âMom, are you feeling better now? Do you want to go to the hospital for a checkup?â I carried a bowl of soup to the bed and cooled it down before passing it to Isabelle.
âThereâs no need for that. Itâs just a mild illness.â Frowning, Isabelle shook her head and took a sip of the soup.
âDo you want to try a candied fruit?â I handed some snacks to her.
Isabelle waved her hand at me. Then, she held her breath and drank all the soup. She retched as soon as she turned around. The soup tasted terrible, but it was good for health. I patted her back lightly before wiping her face with a warm towel.
A moment later, Mom finally recollected herself. She lay down on the bed, saying nothing. Her face was ghastly pale, and her gaze turned blank as she stared at the ceiling in a daze. After pondering for a second, I asked softly, âMom, are you having a fight with Dad? Can you tell me what happened?â
âItâs just a mild conflict,â Mom answered my question calmly, but her expression turned even grimmer.
âAre you sure? Mom, Iâm your daughter. You can tell me everything. Are you hiding something from me? Tell me, please? I can help you.â I pushed her arm lightly.
Isabelle turned around and stared at me. Her gaze was calm, and she did not even blink. She shook her head after some time and said, âNothing. Iâm feeling a little tired. You go on with your thing. I need to take some rest before attending an important social event tonight.â
âWhat? You still plan to go out when youâre already sick? Canât you skip it? I can attend the event for you if itâs really that important.â I tried to stop her.
âNo. I have to go. I have to attend it personally.â Isabelle flashed me a warm smile. âThank you. I know youâre trying to help me, but Iâll be fine once I get some sleep.â
I finished cooking and placed all the food on the dining table. There were plenty of dishes, but all of them tasted ordinary. I had not been cooking for some time, so my culinary skills had dropped. After moving to the Lane residence, I had lost almost all of my skills since I did not have to do anything on my own.
It tasted awful when I took a bite of the caramelized pork, so I thought of ordering some takeaways for Christopher. Right then, I heard someone unlocking the door. Immediately, I opened the door and threw myself into Christopherâs arms.
Christopher was terrified when he saw me appearing in the doorway out of the blue. He spread his arms wide and pulled me closer upon seeing me. âWhy didnât you tell me that youâre here? I would have come back earlier if I knew you were waiting for me.â
I shook my head and buried my face in his chest. My heart gradually calmed down as I smelled the faint scent of sandalwood and tobacco on his body. âItâs okay. Work is more important. I can come back anytime. Just give me a call whenever you miss me.â
âI canât do that.â Christopher carried me up as he kicked the door close. Spinning around with me in his arms, he chuckled. âYouâre the most important to me.â
âIâve never seen myself as such a big shot,â I mumbled with an upset look. I was still in a bad mood.
âYouâre my precious darling, so I have to come back earlier for you.â Christopher planted a kiss on the tip of my nose. âI want to stay with you when you miss me. Otherwise, youâre going to zone out on your own.â
âLetâs eat. I made all the dishes on my own, but they donât taste really good.â I handed him a set of cutlery. However, he stopped eating after taking a bite of the caramelized pork. âIs it really bad? Should I order some delivery then? I havenât been cooking for so long that Iâm going to become a useless woman.â
âNo. It tastes as good as before.â Christopher pulled me over to the seat beside him. âDonât worry. You still have me, even if you turn into a useless woman. Iâm determined to be a good husband. I can learn everything, except giving birth.â