[AUSTRALIA… morning]

"What is wrong, Dylan?" Jolene asked Dylan, who had stopped drawing.

"Huh?"

"You've been acting strange. You're not talking like you used to. Is something bothering you?"

Dylan stared at her for a while before asking, "Is Mom coming back?"

"Yes. Yes, of course she is coming back. She promised to return before your birthday; she'll definitely return." Jolene smiled, but Dylan didn't.

"I had a nightmare, and it scared me. Will she be back?"

This time, Jolene's breath hitched, and she became speechless. She recalled how Tatiana had asked her to console Dylan in such situations.

She smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "She'll definitely come back....