“Yes, these two feelings surged up in my heart simultaneously. It was the first time that I had seen that tree. But somehow, I felt that the tree means a lot to me, as if it is a treasure that I longed for,” Cristofer expressed.
Nodding with a slight sigh, Dr. Stewart asked gently, “Mr. Hans, have you dreamed of any other things except for the sunrise at the top of Mount Cloud and the Malus Halliana tree recently?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
“By the way, I had an inexplicable sense of familiarity when I saw MV Agusta,” Cristofer quickly added.
“MV Agusta? What is it?” Dr. Stewart asked in puzzlement.
“It’s a motorcycle brand,” Cristofer answered.
“Motorcycle?”
“Yes, Mr. Mysterious has an MV Agusta motorcycle, and Estelle likes it a lot, so I’ve grown fond of it too. Dr. Stewart, I feel like I’m becoming more and more like Mr. Mysterious,” Cristofer admitted with a hint of helplessness.
Dr. Stewart smiled gently and inquired, “Isn’t that what you want?”
“Yes, it is. I want to be him. I wish I could become him. I’ve always imagined that one day, when I wake up in the morning, I’ll be Mr. Mysterious, and Estelle will embrace me tightly, asking where I’ve been all these years and why I’ve returned so late.”
“Are you currently with Estelle, playing the role of Mr. Mysterious’ stand-in?”
“No, she can tell the difference between Mr. Mysterious and me now. But I’ll still try my best to make myself more like Mr. Mysterious.”
Dr. Stewart sighed and said with empathy, “Alright, Mr. Hans, if this makes you happy, then go for it.”
****
Meanwhile, lying in the bedroom, Estelle heard a familiar husky and gentle voice in her dream.
‘Estelle, will you leave me? As long as you still want me, I will never leave you. When we go abroad, I will help you manage the company so that you can do what you want and live a happy life.’
‘When we settle down, I’ll ask Ron to bring our puppy here. And we’ll hold a wedding in the church. Estelle, Estelle…’
“Mom, wake up! Are you okay?” A sweet and childlike voice awakened Estelle.
She slowly opened her eyes, realizing that tears were rolling down her cheeks. She found Yvonne standing beside her bed.
Seeing Estelle awake, Yvonne grabbed her hand and gently patted it, trying to comfort her. “Mom, why are you crying? Is it because you miss Dad?” she asked.
Estelle then reached out and hugged Yvonne, her voice soft and gentle as she replied, “Yes…”
Yvonne, looking concerned, said, “I’ll call Dad and ask him to come back and be with you.”
Estelle quickly stopped her, “I’m not missing your Dad.”
“Then who are you talking about? The Dad who lives on another planet?” Yvonne asked, looking into Estelle’s eyes.
“Yes.”
“Mom, when I grow up, I want to be an astronaut. I’ll go to his planet and tell him that you miss him a lot.”
Hearing this, Estelle’s tears turned into a smile, and she planted a kiss on Yvonne’s cheek. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
“No problem, Mom. It’s time to head to the airport. You need to pick up Christina,” Yvonne reminded her.
The thought of reuniting with Christina lifted Estelle’s spirits, and she replied with a smile, “You’re right. You go ahead to the dining room and have breakfast. I’ll join you after I freshen up and change.”
“Okay!” Yvonne chirped cheerfully and hurried out of the room.
Estelle could hear Gary’s laughter downstairs, which led her to believe that Yohan and Yvonne, with their sweet words and adorable antics, must have done something to amuse Gary.
The two children were like angels, and Estelle felt incredibly lucky to have such lovely kids.
After freshening up, Estelle changed into her clothes quickly. As she was about to head downstairs with her handbag, her phone rang unexpectedly. She glanced at the caller ID momentarily before answering, “Hello, Dr. Carrey.”
“Good morning, Miss Hudson. Have you already started your day? I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Derrick greeted.
“No, I’m up,” Estelle replied.
“Great. Miss Hudson, we have made an appointment to meet today. Do you still remember it? Where are you right now? I can pick you up,” Derrick reminded her.
Only then did Estelle remember her promise to treat Derrick to a meal at the restaurant he had recommended.
“Dr. Carrey, I apologize. Something unexpected has come up today, and I won’t be able to make it to our appointment,” Estelle regretfully informed him.
Derrick let out a small chuckle and said, “Miss Hudson, your excuse sounds a bit rushed.”
Hearing Derick’s words, Estelle remembered what she had just said and realized it seemed like a rushed excuse. So, she softly explained, “Dr. Carrey, it’s not an excuse. I genuinely have something urgent to do. I didn’t lie to you.”
Derrick inquired, “Is it something important?”
Estelle responded, “Yes, it’s very important.”
“Where are we going?”
Estelle replied, “I’m going to the airport to pick up an important person.”
“The restaurant I mentioned before is near the airport. We can have lunch together after you pick up the person. What do you think?” Derrick said politely.
Before Estelle could say anything to refuse Derrick again, he continued, “Miss Hudson, even if you don’t give me a chance to pursue you, I still hope we can be friends.”
“Dr. Carrey, it may not be convenient for you to go to the airport and pick up that person with me,” Estelle said.
Hearing this, Derrick smiled and asked, “Are you going to pick up your boyfriend?”
Estelle quickly denied, “No, no, no. I’m going to pick up a little girl.”
“Is it your daughter?”
“Yes.”
“I used to be an intern in the department of pediatrics. I’m good at taking care of children.”
“Dr. Carrey, I…”
“And we can talk about liver disease and liver transplantation on the way to the airport.”
Estelle fell silent after hearing this. She thought, ‘Christina needs a liver transplant soon, and I don’t know much about this surgery. I should learn more and ask Dr. Carrey about how to take care of her afterward.’
After a small sigh, she decided to keep the appointment. “Okay.”
“Where are you right now? I can come pick you up,” Derrick offered.
“No, thanks. Let’s meet at the corner of Coast Road and Greenhill Street,” Estelle suggested.
“Okay,” Derrick abruptly responded. “You’re still being cautious with me, and I understand. We’ve only met once. It’s normal not to share your address. I’ll be at the junction in fifteen minutes. See you later.”
“Great. See you later,” Estelle said softly, hung up the phone, and went downstairs.