“Dad,” Jasmine called him for the tenth time.
Conrad snapped out of his thoughts. “Hmm? Do you want to hear this story again?”
Jasmine got mad. “What’s going on? Tonight, I finally agreed to let Mom tell Quincy a bedtime story and help him fall asleep, so you could stay with me. But you still can’t focus on me. Do you have another daughter outside?”
The little girl’s temper was definitely inherited from Conrad. When she got angry, it was a storm of fury.
She immediately threw off the blanket and was about to jump up and ignore him.
Conrad quickly pulled her into his arms. “Sorry, Dad’s just really happy today.”
Jasmine looked up at him, thinking her dad was getting more and more neurotic.
“Dad, are you going through menopause?”
“Huh? Can’t you wish for something good for your dad?” Conrad glared down at her.
“You don’t look normal. One minute you’re unhappy, the next minute you’re happy. If you’re emotionally unstable, you’ll never get a wife.”
“It’s different. I have hope now. Seems like I need to sleep more.”
Jasmine scratched her head. Was there a connection between these things?!
Father and daughter clearly weren’t on the same wavelength.
Conrad felt like, after taking a nap, everything seemed to get better.
Lillian clearly wasn’t rejecting him as much anymore.
She cared about him, and asked about him.
She even took the initiative to hold his hand.
But Conrad couldn’t help wondering if her “think it over” was a test.
If he didn’t do well, would she go back to Ethan?
What would she say to him?
“Jasmine, what do you think your mom’s relationship with Mr. Ethan is?”
Jasmine shook her head. “I don’t know. In TV shows, it’s normal for the pretty heroine to have a lot of men who like her. Mom’s more beautiful than those actresses, so why wouldn’t a few people like her?”
“…Which side are you on?”
“I’m not on anyone’s side. I’m just being honest. You know, if I like Mom, why can’t others like her too? But since you’re my dad, I’ll still vote for you!” Jasmine’s little arm wrapped around him. “So, Dad, are you worried about Mom tonight?”
“Yeah, Dad’s not sure about things.”
“Then what did Mom like about you?”
Conrad looked up.
Father and daughter locked eyes.
“What did she like about you?”
“Your dad used to be bad, couldn’t be himself,” Conrad lowered his gaze. “Your mom hates the old version of me.”
“But I don’t think Mom doesn’t like you. She cares about you, so she pushes you away. Otherwise, why didn’t she push away Daddy Gordon or ignore Daddy Hogan? She clearly cares about you. Although you’re not my type of guy, Dad, you still have good luck with women!”
Conrad listened to this and started to feel something was off.
“Huh? What kind of boy do you like?” Conrad’s voice became stern.
Jasmine looked up at the ceiling and immediately yawned. “Ugh, I’m so tired. I need to sleep. Adults’ world is so complicated.”
She said that and pulled the blanket over herself, ready to sleep.
Conrad was about to grab her and ask who she liked, and what brat she was talking about, but she closed her eyes, preparing to fall asleep.
Conrad thought, this little girl was getting more and more clever!
He leaned down. “You really don’t want me to tell you a story? Then I’m leaving.”
Jasmine didn’t move a muscle, and when Conrad started tickling her, the little girl immediately burst out laughing and spun around in his arms.
When Lillian was heading upstairs, she heard the sound of their laughter. At that moment, she realized just how beautiful that laughter sounded.
When Conrad opened the door, Lillian was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
This scene had appeared in his dreams countless times, and he seemed dazed for a moment. It wasn’t until Lillian moved slightly that he realized she was real.
“I’m going to check on her,” Lillian explained.
Conrad looked up at her. “If you go in now, she’ll probably start crying and refusing to sleep again.”
Lillian paused in her steps, and neither of them moved.
Conrad, looking for something to say, leaned against the wall next to her. “The Hillside Villa seems to have changed a lot. I can tell you feel uncomfortable.”
Lillian turned her head to examine him. “It’s not the decorations or the extra toys that have changed. It’s the feeling of home.”
She turned around and faced the first-floor hall. “Actually, I really liked standing here. When you weren’t coming home, I hoped that, the moment you lifted your head, you would see me.”
She continued, “Does that sound foolish? Maybe it is. But back then, that was the only thing I could do. I didn’t know how else to wait for you, except at this fixed time. You were so hard to understand, and I was afraid my simple feelings would be seen through by you.”
“Love, sometimes, is really something that makes you feel small and insecure. At least back then, I was afraid that even getting closer to you would make you dislike me. Since I started living here, I’ve stood here for a little while every day.”
“At first, I told myself, when I reached the bottom of the stairs, I would put on a smile, I would try to please you, I would make you want me. I wanted to make myself valuable by your side.”
“Later, I told myself, as I walked down the stairs, every step was me giving up a little bit of loving you.”
“Now, I’m standing here, in a place that’s both unfamiliar and familiar. Everything else is left behind from five years ago, and the only thing that hasn’t changed is these stairs. Do you want to know what I’m thinking now?”
Conrad’s face slowly turned pale from her words. “What?”
His eyes were filled with uncertainty, a dazed look. He just wanted to hear a definite answer from her.
“I was thinking that my rejection of you comes from the fear inside me. The unease I feel toward you is from the hurt I’ve experienced, and I’ve decided that starting today, I’m letting go of everything from the past.”
She added, “Every step down the stairs is a step away from the distance between us, whether close or far. I believe that, in our own control, we will find the most comfortable way to be together.”
“No matter how dark the night had been, dawn would always arrive,” After she finished speaking, without waiting for Conrad to respond, she added, “Goodnight, Conrad. See you tomorrow.”
She had already returned to the guest room she had prepared.
But the air still seemed to carry her unique fragrance.
Conrad stood there, feeling like the world was spinning, and the space around him was distorting.
Everything dark and thick, reeking of something foul, rushed toward him, but in the next instant, her voice echoed in his mind, and his phone vibrated.
Conrad answered the phone and immediately asked, “Have you ever seen dawn?”
“I’ve seen it. Why? Are you planning to invite me to watch the sunrise? I was actually thinking if I could come over to your place for dinner tomorrow.” Hogan was confused.
Conrad leaned back, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Sure, Lillian bought a lot of food. It’s just barbecue, though. If you’re still sick, don’t come and spread your germs to my daughter and godson.”
“…You really speak whatever comes to your mind. Are we watching the sunrise or not?” Hogan sniffed.
“My sunrise has already risen in my heart,” Conrad said.
Hogan stared at the phone after it hung up. Unable to stop himself, he sent a message to George: [Are you sure he’s been taking his meds lately?]
Why did it feel like he was getting worse? Could it be that Lillian’s barbecue invite was also fake!?