Chapter 33
Lorraine crouched and said gently, “Hi, Jonas. I brought you a little gift.”
Jonas‘ eyes lit up, but he politely looked at me first. “Daddy, can I accept it?”
I nodded. “Of course. What do you say?”
“Thank you, Ms. Sommerton!” Jonas chirped excitedly.
Dinner went wonderfully. Ian was genuinely interested in investment and kept asking me questions, while Lorraine and Jonas chatted happily as she showed him new ways to play with
Blossom.
After dinner, Lorraine insisted on helping with the dishes. I tried to decline, but she insisted, so I washed the dishes while she dried them beside me.
Lorraine said softly, “Thank you for having us. It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced such a warm family atmosphere.”
I glanced at her, noticing a complex emotion in her eyes. I hesitated before asking, “What about your family…”
Lorraine smiled, though it held a hint of sadness. “My parents divorced when I was very young. It was just lan and me growing up. Seeing you and Jonas together is beautiful, and I really envy it.”
Not knowing what to say, I could only mumble, “I’m sorry.”
Lorraine shook her head. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. Everyone has their own path in life. I just…” She paused a moment before adding, “I just hope that someday, I can have a loving family like this too.”
I looked at her profile, feeling a sudden wave of sympathy. I wanted to comfort her but could not find the right words.
Just then, Jonas came running in. “Daddy, Ms. Sommerton, what are you talking about? Can I join?”
Lorraine immediately brightened. “Of course! We were just talking about how delicious dinner
was.
Jonas declared proudly, “Daddy and I made it together!”
Watching my son’s innocent expression, I felt a warmth spread through my chest. I realized that no matter how difficult life got, love could create a warm home.
Chapter33
After Lorraine and Ian left, I sat on the couch, lost in thought. While I did not know what the future held, I knew I would always do my best to create a loving home for Jonas.
Nonetheless, life had other plans. Just when everything seemed to be going well, an
unexpected phone call disrupted our peace.
“Hello, Cole?” Yvonne’s voice was filled with worry. “Xavier’s in trouble!”
My heart skipped a beat as I sat up straight. “What happened?”
“Xavier got into another fight, and he’s in the hospital. Please come quickly,” Yvonne replied, clearly distressed.
After a brief silence, I replied, “Fine, I’ll be there
I hung up and glanced at Jonas, who was sound asleep. I hesitated for a second but decided to wake him. I shook him gently and said, “Jonas, wake up. I need to go somewhere. Will you come with me?”
Jonas opened his eyes groggily. “Daddy? What’s wrong?”
“Something happened to Xavier. We need to go to the hospital,” I explained simply.
Twenty minutes later, we arrived at the hospital and found Yvonne and Jared in the emergency department. As soon as she saw me, Yvonne hurried over.
“How’s Xavier? Where’s he hurt?” I asked.
Yvonne hesitated and stumbled over her words. Growing impatient, I brushed past her and pushed open the door to the hospital ward.
What I saw inside left me both exasperated and amused–Xavier was casually playing on his phone in bed, with nothing but a bandaged pinky finger.
Still skeptical, I walked over to ask the doctor about his condition. The doctor glanced at me and said, “He’s fine–just a minor scrape on his pinky. Once you handle the paperwork, he’s good to go.”
I felt too exasperated to even argue with Yvonne about her overreaction, so I just paid the medical bill and left with Jonas. After that incident, Yvonne called numerous times, but I did not answer any of her calls, only responding with brief text messages.
Chapter 34
