CHAPTER 117: ONE MOMENT, ONE CHOICE

Meanwhile....

"Hello? Who’s this?"

Egypt asked into the phone after their mom had briefly left it while taking a bath.

They had planned to celebrate their mom’s birthday at the amusement park since it was the weekend, and Paris and Egypt had insisted on it themselves.

But now, Egypt’s brows furrowed as she tried to make sense of the voice on the other end.

"Mommy! You finally answered the call! Happy birthday!" a small, excited voice rang through the line.

"What... Mommy? Who are you?" Egypt asked, raising an eyebrow.

A brief silence followed from the other end.

"Huh... hello? Who’s this?" came a small, nervous boy’s voice.

"You—who are you? You’re calling the wrong number. Mom doesn’t have another kid, so introduce yourself properly." Egypt replied, trying to sound firm.

"Who is that, Egypt?" Paris asked.

"I don’t know... maybe some prankster claiming Mom as his mom." Egypt shrugged, about to hang up.

But then, the small, trembling voice came through again.

"W-what? A prankster? I’m Mommy’s only son... How about you? Who are you?"

Egypt’s grip on the phone tightened. "I’m Mommy’s daughter! My name is Egypt Lincolm. How about you?"

There was a pause on the other line, and the boy’s voice faltered. "E-Egypt?..."

"Yes. And you... what’s your name?"

"Uh... I’m... Cairo... Cairo Smith."

Egypt blinked, surprised. "Cairo? Who are you? How do you have Mom’s number?"

"I... I’m her son," the boy whispered, his small voice barely above a murmur. "I just wanted to wish her a happy birthday..."

"Are you really going to keep saying you’re Mommy’s son? I already told you—my mom doesn’t have a son—"

Egypt paused as someone quickly took the phone from her hand.

She looked up and saw her mom just stepping out of the bathroom, water still dripping from her hair.

Egypt could see the nervousness in her mom’s eyes as she gently switched off the phone.

"What did the person on the line say, Egypt?" her mom asked seriously, her tone unusually tense.

It was the first time Egypt had seen her mom so unsettled, and a pang of guilt struck her for answering the call.

Egypt hesitated, twisting the hem of her shirt nervously. "Uh... it was a boy... he said he’s your son.." she admitted quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her mom’s eyes widened as she took a slow step closer. "A boy? My... s-son?"

Her voice trembled just enough to betray her usual composure.

"I... I don’t really know, Mommy," Egypt continued, her small hands clenching together. "He just wanted to wish you happy birthday... and he said his name is Cairo."

Sylvia’s chest tightened. She bit her lip, looking down at Egypt’s earnest face.

Paris, who had been watching silently from the corner, stepped closer and placed a small hand on Sylvia’s trembling hand. "Mom, are you okay?"

Sylvia forced a small, shaky smile. "I... I’m fine, sweetie."

Egypt watched her mom closely. Her mom’s hands were slightly trembling as she brushed damp hair from her face, and for a moment, Egypt wondered if she had said something wrong.

"Egypt, did he say more... like he wanted to see me?" Sylvia knelt slightly so she was at eye level with her daughter.

Egypt nodded, frowning. "He didn’t say that... He just said he wanted to wish you a happy birthday and that he’s your son."

Paris frowned. "Mom... why do you look like that? You seem... worried. Don’t tell me you know him?"

Sylvia gave a short, uneasy laugh and straightened. "It’s not like that, Paris... Soon, I’m going to tell you who he is, but for now... I don’t think you’d understand everything."

Paris and Egypt exchanged confused glances. "What do you mean, mom that we wouldn’t understand everything? Is there something we need to know about that kid named Cairo?"

Sylvia smiled faintly, forcing calm into her tense expression.

"Y-yes... however... please give me more time to gather the courage to tell you. I will tell you soon, but not now. I hope you understand, o-okay?"

Paris and Egypt could feel the sadness in their mom’s voice. They looked at each other and silently understood.

"Okay, Mom. We won’t ask about it anymore. However, when you’re ready to tell us, you can just tell us everything and explain it to us." Paris said.

Paris pursed her lips, tempted to press further about the kid named Cairo, but she decided against it. For now, she would let it go, even if the question nagged at the back of her mind.

Egypt tugged gently at Paris sleeve. "Come on, Paris. Let’s not worry about it. Mom’s birthday is today, remember? Let’s go enjoy it!"

Paris nodded reluctantly, glancing one last time at her mom. Sylvia’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"Okay!"

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Sylvia’s POV...

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"Mom! Look! Paris and I are flying!" Egypt’s voice rang out, full of excitement, as she pumped her legs on the swing.

My heart swelled with joy just from watching them, yet I couldn’t shake the heavy weight of emotion pressing on me in that moment.

I smiled softly. The sound of their laughter—so pure made me want to freeze this moment, to bottle up their happiness and keep it safe forever.

"Wow! You’re both flying so high!" I called out, clapping my hands gently.

Paris leaned forward, her giggle ringing in the warm afternoon air. "Mom! Can you push us higher? Come on!"

Egypt bounced with even more energy, her ponytails flying with every movement. "Faster, Mom! Higher! We can touch the clouds!"

I chuckled softly, taking a careful step forward. "Alright, alright, hold on tight!" I pushed them gently, feeling their small bodies soar back and forth.

Their laughter mingled with the distant hum of the amusement park, a sound that should have been enough to lift my spirits completely.

For a few fleeting moments, I let myself be happy with just my daughters.

"Look, Mom! We’re flying over the world!" Egypt yelled again, leaning her head back as Paris squealed with delight.

I forced a deeper smile, watching them. Their happiness was infectious, and I wanted to cling to it.

For now, I allowed myself to breathe, to savor these small, perfect moments of joy before reality crept back in.

Just as Paris and Egypt shouted for another push, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I hesitated, my hand still on the swing chain, before letting them glide on their own for a moment.

Pulling the phone out, I saw Bern’s name flashing on the screen along with a message.

’This is Bern, Sylvia. Can I talk to you over the phone, even just for a moment?’

My heart skipped.

"Girls, keep holding tight! I’ll be right here," I called, forcing cheer into my voice as I stepped a few paces back. I swiped the call. "Bern?"

"Sylvia... did you read my message?"

I froze, my grip tightening around the phone.

My eyes flicked toward my daughters, their laughter ringing out like tiny bells. "Yes, but Bern, not now... please.." I whispered, lowering my tone.

I could hear Bern exhale sharply from the other end. "Sylvia, I know you still don’t want to see Cairo. But he’s been asking for you again and again. He keeps saying he wants to see you—even just for a short moment. Can’t you grant him that? Please... meet him, even if it’s only for a while."

The weight of his words pressed against my chest. I turned slightly away, shielding my face from the girls’ view.

"I told you... I’m not yet ready...." I muttered.

"Sylvia, he’s just a boy. He doesn’t understand any of this—the reasons you keep avoiding him. He heard his sisters’ voices earlier when he accidentally got through, and now he won’t stop asking me about them. How much longer are you planning to keep Cairo a secret from them? From Egypt and Paris?"

I clenched the phone tighter, my throat tightening, but Bern pressed on.

"You’re not the only one hurting, Sylvia. Cairo is hurting too. You don’t see how hard he’s fighting every single day—not just against his illness, but against himself. He holds back the urge to run to you. He’s just a little boy, Sylvia, and he’s breaking." His voice faltered, silence stretching before he spoke again.

"So please... make time for him. Even just a little while. Meet him, even for a short moment. I’ll send you our location. He’ll be waiting for you there."

Then the line went dead.

My throat burned as I swallowed hard. I glanced back at my daughters, and for a fleeting second, I wished time would stop right here.

My hand trembled as I slipped the phone back into my pocket.

"Mom! Push us again!" Egypt’s voice rang out, snapping me back.

I plastered on a smile and walked toward them. For now, I would draw strength from my twins and let myself soak in their laughter—because after this moment, I knew I couldn’t keep running anymore. Sooner or later, I would have to face everything I feared... and Cairo.