âAlright, Iâll whip up some that you both usually enjoy. Iâll call you when itâs ready.â
Then the room fell silent.
Sophia waited a moment, then, feeling slightly disappointed, she turned and walked towards the kitchen.
Inside the room, Marcus only relaxed his icy glare when he could no longer hear Sophiaâs footsteps. He turned to look at his son, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying.
âWhy are you crying so much? Didnât I tell you Iâd be back soon?â
The manâs voice was stern, but his actions were gentle. He lightly massaged his sonâs puffy eyes to try and lessen the swelling.
Tristan pouted. His face was etched in misery. âDad, I⦠I donât like it here. I want to go find Ellinorâ¦
Iâ¦â
Before the boy could finish his sentence, he was silenced by a raised finger from his father. It was a soft âshush,â warning him not to mention his motherâs name since the walls have ears.
Understanding his fatherâs meaning, Tristan sniffled and obediently fell silent.
Marcus pulled his son into an embrace, whispering words of comfort. âI know you miss her. I miss her too. Soon, weâll be reunited as a family.â
Tristanâs eyes lit up, and he whispered back. âReally, Dad? Can we live together with Ellinor and my brothers and sisters?â
Marcus nodded firmly at his son. âAbsolutely. Weâll never be apart again.â
Tristan took his fatherâs words to heart. He started to feel relieved and hopeful. He rubbed his eyes.
âThen Iâll be a good boy and listen to you, Dad. Iâll just wait for the next timel can see Mom.â
He could no longer utter Ellinorâs name again, as his father had just warned him not to mention his motherâs name here.
Marcusâ hand rested on Tristanâs head, gently ruffling his hair. âAlright, go pull the curtains for me, son.
Dadâs a bit tired and wants to take a nap.â
âOkay!â Tristan responded and scampered towards the floor-to-ceiling windows. However, in his haste, he slipped and fell forward.
In front of him was a crystal display cabinet. Its sharp edges posed a serious threat to his well-being.
Tristan was sure to get hurt if he hit it.â
Just as Tristan braced himself for the inevitable impact, someone suddenly scooped him up in their arms, lifting him off the ground. Relieved, Tristan gasped for breath. He turned around to find Marcusâ
face in front of him.
âDad?â Tristan was surprised and quickly glanced down at his fatherâs legs.
He wasnât mistaken. His dad was standing!
His dad was really standing!
Just as Tristan was about to express his joy, Marcusâ hand covered his mouth. His voice was gravely serious and low. âShush! No one can know about this. They cannot find out By they, Tristan knew his father was referring to Sophia and his grandfather.
Tristan nodded vigorously, indicating he understood.
Only then did Marcus bend down and carefully set him back on the floor before returning to his wheelchair.
As for the news that he could stand, Marcus himself was still processing it.
When he was being teased by Ellinor in the hospital, he suddenly discovered that his legs had mysteriously regained their strength.
He didnât understand why; perhaps the medication the doctor gave him had counteracted the drugs Sophia had been feeding him over the years, which caused his leg muscles to atrophy.
It was a case of fighting poison with poison.
Though he could stand, his legs were still weak from years of sitting. He would need to exercise and recover his strength over time.