Chapter 40

Grace looked at Clara, who was chattering in front of her, and started getting suspicious. "Clara, do you really have autism?" she asked. She had done her research. Autistic children were often called "children of the clouds". They were intelligent, but had a common trait—they shut themselves off, lived in their own world, and didn't like to talk. But Clara? She was nothing but a clingy little chatterbox. Clara didn't dare lie to Grace. She pressed her lips together and clutched the hem of her shirt, looking on the verge of tears. "Mommy, please don't be mad. I just didn't want you and Daddy to get divorced… My classmates say kids with moms are like treasures, but those without moms are like trash. I don't want to be trash—I want to be Mommy's good little sweetheart." Grace felt her heart melt. She pulled her daughter into her arms. "Mommy's not mad. I just feel like I've let you two down." Grace's hug was so warm that Clara wished she could be held like this for the rest of he