A Journey from Bitterness to Truth

Matilda gave a coy smile and led Logan to her bedroom. With a boundless energy, Logan- leaped onto the bed. “Mommy, are you going back to sleep?”

“You go ahead and sleep, sweetie. Mommy’s gotta start my day and get some work done.” Matilda gazed at Logan’s face. “In a few days, I’ll sign you up for preschool.”

“I already know all that stuff. I’m ready for elementary school!”

Despite being the weekend, the launch of the video game from Matilda’s studio was only a week away. The team was working overtime, preparing everything needed. Baxter had been running around town, getting all sorts of permits, and had splurged on some prime advertising spots in app stores. Matilda had her hands full finalizing several design concepts and had arranged for Orson to come over around noon to discuss them.

True to his word, Orson arrived promptly at eleven o’clock, knocking on Matilda’s door. To his surprise, the person who greeted him this time was a little boy–a particularly handsome one at that.

Logan eyed Orson at the door and, after a moment of uncertainty, ventured a tentative, “Uncle?”

Orson was taken aback.

Matilda, still oblivious to the mix–up, hurried Orson inside. Once Logan shut the door behind them, he said, “Are you Uncle Gideon? You seem different. My uncle doesn’t wear glasses…”

Matilda’s face froze. She looked frantically from Orson to Logan, at a loss for how to explain that Gideon was no longer part of this world.

But the truth had to be told someday.

How could she possibly convey this heartbreaking story?

Tears began to well up in Matilda’s eyes, her voice trembling, “Logan, go lie down for a bit, Mommy needs to have a talk…”

“What about Uncle Gideon?”

Logan, sensing that Matilda was hiding something, stepped forward with a worried look and pointed at Orson. “He’s not my uncle! Where is my uncle? Mommy, why hasn’t he come to see me?”

The child’s innocent yet urgent questioning was like a thousand needles piercing her heart. Matilda didn’t know how to mask the pain, “Logan, your uncle…”

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She couldn’t get the words out, merely holding back tears was exhausting enough.

Orson, observing Matilda’s helplessness, casually offered, “He’s gone abroad.”

Logan and Matilda both turned to look at Orson.

Orson closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and upon opening them again, looked at Logan indifferently–a coldness never seen on Gideon’s face.

He couldn’t pretend to be the man they both loved so dearly.”

“I’m a relative of his. He had to go abroad suddenly. Do you miss him a lot?”

Though his tone was harsh, it was difficult to discern its truthfulness, perhaps because his flat affect masked any guilt.

Logan’s eyes reddened, disheartened at the thought of not seeing his uncle upon his return. “Uncle Gideon just left for another country, huh? How long will he be gone? I wanted to go to the amusement park with him…”

Orson replied, his expression unchanging as he sat down across from Matilda, “He’s doing well, no need to worry.”

Matilda stared up at the ceiling, fighting the tears back. Logan clung to Orson, sharing how much he missed Gideon, and finally, with reluctance in his eyes, said, “Then I’ll call you Uncle Orson for now. When my uncle comes back, you have to tell me, okay?”

Orson looked at the boy’s youthful face and quietly agreed.