The Day I Went Silent Chapter 13
Across the ocean, California was in the depths of winter. Snowflakes swirled as they fell, draping the birch forest in a crown of white.
Inside the office building, the gray-haired professor pushed up his glasses. “That’s all for today’s meeting. Olivia, please stay for a moment.”
The students gathered their laptops and scattered. Olivia walked over to the professor. “Professor, did you need me for something?”
She still wasn’t quite used to the climate here. Dressed in a white coat and a matching scarf, her cheeks were flushed red from the cold.
Yet, the pain and despair had faded from her face, gradually replaced by the bright, high-spirited radiance of her youth.
Academic life in California was busy, and she quickly forgot her painful memories.
The past back home faded rapidly, as if it had all happened in another lifetime.
The old professor looked pleased. “Olivia, you’ve adapted very well.”
“An investor who is very important to our lab is coming this afternoon. I want you to come with me to meet him.”
Olivia was surprised. “I’m not very good at dealing with people…”
“It doesn’t matter. He specifically asked to see you.” The old professor winked at her, looking surprisingly playful.
That afternoon, Olivia arrived at the cafe on time.
Instead of the investor, she first saw a little bundle wrapped tightly in winter clothes.
Without a word, he threw himself at her, nuzzling into Olivia’s embrace: “Olivia, I missed you so much.”
Olivia froze for a moment. “Meilani Carter? How did you find me?”
Meilani was the little boy she had picked up on her way back to the apartment.
He was so tiny, his adorable little face bundled up in a knit beanie, his nose bright red from the cold.
Olivia couldn’t bear to leave him there, so she took him back to her apartment, brewed some medicine for him, and tried to contact his parents.
“What’s your parents’ phone number?”
Meilani stared with wide eyes, speaking in somewhat broken Chinese: “I don’t know, miss.”
Meeting his gaze, Olivia felt a bit helpless and had no choice but to let him stay for the night.
The little boy was frightened and couldn’t sleep in the middle of the night, crying secretly under the covers.
Having taken care of that difficult little monster Oliver for three years, Olivia was very good at handling this kind of situation, so she dug Meilani out from under the blankets.
She held Meilani, patting him gently while singing a lullaby.
Meilani slowly fell asleep, sleepily mumbling “Mommy” in his dreams, which melted Olivia’s heart.
He stayed at Olivia’s place for a few days before the police successfully contacted his family.
The day the police took him away, he clung to Olivia’s arm and refused to let go, his voice teary: “Olivia, you’re the nicest person to me.”
“No one has ever tucked me in before. You’re just like my mommy.”
A sharp ache tugged at Olivia’s heart, making her suspect the little boy had been abused.
Just as she was about to ask, Meilani let go of her hand.
Olivia thought they would never see each other again.