Hana, who had been quietly fuming, finally spoke up. "How dare you! If you hadn't beaten your son yesterday, leaving a mess of blood, Nathan wouldn't have been forced to clean it up and hurt himself!"
My cousin turned to Nathan, his face softening once more. "Nathan, is that true?"
Nathan nodded solemnly. "Yes, I just wanted to help out Mom and Dad."
His words moved my cousin. "Sometimes, you don't have to be so considerate. Leave the hard and dirty work to your dad. Your just need to enjoy life, got it?"
Nathan nodded quietly, but I could see the guilt flickering in his eyes.
My cousin busied himself with the preparations for Nathan's birthday celebration. He took over the kitchen, barking orders at Hana while arranging decorations. By the time everything was ready, the table was laden with food and the room glowed with festive lights.
After dinner, as the candles on the cake flickered, my cousin leaned forward, his voice full of eager anticipation. "Nathan, tell me, do you have any wishes? I will make them come true."
Nathan didn't hesitate. His young eyes sparkled with determination. "I want to get into Newman University!"