[Chapter 661: You Won't Be Disappointed]
Although Virginia and Joanna lived far away from downtown New York City in East Hampton, their lives were far from the monotony often associated with housewives.
Virginia maintained her acting career, frequently going off to film, and Eric was quite supportive of her. Most of the time, Joanna single-handedly took care of the three little ones, Hawaii, Kevin, and Emma. After living in East Hampton for a while, Joanna found her own social circle and often took the kids to neighborhood gatherings. While searching for a preschool for three-year-old Emma, Joanna developed an interest in education. With Eric's support, she donated money and became a board member of the East Hampton School, and she was actively planning to build a public library in the area.
Eric, while perhaps somewhat lacking as a father, kept in close touch with the women and children thanks to advancements in communication technology. Yet, there were still many things that took Eric by surprise.
Like right now.
...
It was already the afternoon of the next day. To spend more time with the women and the kids, Eric had canceled his attendance at the Victoria's Secret fashion show press conference on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. He spoke with Emily Brighton and Edward Razek over the phone after the press conference, and Jeffrey Katzenberg called to discuss the upcoming episode of Survivor that would air that evening.
Now, at four o'clock in the warm autumn sunshine, on the spacious estate lawn covered with various toys, only Eric and the two little ones remained. Virginia had taken Ewa shopping, Joanna had gone to the preschool to pick up Emma, and the maids, perhaps sensing that this was Eric's 'quality time' with the kids, had all disappeared.
Holding Kevin, who was happily gnawing on a teething toy, Eric cast his gaze toward Hawaii Williams, who was deeply engrossed in a children's book at a small table not far away.
Half a year -- it had only been half a year!
Eric silently lamented in his mind: It had only been six months since he last saw his precious daughter who loved bedtime stories, and now she had turned into a little oddball.
What was more frustrating was that the women had all kept this from him; he had only learned about his daughter's transformation just yesterday.
Watching his daughter turn the pages, Eric almost wanted to shout, "Sweetheart, can we not do things a one-and-a-half-year-old should be doing?"
As a father, Eric naturally wished for his children to be smarter than the average kid, perhaps even to be geniuses. However, he also understood that being too brilliant could often lead to difficulties. Just like yesterday, when his daughter could clearly remember him after six months apart and call him "Daddy" as though she was familiar, Eric felt that for her, it was more of a symbol. Just like books, toys, kittens, and birds, the term "Daddy" seemed to have become just another noun in her mind.
It was an awful feeling.
After a moment's thought, Eric walked over and squatted down beside his daughter, peering at the book she was holding. Trying to strike up a conversation, he asked, "What book are you reading, Hawaii?"
The little girl glanced up at Eric and then looked down again, responding in a tone that was remarkably mature for her age, "Dad, I'm just a kid. You don't have to pretend around me, okay?"
Eric nearly fell over.
So she still knew she was a kid!
"Alright, Hawaii, how about you put the book down and play with Kevin for a while? How about the seesaw?"
Hawaii glanced at the seesaw before quickly responding, "I don't want to."
Eric patiently tried to coax her, "Then what do you want to play? You shouldn't just read all the time, or your eyes are going to go bad, and then you'll have to wear really ugly glasses."
Hawaii tilted her little head, hesitated for a moment, then handed her book to Eric, saying, "Dad, read it to me."
"Uh..."
Eric took the book, promptly sat down on the lawn, and continued holding his son. He looked at his daughter, who was wide-eyed, saying, "Hey, besides reading and listening to stories, can't we do something else?"
Hawaii focused intently on the corner of the book peeking out from under Eric, seeming to realize she couldn't retrieve it from him. Pouting her little lips, she muttered "You're such a mean dad," and ran off toward the villa.
Eric could only helplessly watch his daughter's small figure disappear. He picked up Kevin and followed her inside.
...
By evening, the women returned one after another. Eric moved into the kitchen to help Joanna prepare dinner, casually bringing up the subject of their daughter.
"Haha, maybe Hawaii has inherited the genes of Pandora aliens, just like you, she's a genius," Joanna said, joking without a worry.
Eric wanted to tell Joanna that he wasn't a genius but a little lucky: "Joanna, I think we should take this issue seriously. Compared to her peers, Hawaii's performance is way too extraordinary, and that's not a good sign. Don't you see? Her thinking has become a bit too symbolic. It feels like when she calls me 'Daddy,' it's not much different from naming a tree. If this continues, she'll likely grow up to be very indifferent, and I'm sure you wouldn't want that to happen, would you?"
Joanna added mushrooms to the soup pot and shot him a glare, "That's because you don't spend enough time with her. I don't feel any coldness when Hawaii calls me 'Mommy.'"
"Okay, fine, that's on me, but..."
Joanna put the lid on the pot, leaned over, and kissed Eric's cheek, smiling. "Hawaii's situation is indeed a bit unique, but I've consulted an education professor from Columbia University, who gave me a lot of advice. I'm going to make sure to raise Hawaii well, so don't worry."
Feeling somewhat relieved, Eric then curiously asked, "Did you ask -- why Hawaii turned out this way?"
Joanna nodded, laughing, "It's definitely because of your genes, she's got a high IQ. Besides, the professor I consulted mentioned that it might be because I read to her a lot when she was younger. Our daughter is naturally very bright, so after being exposed to too much information, it led to her current condition."
Eric nodded and said, "I think you should stop reading her bedtime stories for a while."
"I'm not reading those anymore. Following the professor's advice, I just need to ensure Hawaii is exposed to information that fits her age, and things will improve," Joanna said before adding, "Are you sure you won't regret skipping the press conference for the Victoria's Secret show? I heard from Emily that it was the first public event ever!"
"I don't need any more fame at this point. It's better to leave the spotlight for the models; it benefits both Firefly and Victoria's Secret."
"Ha, I don't understand that stuff, but I'm looking forward to your new show tonight on ABC that you personally selected. I think it's called Survivor."
Eric chuckled, "You certainly won't be disappointed."
*****
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