Evelyn looked up at him, her voice cautious.
âCan Mommy goes home if she wakes up?â
Tears welled up in Leonelâs eyes.
At that moment, he could hardly keep his composure.
There was one candy left in Evelynâs hand, and she hesitated to eat it.
Instead, she placed it in her motherâs hand and closed her fingers around it gently.
After a moment, she whispered, âOne for Daddy and one for Mommy.
Daniel will stay with Mommy, and Iâll stay with Daddy.
â
Leonel closed his eyes briefly.
In his heart, Alexis held a special place, but so did Evelyn.
He hadnât wanted to let Alexis go, but faced with Evelynâs plea, he couldnât refuse either.
In the quiet of the ward, every little noise stood out, even the slight movement of Leonelâs Adamâs apple as he swallowed nervously.
He sank down beside Evelyn, his hand finding hers.
Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at him.
Leonel pulled her into a gentle hug, taking a moment to compose himself before whispering, âYouâll stay with Mommy, too.
â
Evelyn rested against him, her sobs muffled against his shoulder.
Despite being infused with a liter of blood, Alexis remained unconscious until the next morning.
By then, Leonel had moved Evelyn to a nearby room for some much-needed sleep.
She was still in deep slumber when Alexis woke up.
Despite feeling drained from the blood
donation, Leonel stayed by Alexisâ side all night.
He feared she might wake up and find no one to take care of her.
âYouâre finally up.
â
Leonelâs voice was rough as he reached out to touch Alexisâ forehead, but she instinctively turned away, avoiding his gaze.
His hand hovered awkwardly for a moment before he withdrew it.
His tone was soft as he suggested.
âAre you hungry? How about some chicken soup.
It should do you good.
â
Alexis stayed silent.
Leonel watched her in silence for a moment before rising to fetch the soup.
His hand trembled as he ladled it, a few drops spilling onto his skin unnoticed.
He wiped them away slowly, his voice barely audible.
âOnce youâre better, Iâll arrange for you to go back to Duefron.
Evelyn and Daniel will both stay with you, and Iâll also arrange for the medical team to fly to Duefron for Evelynâs follow-up treatments.
â
Lost in her thoughts, Alexis listened quietly.
A single tear slipped down her cheek.
Setting the bowl of soup on the bedside table, Leonel attempted to help her eat.
His touch lingered, pulling her into a tight embrace.
He whispered into her ear, âYou chose death over staying by my side.
â