Chapter 499

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Eleanor said gently, giving the two little ones a reassuring pat on their shoulders. Her tone was light, casual, meant to comfort. Just then, the landline phone in Eleanor’s room began to ring. She hadn’t gotten a new number yet, nor did she own a mobile phone. The fact that someone had called the landline was unexpected. It had to be someone who knew Susan. “Mommy, that thing is making noise!” Little Lilly’s round eyes widened in surprise and curiosity as she pointed toward the ringing phone. Big Leo glanced over, too, his obsidian-black eyes blinking with intrigue. “That’s a telephone,” Eleanor explained calmly. “It lets people talk to each other from far away.” The two children, born and raised on Pear Blossom Island, weren’t familiar with such modern gadgets. Eleanor had to explain things one by one, patiently introducing them to a world they’d never known. After the brief lesson, she walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver. Before she could spe