After rushing to Reuben’s follow-up hospital appointment, fifteen minutes had already passed.
The driver waited outside the hospital. “Madam, I haven’t seen your father come out.”
That meant he was still inside. Callie felt a slight relief. “It’s okay, I’ll go in and check.”
For some reason, she had a bad feeling, so she had called Tobias in advance while in the car, informing him that Reuben was coming to the hospital for a follow-up and asking him to take care of him.
Tobias was initially surprised to receive her call, then paused. “Alright, I understand.”
When Callie reached the third floor and stepped out of the elevator, she saw Reuben sitting on a bench in the hallway with Tobias beside him. They were talking and seemed very safe.
Seeing this scene, Callie let out a sigh of relief. “Dad.”
Reuben and Tobias both looked up and smiled. Reuben said, “See, Callie worries too much. I can’t get lost. Sorry to trouble you again.”
Tobias smiled and helped him stand up. “Callie is just concerned about you. That’s how children are.”
Callie immediately expressed her gratitude, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Tobias, thank you. I was indeed overly worried.”
They hadn’t seen each other for a long time, so it was somewhat awkward to meet suddenly.
Tobias didn’t look directly at her. “Uncle was my patient. It’s my duty to take care of him.” He handed over the medical records. “I’ve reviewed the test results. Everything is fine. There’s no major issue, but he needs to continue with his rehabilitation.”
Callie took the records and playfully said to Reuben, “Did you hear that? It’s doctor’s orders.”
Reuben chuckled. “Isn’t today a workday? Why did you come over suddenly?”
This question reminded Callie of Jaquan’s words, and she shook her head in frustration. “I’m my own boss now. What’s wrong with a workday? For your health, it’s worth skipping work.”
Reuben and Tobias exchanged a smile. Although Callie seemed much more mature, there was still a youthful mischievousness in her.
After laughing for a while, Tobias became serious. “You started a company?”
They hadn’t had much contact, so he naturally didn’t know. Callie nodded awkwardly. “It’s not a company, just a studio where I do some drawings.”
Tobias nodded, his expression unreadable.
Reuben was a smart man and saw the undercurrents between them. He said, “I’ll go to the restroom.”
“Hey…”
Reuben had already walked out. “I won’t get lost.”
The old man left, leaving the two of them facing each other. Callie bit her lip. “Tobias, how have you been lately?”
Tobias had his hands in the pockets of his white coat. “The same old routine work life. But you, I’ve seen a lot of news about you recently, Mrs. Oconnor.”
It was hard to imagine that the once simple and clean girl had become someone else’s wife, taking on important roles and living under scrutiny and flashlights.
Callie looked down. “Do I seem unfamiliar to you?”
“No,” Tobias quickly replied. “I know these are all part of your inevitable path. You’ve grown up, and I’m happy for you.”
They looked at each other, and Callie saw only confusion in his eyes, no longer the passionate affection from before. It seemed that during their long separation, Tobias had let go of many things.
Callie then said, “I’m happy for you too.”
Having known each other since they were young, they now exchanged smiles, understanding each other perfectly.