Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Two years flew past again. A lot had happened, and a lot was still happening. Life never really stopped for anyone, and for Mia Turner, it certainly didn’t slow down.
She had grown…God, she had grown so much.
She was almost done with school now, just a few more weeks and it would be official.
A graduate. A full–blown fucking degree holder.
it still feels unreal when she thinks about it sometimes.
There were days she didn’t think she would make it past that first semester, balancing school, being pregnant, raising Aiden, and keeping her sanity. But she did it. She pulled through. The sleepless nights, the tears she cried into her pillow, the times she almost quit–it all led here.
Her son, her beautiful little boy, had started preschool back home with her mother. That decision hadn’t come easy.
She had held onto Aiden for as long as she could–every diaper change, every little cold, every first word. But eventually, she realized she had to let go just a bit if she wanted to finish what she started. And her mother had offered. Lovingly. Willingly. With all the warmth she never showed her before.
And Aiden was happy.
He loved his grandma. He loved his aunties. And back home in that small town, he had friends, he had space to run, and he had safety. What more could
she ask for?
Ethan had moved too. Her big brother, her rock. He left for Singapore just a few months ago to expand his tattoo business. She missed him more than she let on, but she was proud. He was doing it. Really doing it. Making something out of the scraps.
The years were hard. They didn’t just pass by easily. No, they clawed past her–sometimes dragging her across the floor—but she made it through. And now, here she was. A mother. A student. A survivor.
More than anything, she was proud. Not just of the title, but of the strength she discovered inside herself.
The kind that only comes from living through pain and conquering it.
Mia wasn’t the same girl who was shipped out of Willowcrest four years ago. No. That girl was gone.
This Mia stood taller, spoke softer, but firmer. She didn’t chase after closed doors. She didn’t beg. She didn’t crumble at the sound of rejection.
She had changed.
She had matured.
And just as she was thinking about how far she’d come, her phone began to ring.
She didn’t even check the screen. She already knew.
“Hello,” she said, lifting the phone to her ear.
“Mummy,” Aiden’s voice whined through the speaker, full of frustration and that familiar tiny anger he’d picked up whenever he didn’t get his way.
Mia smiled immediately, her whole face softening.
“What’s wrong, baby?” she asked gently, her heart already doing flips.
They had been going back and forth over a toy he wanted to take to school–some action figure her mother had firmly said no to. Apparently, Aiden was still not over it.
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Chapter 165
“Grandma said I can’t take fron Man to school,” Aiden said, almost sulking “She’s saying no again. Again, mama.”
Mia tried not to laugh, but it was hard.
“Baby, I told you,” she said pattently, “you have to listen to your grandma.”
There was silence for a second. Then she could practically hear the pout through the phone. Her baby’s frown, his scrunched–up nose, and that deep sigh he always gave when he didn’t get what he wanted.
“But that’s priduculous, mama,” Aiden said with a serious tone.
Mia burst into laughter, clamping her hand over her mouth so the sound wouldn’t be too loud. Tears welled up in her eyes from laughing so hard.
“You learning big words, baby?” she finally asked when she could speak again, still wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.
“Yes,” Aiden said proudly, his little voice so innocent and certain it made her chest squeeze with love.
Just hearing him speak like that…growing, learning, trying out new things, it filled her with a kind of joy that no one else could give. A joy that made everything else worth it.
Yes. She was a different woman now. And Aiden was growing into the most beautiful, smart little boy. She felt like the luckiest person in the world just to be his mother.
And right now, she was just happy to hear his voice.
“Please listen to Grandma baby, okay?”
“Okay mama”
Mia sat on the edge of her bed, one leg tucked under her and her phone pressed to her ear.
She was trying not to feel overwhelmed. Ethan’s voice, steady and full of excitement, but also full of insistence.
“I know what I’m saying, Mia,” Ethan said firmly, his voice slightly crackling through the call.
He had been talking about Singapore, nonstop for weeks now.
How much better life would be there. How clean it was. How organized. How peaceful. How full of opportunities.
Mia sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “You’ve been saying that every time we talk. Since the day you moved there. Every day, Ethan.”
Ethan chuckled. “I mean, it’s because it’s the truth. Mia, I’m not even exaggerating. I already told my friend to start looking for a good job for you. He’s actually working on it right now.”
Her heart skipped a little. She wasn’t surprised. That was Ethan for you. Once he had an idea in his head, he moved mountains to make it happen.
He cared deeply. He didn’t just talk. He acted. But Moving to another country?
She stared around her small room. The books stacked on the desk, the little frame of Aiden on her nightstand, the graduation gown hanging by the closet. Everything she had built here in the past years.
“I don’t know, Ethan,” Mia said softly. “Moving with Aiden and all that… It’s not just about me, you know? It’s the whole process of him changing schools, the environment he’s used to. He just settled in well with mum and the preschool.”
Ethan didn’t respond for a few seconds. Then he said gently, “It’ll be good for him, Mia. And for you too. Trust me. You won’t be alone here. I’ll be here. You won’t be starting from scratch. I’m not telling you to move tomorrow. Just… think about it. Please.”
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Chapter 165
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And she was thinking about it. Constantly. Every time Aiden called her crying because he couldn’t find his socks or because Grandma wouldn’t let him take his favorite toy to school.
Every time she walked home froin school late at night, tired and dragging her feet, wondering what life would look like there.
But it was scary.
“I have to think about it more,” Mia said, keeping her voice oven. That’s all she’s been doing these days.
“Okay,” Ethan replied, not sounding disappointed, just understanding. He always understood her pauses, her hesitations. He didn’t push further. Instead, he switched topics, like he knew her heart needed space.
“You submitted everything for school?” he asked casually, like it wasn’t a big deal, but Mia knew he was smiling on the other end.
She smiled too, without even realizing it. “Done and dusted,” she said proudly. “Graduation and official signing out is next week.”
“Mia,” Ethan said, his tone suddenly warmer, filled with pride. “I’m so proud of you. Congratulations.”
Mia felt her throat tighten just a little. She bit her lip, trying not to cry. She had come a long way. Too far to not acknowledge it.
Now she was a graduate. A mother. A woman who had worked, cried, and crawled her way out of a dark hole.
She had raised a little boy who now called her every morning and every night. Who told her about his toy cars and snacks and the new friend he made at preschool. She had survived.
She will never stop praising herself.
“Thank you,” she whispered, holding the phone tighter.
Ethan must’ve felt her emotion too. He didn’t say anything for a few seconds. Then he cleared his throat and added, “Mum told me Aiden started reading small books already. That’s crazy.”
Mia smiled. “Yeah. He loves those big picture books with short words. Keeps asking me what everything means.”
“That boy is too smart. Just like his mum.”
Mia laughed softly, shaking her head.
They sat in silence for a moment. A comfortable kind.
Mia glanced at the time. She needed to sleep soon.
“I’ll keep thinking about it,” she said again, softly. “About moving. About Singapore.”
“That’s all I ask,” Ethan replied.
She could picture his smile, warm and hopeful.
And deep down, a small part of her was already imagining it. A fresh start. A new life. Maybe, just maybe… a place where she could breathe easier.
Moving will either be the best thing to happen to her or the worst.
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