Micah looked at her gently and said, “The doctor said it’s a matter of both our health, not just yours. And besides, we can still have a child. Why push me away now?”He understood that Freya was not usually this emotional. It was just the overwhelming sadness clouding her judgment and causing her to act impulsively. But he was patient and ready to stay by her side, supporting her as she regained her strength.“We’ll have a child, Freya. I know it. Trust me. My gut is rarely wrong,” he reassured her over and over, his tone unwavering.Freya still had her doubts. “But what if… what if we can’t?”“Then we can’t, and that’s fine too,” Micah replied, his voice steady. “Nina already has her hands full with her two kids, and they’re family. They’ll be ours to spoil too. And when we’re older, we can just travel together, seeing the world with nothing to hold us back.” He loved kids, but he also saw joy in the idea of a life spent just the two of them, making their own adventures.With hi
Nina sighed to herself, thinking that the bond between grandparents and grandchildren really was something special. The moment the kids were mentioned, Pharaoh agreed without hesitation.During their last visit to the hospital, she had seen Pharaoh slip a piece of paper under his pillow. It was likely a medical report. While Nash and Pharaoh were engrossed in talking about Gemma, Nina slowed her steps and approached the back of Pharaoh’s bed. She slipped her hand under the pillow but it was empty. Pharaoh must have already disposed of the report. He was indeed intent on keeping everyone in the dark.Determined to find another way, she was suddenly interrupted by Gemma’s wail. Pharaoh, who was holding her, looked panicked. “Am I holding her wrong?” He adjusted his grip several times, but no matter how he held her, Gemma only cried louder.Nash quickly figured it out. “She’s probably hungry.”“Where’s the formula? Hurry, we can’t let my little granddaughter go hungry!” Pharaoh fret
The nurse wheeled her cart over to Pharaoh’s bedside, handing him his medication and carefully setting up his IV. “Are you really not considering chemotherapy?” she asked, trying one last time. “These medications can only do so much, especially at this stage.”These medications had very limited effects. To put it nicely, it's conservative treatment but bluntly, it's just waiting to die. She really couldn’t understand his choice.Pharaoh shook his head. “No, I’ll just take the pills. You don’t need to keep trying to convince me. I know what I’m doing.”The nurse sighed heavily. “If you won’t do chemotherapy, will you still want to come in for regular scans to monitor the cancer’s spread?”After a pause, Pharaoh nodded. “Yeah, I’ll keep up with the checkups. At least that way, I’ll know how much time I have to set everything in order.”With that, the nurse finished setting up the IV, then turned to leave. As she opened the door, she came face to face with Nina standing right outside
“It’s not as simple as that,” Nina gently but firmly corrected him. “By actively undergoing treatment, even if a full recovery isn’t possible, it’ll at least ease the pain and extend your life. You know enough about medicine to understand this, don’t you?”She had a good guess about what was really holding him back and got straight to the point. “Is it because you think chemo will make you lose your hair and look different, so you don’t want to go through it?”Pharaoh nodded. He wanted to leave this world with dignity, not as a shadow of his former self that might scare the kids. “Oh, come on,” Nina said, half-amused, half-exasperated. “You’re not a young guy anymore. What’s with the vanity? A little hair loss isn’t the end of the world. When people get older, they naturally lose hair! Look at all the grandpas out there. They’re healthy as an ox, but barely a strand left on their heads.”“Losing some hair and going completely bald are two very different things,” Pharaoh grumbled,
Nina smiled and nodded, standing up to call the attending doctor to discuss Pharaoh’s health in detail. “Doctor, my dad has decided he’s ready to start treatment.”“That’s wonderful to hear. We tried convincing him before, but nothing seemed to get through. Sometimes, it really takes family,” the doctor replied with a smile. He was glad to move from simply managing pain to actively trying to save a life. After going over the treatment plan with the doctor, Nina chatted with Pharaoh for a little while before heading home.When she got home, Nina immediately called Micah on a video call. After a long wait, he finally answered, and the weariness etched on his face made her heart ache. “Is work too much?” she asked, concern filling her voice.Micah managed a faint smile. “Yeah, you never truly understand the weight of this job until you’re in it.”Although the doctors had explained that Freya’s miscarriage likely had to do with the embryo’s development, Micah couldn’t help but wond
Nina respected their decision completely. It was their life, and they should be the ones to decide. As his sister, the best she could do was be there to comfort them during hard times.After a few more words, Nina shared the news about Pharaoh with Micah. “Dad was just diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer.”Micah froze. “How could that happen?” he murmured, stunned. When Pharaoh left the country, he had been in good health, and now, in such a short time, it was late-stage cancer.Nina wished it weren’t true either, but the official report from a top-tier hospital left no room for doubt. “Dad initially wanted to skip treatment and just take some medication, but I managed to convince him otherwise,” she said, hoping Micah would come see their father. After all, they were father and son by blood. Even though Pharaoh would not say it outright, Nina was certain he missed his son deeply. Still, given Micah’s current situation, she hesitated to ask him to come back.Micah then spoke u
Freya lowered her head, feeling a wave of sadness. Earlier, she had hoped that once things settled down, she could rest more and start prenatal bonding activities for the baby. But that dream was no longer possible.“Freya? What’s on your mind?” Micah noticed her expression and gently asked.Freya shook her head. “It’s nothing. You should get back to work. I’ll be fine on my own.”She held back her tears while he was with her, not wanting to burden him with her sorrow. Once he left, she could finally let herself grieve.“I’ll stay a bit longer,” Micah said, unwilling to leave her alone. As her husband, he knew her well. He could see she was holding something back, and he suspected it had to do with their loss. He couldn’t take away her physical pain, but he could at least offer comfort.Freya saw through his gentle attempt to comfort her and smiled softly. “I just want to nap. Really, there’s no need for you to stay. Do you think I’d lie to you?”Micah drew her close, wrapping
In the next couple of days, Micah focused intensely on work, while Freya made a point to eat well and get plenty of rest, and her overall complexion noticeably improved. Seeing her like this, a smile crept onto Micah's face. “You look wonderful right now. I love seeing you like this.”Freya teased him, “So, did you not like me before?”Micah’s grin grew wider. “How could I not? As long as it’s you, I’ll love you no matter what. But I still want you to stay healthy. Freya, I want us to have a long, full life together.”Freya felt the same way. Especially when she thought about Pharaoh’s late-stage liver cancer, she realized that money couldn't always buy health. It reminded her how important it was to take good care of herself. Only by loving herself could she truly love others.Micah had arranged a private flight, and as soon as they landed, they drove straight to the hospital. When they arrived, Pharaoh had just finished his treatment for the day.……“Grandpa, does it hurt?” O