The knocking on the door stopped and then resumed.Duncan neither responded nor did he open the door.It was unclear how much time passed before the knocking resumed.It was followed by the sweet voice of Sonny.“Dunc, are you in the room? Are you asleep or awake? Can you open the door for me? I’m holding a tray, it’s very heavy, and my arms are sore from carrying it. Dunc, please come out and help me.“Dunc, my mom is on a business trip, and she didn’t take me with her. She asked me to stay at home with Aunt Seren and Uncle Zak. I feel sad because my mom didn’t take me. I want to cry. Dunc, can you hold me and let me sit on your lap while I cry?”After Sonny finished speaking, he really started crying loudly.Serenity watched in astonishment.When did this kid learn to act?He was acting quite convincingly.Duncan heard Sonny’s cries from inside his room. In less than two minutes, Sonny started wailing again. Thinking that Sonny was crying for real, Duncan immediately took a
Serenity appeared in his line of sight.“Duncan,” Serenity called out gently.Zachary, who was beside Serenity, took the tray from Duncan and walked inside. Teasingly, he said, “Almost forty and still acting like a child. You even need a child to comfort you. Duncan, don’t you feel embarrassed? I’m embarrassed for you.”Duncan grunted, “If you think I embarrass you, then don’t come. I didn’t ask you to come and be embarrassed for me.”Zachary turned and glared at him. “You’re not happy with a few words from me. If you weren’t my buddy and possibly my future brother-in-law, do you think I’d bother with you? As if I have nothing better to do.”He placed the tray of food on the coffee table and said to Duncan, “Why are you sitting there? Come over and eat!”Duncan remained silent.Sonny, sitting on his lap, lifted his little face. His bright, black eyes looked at Duncan, and in a sweet voice, he said, “Dunc, I told Charmaine that I would make sure you eat. If you don’t eat, Charmai
Being small with limited strength, Sonny wanted to help but he could only push the wheelchair and not support Duncan to walk.The little guy stayed quiet seeing that neither his aunt nor his uncle made a move. When he saw Duncan sitting down, he suddenly clapped his hands while praising him, “Dunc is amazing, Dunc can walk by himself. Dunc is amazing!”The preschool teachers often taught him to praise those who do well and criticize those who do not.Duncan did well, and he deserved some praise.The three adults were amused by Sonny’s actions.“Duncan, the food is still warm. Quickly eat. After you finish, we can chat,” Zachary said.“Yes, yes, Dunc, hurry up and eat. I promised Charmaine that I would coax you to open the door and eat. If you don’t eat, I’ll break my promise,” Sonny said as he walked to Duncan and sat beside him.Duncan felt warmth in his heart. He suddenly hugged Sonny, kissing the little guy on the cheek, saying, “Not in vain for me to treat you well all these
“I won’t interfere with your life if we have just met for the first time, whether about casually speaking or doing things. But now, you’re my wife. We want to live a long, healthy life together. I must look out for you and try my best to keep you healthy.”Serenity thought to herself, ‘It seems like he thinks I’ll live forever and never get sick just because he looks after me.‘Then again, we are what we eat after all.’Anyway, she still had to watch her meals.She thought about this but remained silent, accepting her husband's advice quietly.After finishing his meal, Duncan put down his cutlery.Sonny considerately handed him a tissue.Duncan patted the child's head. He genuinely liked and cared for this kid.“Sonny, did your mom mention Dunc before she left on her business trip?"Sonny nodded. “Mom told me to keep an eye on you more and not let you do anything dangerous. She never thought you couldn’t walk or that you’d be a burden to her.”These words were spoken by Liberty
“Duncan, my sister is very worried about you and can’t be at ease. Before she left, she repeatedly urged Zachary and I to come see you. I understand how you feel, but if you keep dwelling on things, it’ll affect your mood and confidence. How will you get back on your feet?“You want to help my sister, I know. But if you don’t get better soon, how can you accompany her through life’s ups and downs? Don’t you want to stand by her side?“Liberty has been waiting for you!”Looking at the couple, Duncan spoke after a long silence, “Zachary, Serenity, you don’t have to persuade me anymore. I know what I should do. It’s just that I’ve been feeling low for a while but for my own sake, for a future with your sister—I will persist. Someday, I will stand up again.“I promised to be your sister’s support, to shield her from storms and walk hand in hand with her through life’s challenges.“I’m sorry for making you worry.”Duncan expressed himself self-deprecatingly, “Since the accident, I’ve
Corey said, “Sonny, would you like to go out and play with me for a while? Dunc needs to discuss something with Zack and Seren.”Sonny nodded understandingly.Corey wiped her tears and said, “Zack, Seren, I apologize for any trouble.”Serenity was not sure how to respond.Zachary replied, “Mrs. Lewis, we’ll talk to Duncan. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure he goes to work as usual the day after tomorrow.”Tomorrow is Sunday, a day off.Corey responded, “Zack, I’ve troubled you again.”“Not at all. Duncan and I are good friends, his matters are mine as well.”Corey expressed her thanks once again.Fortunately, her son had good friends like Zachary and Josh. With the caring assistance of such good mates during difficult times, he was slowly regaining his confidence.“Sonny, let’s go. I’ll take you out to play. What would you like to do? I’ll accompany you.”Corey held Sonny’s little hand and asked him as they walked.“Grandma Lewis, do you have kites at home? I want to fly a kite,
After Corey left with Sonny, Duncan asked Serenity, “Did your sister really ask you to come see me when she left? How is she? Have I become too sensitive, and emotional, and affected her?“Serenity, do you think I’m being unreasonable? I’m almost thirty-seven years old and acting like a child.”The more Duncan spoke, the more self-blaming he became.He felt genuinely unreasonable this time.“Duncan, Liberty really worries about you. It’s just that she had a tight schedule, so she couldn’t make it here. She repeatedly asked me and Zachary to come and comfort you. Sonny is very honest. Don’t you believe what he said?“Duncan, I’m not afraid of you getting angry or feeling vulnerable. But this time, you are genuinely being unreasonable. Look at the way you’ve shut yourself in this room for a day without eating or drinking. You’ve not only caused my sister to worry before she left but also Mrs. Lewis. I’m sure you don’t feel good about it either.“It’s not just about you being unwell
“Alright, I’ll go downstairs by myself. No need to help me.”Duncan’s mood had gone from a snowstorm to a clear sky.Quite a drastic change, ha-ha.He grabbed the sofa armrest and stood up on his own, taking a step before sitting back down in his wheelchair.Zachary said, “I won’t help you, you’re on your own.”Despite saying that, he steered the wheelchair in the right direction before letting Duncan take control.The three of them left the room together, heading toward the elevator.“You take the elevator down, Serenity and I will take the stairs.”Duncan nodded, “As you wish. I still need to use it for now.”Once he could walk like a normal person, the elevator at home would get a break.As Duncan entered the elevator, Zachary pulled Serenity toward the stairs and said, “Duncan cares too much about Liberty, that’s why he couldn’t help but get lost in his thoughts.”“I hope he gets better soon. Actually, Liberty has accepted him from the bottom of her heart. It’s not her pr