He could not bear to leave without explaining everything.
He was also worried that Sophia might resent him for not bidding farewell, or that she might lose confidence in all men because of his lie.
Hence, he wrote a letter to tell her that he loved her very much. Even when he passed, he was full of her love.
Michael hoped that she would live a happy life when he was not around and he did not want her to waste her precious time on him.
He also wanted to tell his children that he loved them a lot. No matter if it was Carmen, whom he brought back from Africa and raised, or it was the pair of twins whom he did not get a chance to name, he loved them equally.
He did not hate anyone and conceded defeat to this fate of his.
After he buried the time capsules again, Michael realized that he had been crying.
He longed to stay in this world.
He wanted to age together with Sophia, to see Carmen grow up, to watch the birth of the twins and be by their sides as they grew upâ¦
Even though he had prepared himself mentally, he realized that there were still too many things holding him back when he was about to leave.
How good would it be if we could go back in time⦠I definitely wonât leave so early.
I will find Sophia earlier and bring her away from all the hardships so that she can grow up happily.
Unfortunately, there are no what ifs.
The next day, the entire family departed for Africa.
Carrying many bags, Celine walked ahead of everyone. Meanwhile, Linus and Cooper were dressed in business suits as they talked about their business as they walked. Sophia walked next to Linus and tugged Carmen along, while Anna and Callum walked behind them. Theo, Quinton, and Justinâs family also tagged along.
Michael was leading Judge, who seemed to know it was going for a vacation as it trotted happily along.
Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, yet Michael was the only one with a heavy heart as he forced himself to smile like everyone else.
After they boarded the plane, Judge scoured around to look for its favorite spot, while Maisie pestered Michael for a hug.
When the plane was taking off, Michael found a quiet spot to rest since Sophia was having a conversation with Anna.
Something seemed to have gotten into Judge on this dayâthe dog was quieter than usual. It was not playful anymore as it sat next to Michael obediently with its nose sniffing around, as if it had detected something.
It was common knowledge that dogs had a strong sense of smell.
Perhaps Judge had detected a different smell.
Most likely it was the smell of death emanating from Michael.
Woof!
Judge suddenly moaned in a low tone and nudged Michaelâs hand, waiting for him to stroke its head.
When Michael stroked Judge, he suddenly realized that Judgeâs head was pretty comfortableâ
something that he had never realized before. Hence, he continued stroking Judge, who looked back at him.
Judge suddenly was not dumb anymore; its eyes looked humane and intelligent. Upon a closer look, one could see tears in its eyes.
Judge seemed to have realized something.
It had stayed with Michael for many years. In fact, the time that Judge spent with Michael was even more than Stanley, its âbiological fatherâ. Anxious and sad, it nudged Michaelâs knees, as though it was pleading Michael to stay.
Michael gently patted its head. âSo you are not dumb at all. Just playful.â
Judge wagged its tail anxiously.
âHubby, itâs time for lunch!â
Sophia suddenly appeared. Seeing that Michael was stroking Judgeâs head, she was surprised. âOhâ
did I interrupt you guys?â
Michael smiled and got up to walk to the dining area, not forgetting to hold Sophiaâs hand.
Meanwhile, Judge followed behind them, more clingy than usual.
A scrumptious lunch was placed on the dining table. As it was a private plane, they did not save on the food at all. In fact, they brought their personal chef, who had stayed in Michaelâs house for many years, along. Nathan grew up eating the food he cooked.
Worried that Sophia might not get used to the food in Africa, the chef insisted on tagging along to cook for her.
âDear, this is your favorite eel! I also moved the eel from our house over there!â
Sophia scooped the dish onto Michaelâs plate while he also tried to return the favor, cherishing every moment they spent together.
Around the dining table, Cooper, who usually pulled a long face, seemed more gentle on this day. âNot to say that Iâm being selfish, but Sophiaâs babies also have the Mitchellâs and the Yardâs blood in them.
They canât belong to the Fletchers entirely.â
âThe two of them shall be the last. Sophia, donât try for another child anymore. Your health isnât very good, so donât force yourself.â
It was very unlikely that Sophia could even get pregnant because of her health. It was already very difficult when she was pregnant with Carmen and it was a miracle for her to be pregnant again.
Even though Cooper said that he wanted a second grandchild, when Sophia had indeed gotten pregnant, he felt incredibly sorry when he saw she had to constantly take tonics and injections to stabilize the fetus. Now, her arms were full of injection scars.
Michael nodded and hummed in response.
When he spoke, he could not help but look at Sophia.
Sheâs gone through too much for these two babies.
Between managing her figure during pregnancy and a smooth delivery, she chose to deliver her babies smoothly hands down. Hence, her slender figure was now replaced by a bloated body and her past figure of a young woman had disappeared.
After lunch, Sophia prepared to take a nap with Michael. Since her belly was already protruding, she lay down with her belly facing upward.
Carmen also climbed onto the bed and slept next to Michael, while Judge also decided to join the fun and slept beside her.
The three of them and the dog lay on the bed together. Carmen yawned and turned around, burying her chubby face in Michaelâs arms. In no time, she had fallen asleep.
Michael enjoyed watching Carmenâs cute chubby cheeks that were flushed red.
Looking at Sophia, who was sleeping next to him, her cheeks were also chubby and pink.
They are equally adorable!
Michael looked at his wife and daughter seriously, thinking that every second of looking at them was a bonus.
Meanwhile, Judge stared straight at him, as though it was bidding farewell to him.
Suddenly, Sophia, who had already fallen asleep, opened her eyes and exclaimed, âOh!â
As Michael was drifting off, he was shocked by her sudden exclamation so he quickly asked, âWhatâs wrong?â
Sophia had a look of stunned joy on her face. âT-They are movingâ¦â
With trembling hands, she flung the blanket away to reveal her belly; something really seemed to be moving within.
What a strange feeling!
Sophia was caught unguarded by this pleasant surprise. Equally happy, Michael stretched out his hands and caressed her belly.
Through Sophiaâs skin, he felt the presence of his unborn children. Even though they were still very small, they were moving playfully.
In that instant, tears welled up in his eyes but he tried hard to control his sobs.
Iâm sorry babies, but Daddy canât be by your side as you grow up.
With one hand caressing his unborn children and the other hugging Sophia while Carmen slept beside them, Michael had never felt happier in his life.
When the plane was preparing for landing, Sophia woke up to see that Michael was still sleeping.
âWake up, dear. We are preparing for landing.â
Unfortunately, Michael did not reply. He was still sleeping peacefully with a slight smile on his lips. Yet, a drop of tear still lingered near his eyes.
Judge howled as it nudged Michaelâs hands with its mouth. However, Michael could not open his eyes and respond anymore.