Chapter 16 — 6 Days to Clean Up Your Estate Then Divorce

Do you regret it? I looked at her running after a butterfly on the balcony, her clear laughter echoing in the wind. Looking at the completed design on the table, looking at the bright lights of the city outside the window. I smiled softly. The best decision of my life was to leave. I have nothing to regret.

“And I answered.”

Ly Tuyet's voice was clear and decisive.

“I said you live very well, have your own career, have a daughter, have a new life.”

“The only thing you ever regret is probably not realizing sooner what kind of person he was.”

“What happens after that?”

“He cried.”

“A man in his late forties, sitting on the side of the road, crying like a child.”

I said nothing. I don't want to imagine that scene. An adult's tears cannot erase what happened. Can't save anything either.

“Okay, don't mention it again.”

Ly Tuyet quickly changed the subject.

“Everything is over, you and Niem Niem living well is enough.”

“When I have free time, I will fly over to visit.”

“Okay, I invite you to eat the most delicious food.”

I stepped out onto the balcony, the night breeze carrying the scent of flowers wafted by, gentle and gentle. Niem Niem ran to hug me.

“Mom, the moon is very full today.”

I raised my head. A bright moon hung high in the sky. Clear, quiet. Life keeps turning around. It's just that there are people who stay behind forever. They sold the house that was once a symbol of the whole family and moved into a damp, dark rented room, where light also became a luxury. It is said that his mother could not bear that decline, became seriously ill, cried every day, told everyone she met, said she was unlucky to marry a cruel daughter-in-law and ruined the whole family. Some people believe it, some don't, but most people just consider it a story about having too much tea and wine, hearing it and then forgetting it. His father became quiet, his hair turned gray overnight, and his whole body seemed to have lost all life. And him. Finally found a design job at a small company, crowded the train every day, competing for overtime pay with younger people. No more tailored suits, no more expensive watches. He returns to the starting point. No, it's even lower than before. Because at that time, even though he was poor, his eyes were still bright, he still had ambition and desire. I let Niem Niem learn to draw. She has a talent, her paintings are always sunny, colorful, have blue sky, white clouds, blooming flowers, and a big house. There were two people in that house. It's me and the baby. We held hands and laughed happily. A simple picture, but it's my whole world. My son's painting won a prize and was displayed in the school's exhibition room. On the opening day, I went and stood in front of that painting for a long time. In a small corner, she drew a red roof, from the roof rose a thin wisp of smoke. That smell of smoke is the smell of life, the smell of a true home. I took a picture and posted it on social networks. The only line I wrote was.

“From now on, my world only has children and the most simple things.”

One year later. My studio started to gain some reputation, I received a project to renovate the interior of an old house, the homeowner was a female writer specializing in detective stories. She really likes the way I see space, and I like the way she tells stories. We become friends. She said my life is more dramatic than pee theory she wrote. I just laughed. Life is sometimes more daring than imagined. Niem Niem entered second grade, spoke the local language very fluently, and had a more open and independent personality. One day I worked late, and she warmed her milk, did her homework, and then went to bed on her own, without me reminding her. She is my armor and my only soft spot. We moved house. Leaving the old apartment, I used the money I earned to buy a small house with a yard, a grape arbor and a swing that she always dreamed of. On summer evenings, mother and child sat on the swing, I waved a fan and told stories, and she leaned on my lap, counting the stars. The wind carries the smell of earth, grass, and grape leaves, as gentle as a poem. Life slows down, but is much more beautiful. Ly Tuyet came to visit a few times, each time she looked at me and said I felt like I had become a different person. Before, I was strong but always tired and patient. Now I am calm, confident, the light spreads from within. One time, the two of us were sitting in the yard drinking tea when she suddenly spoke.

“He used to come find me.”

My hand stopped for a second then returned to normal.

“What is the point of searching?”

“I want to know about Niem Niem, I want to meet her.”

“I refused.”

"He even brought out the house book, saying that if I gave him the address, he would transfer the name of that house to my child."

I was a bit surprised. It was the last thing they had left.

“He knows you don't need the money, just want to make up for it, or save yourself from your guilt.”

I was silent for a while.

“You already refused.”

“The past should stop there, the best thing for her is not to be pulled back again.”

I nodded.

“Thank you.”

“You helped me make the best decision.”

That autumn afternoon, the warm sunshine filled the yard. I stood and trimmed the potted plants, each leaf falling as lightly as a breath. Niem Niem ran out of the house, holding a new painting, her eyes shining as if she had just held the whole world in the palm of her hand.

“Mom, look at this!”

She held up the picture in front of me, on it was our small garden, with a grape trellis, a swing, and me and her. Mother and daughter stood next to each other, holding hands, smiling brightly. I raised my head. The sky was blue and clear, without a single cloud, as if no storm had ever passed. I suddenly understood. All the pain, the struggles, the times when I felt like I couldn't move on, were all to bring me to this day. A better version of yourself. A home that truly belongs to mother and child. My name is Hua Tinh. Thirty-six years old. Is the mother of an eight-year-old girl. You are also the one in charge of your life. My story doesn't end here. It's just begun.