Larissa dialed Kevan's number.The phone rang for what felt like ages. Kevan finally answered it just before it could disconnect."Hey, Lari?" Kevan seemed to intentionally lower his voice. "Are you up?"It was eerily quiet on the other end of the line, making it impossible for Larissa to pinpoint his current location."Yeah," she responded. "Where are you?"He hesitated for a moment before replying, "Me? Well, I'm at the hospital."Larissa immediately sprang up from the couch. "What happened?""It's not me," Kevan paused briefly. His voice became softer as he continued, "It's Wendy.""Wendy?" Larissa rushed into the room, not realizing her knee had collided with the coffee table, causing her to wince in pain. But even then, nothing could stop her."Which hospital are you at? I'm on my way!" she exclaimed."Don't—" Kevan interjected. "Wendy is asleep, and she won't wake up for a while. I'll head back home soon. We can go visit her together tomorrow.""Ah ..." Larissa sighed,
Larissa had slept the entire afternoon. So, she didn't feel the slightest bit tired now. Moreover, she had something on her mind. She preferred to go to the hospital and be by Wendy's side. She did not want to toss and turn in bed."She might wake up during the night. I want her to open her eyes and see a familiar face beside her."She had been hospitalized on numerous occasions; she understood all too well the loneliness of lying in a hospital bed with no family or friends around. She thought of all the recent stress Wendy had been through. She was worried Wendy might gradually crumble in the overwhelming solitude.Kevan realized he couldn't sway her, so he didn't push the issue. "Okay. Finish up your meal first."She hadn't eaten dinner and had only nibbled on some chicken in the afternoon. Since she might spend the night at the hospital, he was concerned about her well-being."Alright." Larissa exerted considerable effort to force down the food he had brought back.
Kevan couldn't read Wendy's mind; he wasn't in her shoes. Given all the stress and pain Wendy had endured that day, he couldn't be certain if she would redirect her anger toward Larissa. So, he opted for silence."You should head back. It's been a tough day for you too." Larissa sniffled.Kevan stared at her side profile for a moment. He sighed softly in his heart. "Alright, you get some rest too."...Larissa moved the fold-out bed closer to Wendy's and sat cross-legged on it. Her gaze was fixed on Wendy's face. She remained lost in thought throughout the night.She mulled over countless scenarios of how Wendy might react when she woke up. Would Wendy lash out physically or verbally? Would she sever their friendship completely, or would she entertain even more drastic ideas?As these thoughts circulated in Larissa's mind, the sky outside gradually lightened....Wendy's dream went on for quite a while.In her dream, she saw a little girl about Aster's age. The girl
Edmund was standing right in front of her. His head, arms, and legs were encased in thick plaster casts. His face was also covered in bruises, just like what she had witnessed at the hospital."Wendy, are you looking for her?" he asked with a seductive smile. As he spoke, a little girl appeared by his side. She was the same one who had called Wendy "Mommy" earlier. The girl stood close to Edmund, her tiny hands tightly gripping his. She peeked at Wendy with a shy gaze."Mommy," she called out again.Wendy couldn't muster a response.Edmund led the little girl closer and said, "Wendy, look at her. She's our daughter."Wendy greedily gazed at the girl, her eyes fixed on her without wavering."Isn't she adorable?" Edmund asked.Wendy nodded unconsciously.He smiled. "I think so too, but unfortunately—"The little girl vanished again as he smiled.This sudden disappearance alarmed Wendy. She hastily asked, "Where's my daughter? Where did she go?""She's dead!" Edmund
The caregiver entered the room with breakfast. She saw two women crying with their heads buried in their hands.She stood at the doorway for a while. She realized that this emotional display might not end anytime soon. So, she cleared her throat and let out a couple of awkward coughs.Both Larissa and Wendy valued their images very much. They didn't mind crying when they were alone. But things changed when there was an outsider.Instantly, they ceased crying and turned away. They used the backs of their hands to wipe away the tears.The caregiver was good at gauging situations and respecting boundaries. She understood their concern for appearances. She chose to act as if she hadn't witnessed the scene. She did not glance in their direction after entering."I've brought breakfast for you."She placed the paper bags on the mobile table located at the foot of the bed. She asked Wendy, "Do you need me helping with your morning routine?"Wendy waved her hand. "No ne
Wendy seemed to have missed Larissa's signal. She continued talking to Kevan, "Lari had a tough time from pregnancy to childbirth, and even during her postpartum period."When she first arrived, she was unfamiliar with the place. She had to attend school. Every day, she was running between school and home. It was really tough. "It was only later, when her belly got bigger, that she couldn't move around as much. So, she stayed home until childbirth."Both of us had never given birth before, so we had no experience. I collected a lot of recipes, but my cooking skills were quite limited. The truth is, Lari would rather eat fries and burgers than touch the nutritious meals I made."Wendy shot a resentful glance at Larissa."You call those 'nutritious meals'? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to torture me or make my life miserable!" Larissa also expressed her dissatisfaction."Hey, why are you so ungrateful? Even if my cooking wasn't the best, at least my hear
"Actually, it wasn't a big deal." As Larissa recalled her pregnancy, she didn't think that she had experienced anything too difficult. If she needed to pinpoint one thing, it would probably be Wendy's subpar cooking skills, at most. When Larissa was pregnant, she didn't take in sufficient nutrients that an expectant mother should have. That was why Aster was relatively lighter at birth, but his weight was still within the healthy range.Unlike Caldor, there weren't any postpartum confinements or confinement nannies here. During that period of time, Larissa could only rely on herself as well as Wendy's care for her getting off work. Fortunately, Larissa's health had always been good. Hence, she did not develop any underlying illnesses or have any aftereffects. "Compared to what I went through when I was a child, this is nothing." She smiled. Although Larissa sounded casual about it, Kevan was perturbed. After all, the suffering that she experienced back then was all be
Aster counted on his fingers. "Cake, chocolate, ice cream, fried chicken ..." They were all his favorites, but Larissa didn't allow him to eat too much of them. When Aster saw Larissa's face darkening, he immediately hid himself in Gary's embrace and acted like a spoiled child. "Grandpa, Mommy is so scary!" Gary took over the phone and explained in a hurry, "Don't worry, I've kept track of his diet. I only bought him a little of everything." "A little of everything ... No wonder Aster had gotten so much chubbier," Larissa thought. Larissa suddenly felt glad that she hadn't reunited with Gary too early. Otherwise, judging from how indulgent he was toward children, Aster would probably end up as some sort of spoiled kid from a wealthy family, just like Bethany. "I'll go and pick him up tomorrow," she said. Gary wasn't pleased with that. "Let him stay with me for a few days more. I've just gotten close with Aster, and we're getting along well too. I'll be lonely if he's go