In Adeleâs room, Devin and the doctor stood with a sense of helplessness beside the bed, coaxing the little girl to emerge from her hiding spot underneath.
âAdele, itâs very safe out here.
Can you come out, please?â 2
Witnessing this, Holdenâs heartstrings tightened.
Ever since their return from the company event, Adeleâs emotions had been unpredictable, marked by sporadic outbursts of tears without apparent reasons.
The doctor remained unable to pinpoint the cause, yet today, Adele had retreated beneath the bed, adamantly refusing to reappear.
Recalling the doctorâs advice suggesting that Holdenâs direct comfort might offer solace, he resolved to prepare something dear to her heart.
âAdele, look what Daddy made for you!â Holdenâs words caressed as he approached her bedside, cradling the slightly skewed pink cupcake adorned with a rabbitâs face.
âI know you love bunnies the most.
â
Although the amateurishly decorated pink cupcake he held bore resemblance to a misshapen rabbit, its essence remained intact.
Adele lay silent and unmoving, ensconced in a fetal curl beneath the bed.
3
Disheartened, Holden set the small cake on the floor and retreated to the hallway for a consultation with the doctor.
âIt appears that something or someone has greatly distressed Adele,â the doctor illuminated.
âHer treatment plan needs adjustment, but medication is not the answer for someone so young,â the doctor further explained.
He then urged, âAs I recommended before, the childrenâs charity I suggested previously has achieved remarkable success with cases like this.
I truly believe you should take Adele there.
â
Holden frowned, mulling over the suggestion.
âs
Following his conversation with the doctor, Holden reentered Adeleâs room.
To his astonishment, she had emerged from beneath the bed and was now kneeling beside the cupcake, her gaze fixed intently upon it.
A mixture of shock and elation flooded Holden as he realized that this approach had indeed yielded results.
He had come across a video by a blogger where animal-shaped cakes were employed to engage children, prompting him to try it out.
Approaching cautiously, Holden crouched down beside her.
âDo you like it?â he inquired hopefully.
As always, Adele offered no response, her attention unwaveringly locked onto the treat before her.
As he examined his amateurishly decorated creation, Holden had to concede that the lopsided cake bore a rather pitiable appearance.
Yet, he bestowed a tender smile upon his daughter, his gentle fingers brushing the red, swollen spot on her foreheadâa reminder of where she had inadvertently bumped it during a previous episode.
âThis was Daddyâs first try, so itâs not perfect.
But I promise to bake you an even better one next time,â he assured, his words infused with self-encouragement.
To his astonishment, Adele turned her head to meet his gaze and offered a slight, concurring nod.