BookToReadChapter 124
As | walked into Ethan's hospital room, the soft hum of the machines and the antiseptic scent of the place
pressed in on me. Ethan was sitting up, trying to look strong, but | could see the strain beneath his small smile.
Christiana was beside him, her hand resting lightly on his, her gaze tender and worried all at once. Emma sat on
the edge of the bed, her little fingers gripping Ethan’s arm, her face set in that fierce way she got when she was
trying to be brave.
Ethan's gaze met mine, and he gavea nod, a mix of defiance and relief in his eyes. “Hey, Dad,” he said, his
voice small but steady. “Guess they're not getting rid ofthat easy, huh?”
| forced a smile, trying to mask the ache in my chest. “Not a chance,” | replied, my voice as steady as | could
make it. “You're too tough for that.”
Christiana turned toward me, and the worry lines on her face softened a little. She reached out, just barely
touching my arm, and the brief contact felt grounding-like a quiet reassurance. In that moment, we were just a
family, all of us in this together, united by the relief of seeing Ethan safe, alive, and still very much himself.
Dr. Malik stepped in then, clipboard in hand, giving us all a warm nod. He glanced at Ethan, then addressed the
three of us.
“Ethan did very well in the operation,” Dr. Malik began, his tone calm and reassuring. “The appendix was
inflamed, but we were able to remove it without complications. He'll need a few more days of rest here, and then
at least a couple of weeks of taking it easy once he’s home.” He looked over at Ethan. “No running around, no
rough play, just sgood old rest and relaxation.”
Ethan groaned, rolling his eyes a little. “So | have to be all boring?”
“Pretty much,” Dr. Malik replied with a small smile. “I know it’s not easy, but give your body the tit needs,
okay?” Christiana gave Ethan a gentle look, her voice soft but firm. “You'll listen to the doctor, right?”
Ethan nodded, glancing at her, then at Emma, who was watching him with her big, serious eyes. He reached
over and ruffled her hair gently. “Don’t worry, kiddo. I'm not going anywhere.”
Emma's lip trembled a little, but she held herself together, crossing her arms with a small huff. “You better not,”
she muttered with all the seriousness a five-year-old could muster. “Or I'll be mad.”
We all laughed, and Ethan's eyes softened as he looked at her. “Guess | don’t wanna make
you
mad, huh?”
Christiana stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around him in a gentle hug, careful not to press against his
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtbandaged stomach. He closed his eyes, exhaling, and leaned into the hug, letting himself relax just a little. |
could see him gathering strength from her, his hand resting lightly on her back, like he needed that touch to
steady himself.
“You're going to be okay,” she whispered, her voice soft and a little shaky. “We're all here for you.”
He nodded, his eyes drifting down as if he couldn't quite look her in the eye. “Thanks, Mom.”
It hit me, seeing him like this-just how hard he was trying to be brave, putting on this strong front for us. Here
was my son, reassuring us all, even though he was the one who'd gone through something frightening and
painful. Pride filled me, mixed with a pang of sadness that he'd had to experience this at all?
When Christiana let go, | stepped forward and placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. “You
scared us, you know, | said, my voice low, fighting to keep the emotion in check. “But you did good, Ethan. I'm
proud of you.”
His eyes met mine, steady and filled with a quiet gratitude. “Thanks, Dad,” he replied softly, and in that small
response, | could feel the weight of everything he was holding back, trying to be strong.
Just then, the nurse entered, giving us a polite nod as she checked Ethan's vitals and made a note on his chart.
“He’s doing well, but visiting hours are ending soon. He needs plenty of rest.
08:00 Thu,
Chapter 124
Christiana nodded, her hand resting lightly on Ethan's. “We'll be back tomorrow, okay?”
E
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“Okay,” Ethan said, trying to smile through the obvious exhaustion settling over him. “I'll be here.” He paused,
glancing at all of us. “Thanks... for coming.”
Emma leaned over and kissed his cheek, whispering, “Goodnight, Ethan.” Then she took my hand, looking up at
As we left the room, | glanced back one last tto see Ethan already drifting off, his face finally relaxing as
sleep pulled him under.
In the hallway, Christiana exhaled, the relief evident as she leaned back against the wall for a moment, her
shoulders sagging. Without a thought, I reached out, took her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze-a silent
promise that we'd get through this together.
Emma looked up at us, yawning, her small face sleepy but content. “Ethan’s gonna be okay, right?”
Christiana knelt down, brushing back a strand of Emma’s hair. “Yes, sweetheart. He's going to be just fine.”
And as we walked out of the hospital and into the quiet of the night, a calm settled over me, a sense of peace
knowing that, for now, we were all okay.
After we got hand settled Emma into bed, the house felt almost too quiet, the weight of the past few days
still heavy in the air. Christiana and | ended up in the kitchen, both of us too awake, too wound up to sleep just
yet. | poured us each a cup of tea, hoping the familiar ritual might help us find a bit of calm
Christiana leaned against the
counter, looking out the window with
a distant gaze. Shejpeky slaw Sip of
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tea fendyes Soft belt tired. “It feels
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like it should all be over,” she
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murmured, almost to herself. “Like |
should be able to breathe again now
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content is on novelenglish.net! Read
the latest chapter there!
| stepped closer, close enough to be a quiet presence beside her. “It’s okay to still feel it, you know,” | said, my
voice gentle. “What we went through... it's going to take stime. But he’s safe now. We're safe.”
She nodded, letting out a shaky breath. “It’s strange, Alex,” she whispered, her fingers curling around her cup.
“Seeing him like that... seeing how strong he’s trying to be. He's only five, but he’s braver than | feel.”
| reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently. “He gets that strength from you, Christiana. Don’t forget
that.” Her gaze drifted down to where our hands were joined, and | rubbed my thumb in slow circles over her
knuckles, trying to offer a small bit of comfort.
Her eyes softened as she looked
back up at me, something raw and
vulnerable Shining Qreuphcsteise
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Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm3 cupdowny theh Moved closer,
until she was just inches away.
uw ” . .
Thank you, Alex,” she said, her voice
: “
barely more than a whisper. “For
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being here. For... for everything.” The
content is on novelenglish.net! Read
the latest chapter there!
| pulled her into my arms, holding her
close as she let herself relax, létting
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Te piessad fer ace against my
shoulder, taking a deep, steadying
breath. | smoothed a hand over her
hair, feeling the quiet of the moment
settle over us, grounding both of us.
We stood like that for a while, just holding each other, the silence warm and comforting, filled with everything we
didn’t need to say.
Finally, she pulled back a little, looking up atwith a softness in her gaze | hadn't seen in a long time.
Alex... | don’t know how we got here,” she murmured, her eyes searching mine. “But | do know that right now, |
wouldn't want anyone else by my side.”
Hearing those words, something insiderelaxed in a way | hadn't felt in years. “And I'm not going anywhere,
Christiana, |
replied, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Whatever comes next, we're facing it together.”
A small smile tugged at her lips, and for the first tthat night, she looked like she'd found a bit of peace. We
stood there, hand in hand, letting the quiet settle over us, a promise that whatever happened, we'd face it
together.
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