The next day.
9:00 a.m.
"Quinnie, wake up, wake up! We've got a lot to do today. Stop sleeping in!"
This was already the third time Blake Su had tried to wake Mia Quinn up.
"Mmm... mmm... I'm getting up right away~"
Mia Quinn murmured, but buried her head even deeper into the blanket, completely unmoved. So it turns out... beauty really does come from sleep.
It wasn't until 10:00 a.m. that Mia Quinn finally got up.
By around 11:00, the two of them, or more accurately Mia Quinn, finally finished getting ready, and they were able to start handling their actual tasks.
"How about... we eat first, Blake~"
Mia Quinn rubbed her stomach and chuckled. Blake Su smiled helplessly, then took her out for a hot brunch.
1:00 p.m.
Time to get to work.
"Let's first buy some new clothes for Mom and Aunt. Quinnie, you know their sizes, right?"
"Yeah."
Blake Su didn't know his family's clothing sizes, but Mia Quinn did, including his mother's. That way, even if their moms weren't around, they could still buy clothes for them.
Blake Su was generous with spending.
He didn't consider the price at all, only the style and size, so they quickly picked out two outfits.
"Next, let's buy some gifts to bring back."
Mia Quinn opened Blake Su's phone, checked the plan he had made, and pulled him toward a gift shop, only to be stopped by Blake Su.
"What's wrong?!"
"We haven't bought anything for Quinnie yet. You've been through a lot lately. Things haven't been going well with your career, so you should at least have a nice new outfit for the New Year."
"That's true!"
The moment her career was mentioned, Mia Quinn immediately looked a bit aggrieved.
She picked out a new outfit for herself and also chose one for Blake Su. After wandering around for a while, it was already 4:00 p.m., and the sky was starting to darken.
"Hurry up, hurry up, we're going home today~"
Mia Quinn quickly grabbed Blake Su and headed straight to a New Year goods store. While she selected gifts, Blake Su first called a taxi, then joined her in picking things out.
They browsed through items one after another.
The clothes and gifts completely filled the taxi's trunk, and even the seats were piled with things.
At first, the driver was unwilling to take them after seeing how much they had, but once Blake Su offered double the fare, he happily drove them home.
Blake Su's home was in Yangshan County, Jiangyuan City, in the capital, about a three hour drive away. High speed rail or a flight would have been faster.
Because they had so many things, Blake Su chose a taxi instead, even though it was more expensive and took longer.
...
While Blake Su and Mia Quinn were on their way home,
Yangshan County, Xingdu Yuecheng, Building 16, Unit 1701, Blake Su's home. It was a four bedroom, two living room, two bathroom, one kitchen apartment, about 165 square meters. Not particularly big, but not small either.
Mia Quinn's home was across the street in Yingbin Chengbang, Building 15, Unit 1602, with a similar size and layout.
Dolores Su and Charlotte Quinn were watching TV in the living room. Since they would be spending New Year's Eve at Blake Su's place this year, Mia Quinn's mother had already come over to stay.
At this moment, the two were chatting.
"This is the first year both kids aren't home for New Year. It just feels a bit empty. That sense of family reunion isn't really there."
Dolores Su looked at the TV, which was playing a past Spring Festival Gala, but her attention wasn't on it.
"Yeah."
Charlotte Quinn sighed and said, "Blake has a packed schedule, so that's understandable. But Mia originally said she would come back, and now she isn't. If she were here, the house would feel more lively."
"Don't blame her."
Dolores Su held Charlotte Quinn's hand and smiled.
"Mia is an actress. Once she takes on a script, she's tied up for months. She really can't leave.
Try to think about it differently. Our children have grown up. They can't stay by our side forever. When they're not here, we still need to take care of ourselves and stay happy.
At the very least, we shouldn't become a burden to them."
"Mm-hmm!"
Charlotte Quinn nodded and smiled.
"I know. I was just saying it out loud. Tomorrow, the two of us will still celebrate the New Year happily."
"Mm-hmm."
Knock knock knock~
Just as they were talking, someone knocked on the door.
"Hm?"
Charlotte Quinn frowned. It was already so late. Who could it be? Dolores Su stood up to open the door and said,
"It must be one of my deliveries. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and they're still delivering today. These days, no job is easy."
Without thinking much, Dolores Su walked to the door and opened it. She looked up, expecting to see a delivery worker, but instead she saw Blake Su's face.
In an instant, her eyes widened, and she froze.
"What's wrong?! Wasn't it a delivery?!"
Seeing no reaction, Charlotte Quinn called out and walked over. Then she saw Mia Quinn peeking out from behind Blake Su.
She smiled brightly at her mother.
Charlotte Quinn froze as well.
No matter how much they had imagined, they never expected that their son and daughter, who had clearly said they wouldn't be coming back, had actually returned.
"Mom, I'm back!"
"Mom, I'm back!"
Blake Su and Mia Quinn spoke in unison as they hugged their mothers.
"S... son!"
"Mimi... Mia~"
Completely stunned, Dolores Su and Charlotte Quinn stammered. The moment Blake Su and Mia Quinn hugged them, tears streamed down their faces.
What parents hope for during the New Year is simply for their children to come home.
When they can't come back, even if they say it's fine, there's always some sadness deep down. But now, this sudden and unexpected return.
Dolores Su and Charlotte Quinn were overwhelmed with joy, so happy that they cried.
"Mom... I missed you so much~"
Seeing her mother crying with happiness, Mia Quinn also began to cry. Blake Su didn't cry, but he felt just as happy inside.
As for Dolores Su and Charlotte Quinn,
their children, who had said they wouldn't return, suddenly appeared before them, along with that simple line, "Mom, I'm back." It left them so overwhelmed with joy that they couldn't even speak. They held their children tightly, unwilling to let go.
Being able to see them come home was truly wonderful.