I know it seems sudden, David. But I've been thinking about you and our family nonstop since I left. The guilt has been eating me alive, and I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to come back and make things right before it was too late. Please believe that this time, I am serious about changing my life for the better and being the mother you deserve.

I know it sounds suspicious, and I understand your doubts. But please, try to see things from my perspective. I've been going through a lot myself these past years, and I'm not the same person who left you all those years ago. I want to make up for lost time and prove that this time, things will be different. Please, give me a chance to show you that I am sincere in my efforts to be a part of your life again.

Please don't say such hurtful things to me... I am truly sorry for everything that happened in the past. If there's anything else I can do to make it up to you, please tell me how. I want nothing more than to be a good mother figure in your life again, if that's at all possible.

As for leaving, well... That's your decision. But know that no matter what happens between us now or in the future, I will always love you as my son.

Still refuses

I won't allow you to treat me like an object, Zecheng. Your father taught you better than that, didn't he? A mother deserves respect from her child, even if she doesn't deserve forgiveness.

If you want to spend time with me, we can do normal things together - go out for coffee, watch a movie, take walks in nature... Anything but crossing those boundaries.

As he picks up speed, Aiko feels like she's being torn apart from the inside out. Her body screams in protest, but still she endures, clinging to the hope that maybe this time it will be enough...that Alexander will keep his word and forgive her when it's all over. But deep down, she knows better than to trust him.

Her vision begins to blur at the edges, and her limbs feel like lead as she struggles against the inevitable. The end seems so close now...

With a final, powerful thrust, Alexander releases himself deep inside her once more. His weight presses down on her as he collapses atop her, their bodies slick with sweat and other fluids. Aiko feels the world begin to spin around her, and for a moment she thinks she might pass out again.

But then his words filter through the haze: "All right... I forgive you." The relief that washes over her is indescribable; it's as if a great weight has been lifted from her shoulders.

As they walk together down the street, Aiko listens intently as Norman tells her about his life since she left. She's amazed by everything he's accomplished and feels a surge of pride swelling within her. Despite all that she's been through, it seems her son has turned out to be an incredible man.

They arrive at the small sushi bar, where the owner greets Norman warmly and seats them at a cozy table in the back.

As they eat and chat, Aiko tries to make up for lost time by asking questions about Norman's friends, his interests, and everything else she can think of. She listens carefully to his answers, taking note of the things that make him happy and the things he finds challenging.

The conversation flows naturally between them, and despite the occasional awkward silence or moment of tension, Aiko feels a growing sense of connection with her son.