Cody didn’t leave the stall until he cried all his fear and worries out. He looked at himself in the mirror and found his eyes puffy. He washed his face with some cold water and went back to his room, and got changed.
Linford’s view of the boy changed completely as he found him standing beside Candace as if nothing had happened.
****
Two days later, Cristelle could finally talk as she held her daughter’s little hand, “Candace, I still want to hear you call Mom.”
Candace didn’t say anything after that day. It seemed like she had lost the ability to talk again. Candace had tried to open her mouth wide to spit out words for days. But she still couldn’t make any sound.
Cristelle instantly realized that was a stupid request after she noticed how red Candace’s face was. She immediately said, “It’s okay, sweetie. It’s okay. Don’t push yourself if you’re not ready, okay? You can call me when you think you can.”
Candace nodded and rested her head on Cristelle’s palm.
Linford and Cody came in, holding boxes of food. Linford said the food in the hospital was disgusting. So he made food for Cristelle every day. And they always ate together with Cristelle inside her private ward.
“Mommy, have some soup,” Cody put a bowl of soup on Cristelle’s table. Candace had lost some weight after Cristelle fell into a coma. Now that Cristelle woke up. The girl started to get chubby again.
Cristelle didn’t know who cooked the meals for her. She thought it was a Bradley chief or one of the housemaids. Cody felt a bit strange why Linford never told Cristelle about that.
Was he shy?
“Fish,” Linford forked a piece of salmon on Cristelle’s plate, “It’s quite creamy. You’ll like it.”
Candace pouted. She felt her Dad starting to ignore her after her Mom woke up. Did he not love her anymore?
Cody shook his head and forked a small piece of rib on Candace’s plate, “Here, Candace. Remember, your brother loves you the best, always.”
Candace smiled and started to chew on the rib.
Cristelle felt the weirdness of the atmosphere between them. She coughed as she asked Linford, “Aren’t your works busy? You don’t even need to go back to your company?”
Linford smiled, “I don’t have many things to do there.”
Cristelle continued, “But it’s important. How can things run without you in there?”
Linford forked another piece of salmon for her, “It doesn’t matter. Nothing is as important as you.”
Cristelle’s eyes widened, and her face blushed instantly.
Linford refused to leave her alone after she opened her eyes. He peeled apples for her, massaged her legs, and even when she suddenly woke up in the middle of the night, she could see him sitting on the couch in the corner, reading files quietly.
He had his office. Why did he insist on staying in her ward?
Was nothing as important as you? Cody shivered, “UGH!”
Cristelle asked worriedly, “You’re okay, honey?”
Cody shivered again, “I’m okay. Just felt a bit cold.”
Cristelle smiled and suddenly started to cough. Linford started to pat her back gently.
Cody suddenly wanted to cry. From now on, their Mom couldn’t do any violent sports, and she also shouldn’t feel too excited or sad.
Because of the serious damage caused by the venom, she had to live on pills. The fact broke his heart.
Cristelle pushed Linford’s hand away, “You don’t need to take care of me here. The babies are watching. I don’t want to…”
“Why? I’m their father,” Linford didn’t sound impatient this time, “It’s okay, Cristelle. I just want you to be better soon.”
Cristelle put a cold hand on Linford’s forehead, “You’re alright? You’re not sick or anything, right? Or why did your personality alter?”
Candace giggled.
Cody started to get annoyed by this man again. He pulled his hand a bit, “Can you stay away from Mom a bit? Mom doesn’t like it when you’re getting too close to her.”
The veins on Linford’s forehead popped out again. Why was this boy suddenly not as cute as a couple of days before?
Cody climbed on Cristelle’s bed and massaged her shoulders, “Mommy, get some rest. You can only take care of Candace and me when you’re healthy again. Candace and I will be so sad and alone if anything happens to you. No one will take care of us. We need you, you know.”
What the boy said made Cristelle sad. She signed, “Mommy will never leave you and your sister alone, my sweet boy.”
Linford wanted to throw up again.
****
Cristelle was getting better. But the company had some issues all of a sudden. Alfred knew it would probably annoy Linford. But he still needed to ask Linford to go back.
Linford put a half-peeled apple on the plate, frowning, “Fine.”
“You really should go back. I’m feeling so much better,” Cristelle didn’t want to spend too much time with this man. The idea of being trapped in the same room alone with him somehow scared her.
“Take care of your Mom, and don’t let anyone suspicious get in,” Linford told Cody.
Cody shrugged his shoulders, “You don’t have to tell me that.”
Linford smiled and ruffled his soft hair.
“What the… Don’t do this to me!” Cody covered his head, glaring at Linford.
Linford didn’t want to get too serious with the boy, walking out of the ward.
“Mom! Did you see that? He’s such a bully!” Cody looked pissed off.
Cristelle only smiled, “Honey, you and your sister should go to school this afternoon. You guys have skipped too many days. I don’t want you two to miss the class.”
Cody pouted his lips, “Mom, you don’t know how childish those things they taught in school are. I could read when I was three. I still want to take care of you. Candace, you chat with Mom and make sure she’s not bored. I’m gonna get some fruit for her.”
Candace nodded, and Cody just left the room.
Jasper sneaked into Cristelle’s ward at about noon with a bouquet of roses. Cristelle was playing puzzles with Candace. She looked up as she heard the noise. She thought it was Cody, but it turned out to be Jasper. Jasper was in a suit. He looked handsome and gentle as always, “I’m just here to take a look at you. I was so worried when I heard you were in the hospital.”
Cristelle asked him to take a seat, smiling, “I’m actually fine now. I can leave here in a couple of days. You don’t have to come here, actually.”