by the entrance for a while, but Isaiah was nowhere to be seen.

The one they ended up seeing was Juno and her daughter Emmie, who both dressed up.

Emmie was adorned in a sparkling dress similar to a real princess.

She showed it off to her schoolmates, “Look, my Daddy had this custom-made for me! He spent twenty thousand dollars on it!

“When he found out I liked princess dresses, he ordered hundreds of beautiful dresses for me!”

“Mommy, I just remembered something. Emmie is the transfer student who came to our kindergarten recently.

“Uncle Isaiah spoils her, I’m so jealous,” she said meekly.

Astrid suppressed the bitterness she felt and did not speak.

Both girls were the same age and liked princess dresses equally.

Isaiah spoiled one of them like a princess while the other was an eyesore as far as he was concerned. He would rather not mention her at all.

He did not even buy a gift for Coco.

At the shift in Astrid’s mood, Coco paused and asked hesitantly, “Is Uncle Isaiah not coming because he’s busy?”

Astrid decided to make up another lie to save Coco’s feelings from getting hurt.

She produced a doll and showed it to her, “Even though he’s not coming, he got a present for you.”

Coco immediately brightened at the sight of the doll.

“Look, everyone! My Daddy loves me so much that he got me a doll!”

All the children who were flocking around Emmie suddenly turned their attention to Coco’s doll.

Emmie declared arrogantly, “What a pleb! Who cares about a doll? My house is filled with dolls!”

Astrid was worried the children would get into a fight and wisely led Coco away.

To her surprise, Emmie ran toward Coco and began to scramble around inside her bag.

“Oh! So you’re the one who stole my rainbow music box!” she cried.

“You better give it back!”

Coco was caught off guard by the sudden shove from Emmie and fell on the grass.

The music box fell out of her hand and landed on the ground.

“Coco!”

Astrid was horrified and went to pick Coco up off the ground.

Coco’s right cheek was cut by a branch and was bleeding.

Then Juno’s voice called out, “Your daughter is a thief, Astrid! She deserves it!

“Tell her to return the music box to my daughter before I tell the parents’ group about this! You don’t want to get humiliated, do you?”

“I’m not giving it back!" Coco wrapped her arms around the music box to defend it and cried out grievously, “And I’m not a thief!”

Astrid was immediately enraged when she saw Coco in such a state.

“For the record, Ms. Calzier, “ she hissed, “it was her father who gave her the music box! You better quit pointing fingers, or I’ll break them!”

“What’s going on here?”

A man’s gentle voice broke across the scene.

Astrid turned toward the voice and frowned.

It was Isaiah.