Chapter Ninety Four

EVELYN’S POV:

"It's okay, it's going to be fine. Try to steady your breath," he said gently to me.

He left the bed and brought me a glass of water. I drank it, and I must say, it helped me steady myself.

He jumped back onto the bed, cuddling me while stroking my hair gently. It was like a soothing balm. I felt at peace again and soon drifted off to sleep.

The next time I woke up, it was 10 a.m. The sound of my phone ringing stirred me awake. Leonard was still sleeping. As I looked at his peaceful figure on the bed, I sighed, thankful that everything I had dreamt about was just that—a dream.

I picked up my phone and hesitantly answered the call. It was an unknown number.

“Hello?” I said, pressing the phone to my ear.

“Good morning, ma’am. It’s the caregiver. Mr. Wyatt is awake and has asked to see you,” she said briskly.

“Please let me speak to him,” I requested.

“Evelyn,” my dad’s faint voice called.

“Good morning, Dad!” I said, relieved to hear him.

“I’ll be at the hospital soon,” I assured him before hanging up.

I got out of bed and rushed to the bathroom, quickly showering. When I came back to the room, Leonard stirred awake just as I was almost done dressing.

“What’s going on?” he asked, confused.

“My dad is awake. I need to go see him immediately,” I explained.

“But that’s not fair—you should have woken me up,” he said, sadness evident in his voice.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to let you rest,” I replied cautiously.

“Well, you’ll have to wait for me,” he said as he made his way to the bathroom.

I waited impatiently for him to finish, but fortunately, he didn’t take long. Soon, we were on our way to the hospital.

We were nearly there when my phone rang again—it was Leonard’s mom.

“Hi, good morning,” I greeted.

“Evelyn, how are you doing?” she asked gently.

“I’m fine,” I answered.

“Is Mr. Wyatt awake yet?” she asked again.

“I’m on my way to see him at the hospital. Leonard is driving me. I spoke to him earlier. How are the kids?” I asked.

“They’re fine. They really need you—they won’t even eat. I wanted to know if I could come to the hospital,” she said.

“Of course, you should,” I replied.

We ended the call, and I realized we were already pulling into the hospital driveway.

We rushed inside, and I was relieved to see my dad awake. He looked much stronger than the last time I had seen him. We exchanged greetings, and I hugged him tightly.

Leonard sat in a chair while I perched on the edge of the bed, waiting for the doctor to arrive.

When the doctor came in, he explained that my dad was improving, though there were still some complications.

The caregiver took a break since we were there.

“I’ll get you something to eat,” Leonard offered to my dad before stepping out, leaving us alone together.

I engaged my dad in lighthearted conversation. His laughter was good to hear—it made him look like he was truly getting better.

Soon, Leonard returned with some food. I fed my dad until he was full, and we continued our cheerful conversation.

“Hey, people!” Mia’s voice called from the doorway. I stood to greet her, but the kids ran straight to me, shouting, “Mommy! Mommy!”

After embracing them, they darted toward Leonard.

I walked over to Mia and gave her a hug.

“You look good, Evelyn,” she teased, and I felt a blush creep across my face.

Leonard’s mom had always been like a mother to me. She exchanged greetings with my dad, and soon the room was lively as the children bombarded us with curious questions.

It seemed like the kids had moved on from their mother’s passing. They didn’t bring her up anymore, which I found both comforting and strange.

“Grandma taught Ryan and me how to swim, Mommy,” River said from where she sat in Leonard’s arms.

It was clear Mia had been putting a lot of effort into caring for them.

“That’s wonderful, baby. Can you swim now?” I asked with a smile.

“Yes, Mommy!” she replied enthusiastically.

“I can swim too,” Ryan chimed in.

“So, who’s going to teach Daddy how to swim at home?” Leonard asked playfully.

“Me! Me!” they said in unison, raising their hands excitedly.

“Mom, I want to go to Grandpa,” Ryan said, slipping out of my arms and crawling over to my dad.

He touched the bandage on my dad’s hand and asked, “Grandpa, does it hurt?” The concern in his voice was clear.

“No, my boy. I’m fine,” my dad replied with a smile.

“Okay, Grandpa,” Ryan said softly before laying his head on my dad’s lap.

The scene was so beautiful, and I wished life could always be this smooth. But my mind drifted back to the dream I had earlier that morning.

I shivered as goosebumps rose on my skin. I felt weak and unsettled.

“Evelyn, are you alright?” Mia asked, walking toward me and placing a hand on my forehead.

“I’m fine,” I forced myself to say. “I need to use the bathroom,” I added, excusing myself.

As I walked out of the room, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around and was surprised to see Leonard following me.

I waited for him to catch up, and as soon as he did, I collapsed into his arms. He kissed my forehead and assured me that everything would be fine.

We made our way to his car and got in.

“It was Dana and Caleb,” I began as soon as we settled in the car.

I told him about the dream. He pulled me into a hug, reassuring me that nothing would happen.

After talking for a while, I felt better and safer having shared my fears with him.

When we returned to the room, the children were playing, and Mia and my dad were engrossed in conversation.

Our entrance caught their attention, and the room lit up with smiles once again.