The door of the ICU swung open with a bang, echoing loudly in the empty corridor.
Evie looked up to see a young nurse walking towards her. “Your husband woke up just now, but he quickly fell asleep again.”
“Woke up?” Evie asked, her eyes lighting up with surprise. “How is he?”
“He’ll need several months of rest, but waking up is a good sign. It shows he has strong willpower, so don’t worry too much,” the nurse said before heading back inside.
A faint joy filled Evie’s heart. It was wonderful that he could wake up.
She silently prayed, hoping he would recover soon.
Oh God, please let my husband get better quickly.
We haven’t had our wedding yet, and our child hasn’t grown up…
Evie sat there feeling sad as the night gradually turned into day.
She had stayed there all night.
Early in the morning, Mrs. Howlett hurried over with breakfast. Seeing Evie’s pale and haggard face, she opened the food container with concern. “Evie, I made some porridge and side dishes. You should eat something.”
“It’s freezing cold, staying up all night is tough,” Mrs. Howlett said as she served a bowl of porridge and blew on it to cool it down. “Drink it while it’s hot to warm yourself up.”
“Mom, where’s Jaime?” Evie asked, still worried about her son.
“Your father is at home with him. The child was exhausted yesterday. Though he slept in your arms for a while during the day, he fell asleep as soon as we got home. You shouldn’t come to the hospital today. Your father and I will stay here,” Mrs. Howlett said, gently tidying Evie’s messy hair.
“I’m fine,” Evie insisted, not wanting to leave Jasper’s side.
“Silly girl, if you collapse, you’ll end up in the hospital too,” Mrs. Howlett said earnestly. “We’ll take care of Jaime here today. You should go home and rest. We’re not so old that we can’t manage.”
After a simple yet nutritious breakfast, Mrs. Howlett urged Evie to go home. “Go back now. Your father and Jaime will be here soon. You need to rest.”
Evie was indeed very tired and reluctantly left the hospital.
Meanwhile, at the Hipps Family residence, Sylvia was reading a novel written by Jaida. She had just finished one book and made detailed notes.
As she was about to start the second book, she received an invitation from Isla.
The invitation had a wedding photo of Isla and Soren.
Since they lived in H Rovirsa, the wedding would also be held there. Fortunately, the wedding date didn’t conflict with the Fire Dance Festival; it was scheduled three days after the festival.
There was plenty of time.
Sylvia sighed.
Another couple had found happiness. Time really flew by.
It seemed like everyone was settling down, yet she and Franklin still couldn’t be together without pressure.
She couldn’t help but smile wryly.
Along with the invitation came Brayden. Jenna was in her room playing a game she had recently become obsessed with and had reached the top fifty in the national rankings.
Hearing a knock on the door, she paused. The household staff usually didn’t bother her, and no one else would seek her out. She typically ate, played, and slept in her own routine.
Compared to Sylvia’s busy life, she was like a carefree little bird in the Hipps Family. “Come in.”
The door slowly opened, and a tall figure stepped into the room. Seeing the familiar handsome face, Jenna’s eyes widened in surprise. “Brayden, what are you doing here?”
She dropped her mouse and rushed towards him.
Brayden opened his arms and hugged her tightly, holding her slender body close.
“Did you miss me?”
His voice was husky as he looked at her.
In the soft light of the room, her facial features appeared particularly gentle, like a warm-toned painting, stunningly beautiful.
During her time with the Hipps Family, she had been well taken care of and looked even more radiant than before.
Her hair, which she had cut short due to illness, had grown to her ears, giving her a cute mushroom-like appearance that made her look youthful and lively.
Brayden’s eyes sparkled with a charming smile as he leaned closer to her ear. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
He playfully nibbled on her delicate earlobe.
Jenna blushed and glanced at him shyly before quickly looking away. “I… I won’t tell you.”
They talked on the phone and video-chatted almost every day, so even though they had been apart for a long time, it felt like they hadn’t been separated at all.
Brayden’s face exuded a strong sense of dominance mixed with a hint of amusement at her shy reaction.
But he wasn’t satisfied with her answer. He gently pinched her chin. “Tell me the truth. Did you miss me?”
Jenna had no choice but to look at him. After he kissed her lips and bit her ear again, she shyly whispered, “Yes…”
Brayden’s unexpected arrival made the Hipps Family lively.
Franklin also came over for dinner. They were originally good friends and now were brothers-in-law too.
It felt like such a small world.
Brayden heard about Jasper’s car accident and sighed. “Such misfortune. I hope Mr. Howlett recovers soon.”
Franklin missed having Jasper as his capable assistant. Recently, a young man named Jax had been helping him out. Although Jax was obedient, he still couldn’t compare to Jasper.
“Jenna’s health has improved a lot recently. How about coming back to H Rovirsa with me in a few days?” Brayden suggested to Queena and Austin while holding Jenna’s hand. “Jenna has stayed here for quite some time… She can come back again later.”
Hearing that Jenna was leaving, Queena felt reluctant. “Jenna, are you going back?”
Jenna smiled softly. “The Wright family is my home too, just like the Hipps Family. I’ve stayed here for quite a while; maybe I should go back for a few days.”
“Alright then. You can go back, and we can visit you when we have time. We can also take a trip to H Rovirsa since we haven’t traveled far from Aettosa for a long time,” Austin said with an open mind. After all, children grow up and leave home like birds flying away from their nests.
Thinking about it made him feel a bit sentimental.
Sylvia wasn’t too sad about it either. “Grandpa is right. With modern transportation, it’s just a few hours’ flight away. There’s no need to be sad.”
Despite her words, a sense of melancholy still hung over the Hipps Family estate.
Early the next morning, Jenna packed her bags and went downstairs with Brayden.
The Hipps Family members got up early to see them off.
“Take these with you; they’re local specialties from Aettosa that Jenna likes,” Queena said as she handed Brayden a small box.
“And these too,” Mollie added as she handed Jenna some gifts she had prepared.
Everyone else in the Hipps Family also prepared gifts for Jenna, so she ended up needing another suitcase.
Brayden carried two suitcases as they walked towards Franklin and Sylvia’s SUV waiting outside.
“Grandma, Grandpa, I’m heading back now,” Jenna said as she hugged them both tightly. “I’ll miss you.”
“Go on,” Queena said with teary eyes. “Take good care of yourself.”
“Goodbye, Uncle Franklin and Aunt Sylvia.”
“Goodbye everyone.”
Jenna waved to everyone from the car as it drove away from the estate.
After seeing Jenna off, Austin comforted Queena.
“Don’t dwell on it too much,” Queena said as she looked at Mollie beside her. “In three or four months, Mollie will be due.”
“That’s true,” Austin said with a heavy heart. “I need to find those old friends for a game of chess.”
Otherwise, he’d feel too stifled inside.
Sylvia and Franklin drove Brayden and Jenna to the airport.
Sylvia hugged Jenna tightly before turning to Brayden. “Take care on the road and look after Jenna.”
Brayden nodded firmly. “Don’t worry.”
“Sis, I’ll call you when I get home,” Jenna said without much sadness since both places felt like home to her.
Both families loved her dearly.
The warmth of family was something both the Wright family and Hipps Family provided abundantly.
“Alright, go on,” Sylvia said with a nod.
Franklin patted Brayden’s shoulder. “Safe travels.”
Brayden smiled and pushed their luggage towards the departure hall.
“Tomorrow we leave for the Fire Dance Festival,” Sylvia said with a heavy heart.
“Let’s go to the hospital,” Franklin suggested as he held her hand and walked towards the parking lot. “Let’s check on Jasper.”
Sylvia nodded in agreement. “Let’s go; he should be out of ICU tonight.”
Once Jasper was out of ICU, he would need proper rest to recover fully.
The SUV sped down the road towards the general hospital.
In the flowerbeds along the roadside, small green shoots were starting to appear; it seemed like spring was approaching but still felt distant.
Sylvia gazed at the bleak winter scenery outside and closed her eyes for a brief rest.
About half an hour later, they arrived at the hospital parking lot.
Together they headed straight to Jasper’s ICU ward where Evie was sitting with Jaime outside the door. In just two or three days’ time, Evie looked much more haggard and pale-faced.
Jaime seemed thinner too; Sylvia knelt down to touch his head gently. “Have you not been eating well these past few days?”