Chapter 715 - Birthday Gift

"Oh Ma, that's like my food every day! In the past, if I made a mistake that could make Papa angry, he would tell me to write an apology sentence 8000 times!" William replied quickly. 

"You're also told to do the same thing, right!"

Hearing this, Lisa couldn't believe it. The very young William, 5 years old, being told to write that much just because the boy made a mistake? Absolutely outrageous!

"Yes! Oh my… your Papa is indeed a heartless person at the core!"

William nodded his head quickly. "That's right Ma!"

"Oh, right!" William suddenly looked at Lisa with a sparkling gaze. Just from seeing the look on his face, Lisa already knew that the boy wanted something, "I can help you write the 8000 words of apology."

Of course she couldn't believe what she just heard. As a boy, Willim is only 5 years old and usually, children at that age are busy thinking about how to have fun and play with their friends. 

This boy must have his own motive, he must have something he really wanted that the boy would do whatever it took.

Lisa frowned, "What did you say? Help me? How will you do it? Look, you're living in a boarding school that has such strict rules. Besides, you're only 5 years old! How can you write that much?"

"Mommy is making fun of William, isn't it!" William accused carelessly, "I can really help you, you know! I can ask someone to help me send the writings to your house or office."

Lisa listened to William's plan and subconsciously, the corners of her lips pulled up. She was increasingly convinced that there was something the boy wanted. 

"Won't your Papa find out that it's someone else's writing? He will get angrier later, you know…"

Suddenly, William was silent for a moment, trying to digest his mother's words. What Lisa said is also true. Their writing is very different, and to be honest, William's writing still looks like chicken feet, while Lisa's can be said to be quite good because she's an adult.

"Ugh, you're right..." William replied after a long silence, causing Lisa to chuckle. "But it's okay! I will find a way to help you finish writing those apologies 8000 times."

Even though Lisa was one hundred percent sure that William couldn't help her, she still appreciated her son's effort. For one thing, the boy was still in school, how could she ask William to help her write 8000 times? And secondly, Oscar is not a stupid man, obviously he could tell which writing belonged to William and which one belonged to Lisa. 

Nonetheless, the woman still agreed with the boy's words.

"That's fine. What do you want that you're thus eager to help Mama write that much?" Lisa asked curiously.

Hearing her question made William burst out laughing. His head was thrown back, his eyes shaped like crescent moons, and his cheeks puffed up even more, much to Lisa's dismay. 

"How do you know what's on my mind!?"

Lisa also laughed after hearing William's laughter. "Of course I know. You're my son!"

"Okay, so… You know that my birthday is coming soon, right? Well, this is my first birthday after Papa and Mama live in the same house. I only have one question—have you guys prepared a present for me?"

Not long after the question left William's lips, for some reason Lisa felt her eyes heat up. What happened this afternoon replayed over and over again in her mind, making her heart feel heavy. At times like this, Lisa felt sorry that she didn't have enough savings and worse, trusted her hard earned money to someone else.

Lisa did know and realized that she had missed William's previous birthdays, but when she heard those words leave her son's lips, her heart felt like it was being slashed by a sharp knife. The more she realized that she wasn't able to give her son what he wanted, the more she felt like a failure as a mother.

She couldn't afford a good toy for him, even missing many of his birthdays before.

What kind of mother is she?

"Mom? Are you okay? Did you have so much work today that you looked tired and sad like this?" William asked after he did not hear a reply from his mother.

His brow furrowed as he watched the tears begin to fall from the corners of his mother's eyes. He automatically took his cell phone which he was leaning on the pile of his textbooks. The little boy's fingers then tried to wipe the tears from his screen.

Suddenly, the boy realized the reason why his mother shed tears. After he asked if the woman had bought him a gift, her eyes immediately turned red.

"Ah, Mom, don't be sad… I was just joking. If you can't buy me a gift, that's okay too! As long as Papa and Mama are always with me, that's enough. Don't be sad, okay? I promise I will do my best to study hard and won't cause trouble here."

"Mama..."

William's voice, which sounded guilty, made tears roll down Lisa's cheeks even more. The woman quickly turned her face away from the camera and wiped the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

Lisa realized that she already owed William a lot. She had never stood by him when the boy was still in his golden age. She never saw William learn to walk, talk, or eat by himself, like mothers in general. And now that William was almost 6 years old, her boy grew up to be a thoughtful and considerate child. 

Lisa really had missed the best moments with William. And until then, she would never stop regretting having missed it all.

After calming her emotions, Lisa was sure that there were no traces of tears on her cheeks even though her eyes still felt hot and her nose was still blocked. 

The woman then looked back at her cell phone's screen. This time, the boy's face was so close to the camera that Lisa could only see her son's eyes, forehead and hair.

Lisa chuckled, "Who said that I don't know what birthday gift to buy you? Later, when it's your birthday, I promise I will go to your school with your Papa, so we can celebrate your birthday together!"

"Really?" William asked excitedly, his eyes sparkling, as if there were tens or even thousands of stars living there.

Lisa cleared her throat, "Yeah."