...
"I think you should go check up on your daughter," Olivia's voice was passive as she held up a slice of the apples he'd cut up under the light. Back then, both she and Charlotte had fallen sick at the same time.
Neglected and without medical attention, she had bounced back to her healthy persona since the only other alternative would have been to drop dead—sonething she wasn't really too eager for just yet. Charlotte, on the other hand, had immediately been admitted into a reputable hospital and given the best of treatments.
She still remember being forced to bring her flowers and a get well soon card as she watched her parents dote on her and personally cut up apples for her. No...not her parents.
She didn't think that there were parents who existed that could do something so unforgiveable to their own offspring.
"You'll be able to leave by tomorrow," Shawn stood up on seeing that she looked every bit okay even though there was still that small part of him that still wanted to remain with her. What on Earth was happening with him? "Don't worry about the bills. It's the least I could do." He would do almost anything to repay her. Even if she hadn't gotten hurt on her head in the process of helping his daughter to the hospital, he'd still have repaid her any way he could.
"Alright," Olivia was not about to press herself anyway. This was a VIP room. It was not as though she even had the money anyway.
"About the lunch, I'll text you to finalize the changes in plans for lunch," Shawn explained and after earning a taciturn nod from her, left to his daughter's ward. "How is she?"
"Where were you?!," Phee turned a rather blazing look on him. "Dainee's in such a critical condition. How could you just disappear?"
Shawn didn't even deign her a look before crossing to his daughter in swift strides. Phee was his sister but there was no way he'd let her down talk him or pay her any need when she was staunchly inclined to believe that he didn't care deeply enough for her.
Dainee's gaze, recently opened, swept over her father gently. Her heart was still warm. She could remember that woman's beautiful face and gentle gestures as easily as if it was just happening to her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt such peace and warmth in anyone's hold.
"How did this even happen?," Isla wrung her hands nervously. She really didn't even have the strength to apportion blames to anyone.
"Do you think it's some sort of conspiracy?," Miguel frowned.
"Not necessarily," Shawn would have to look into it so he could be properly sure. "It's good she's alright. Were there any irregularities the doctor mentioned?"
"No," Isla explained, settling into the opposite space and busying her hands with peeling the apples. "The doctor said she's free to leave by tomorrow."
"Good," Shawn stroked her small hand calmly, a gentle look creeping into his eyes.
Though still a bit riled up that her brother had the time to be elsewhere when his daughter had needed him, she was prepared to look past it. For now.
"Ah," Something seemed to suddenly occur to her. "How did your girlfriend know Dee had gotten into an accident?"
Isla and Miguel also turned curious looks on him.
"She was at the scene. Got injured trying to help her out," Shawn explained, gaze dark as he remembered the worry that had coursed through him on seeing the blood running down her face.
"Is she okay?," Isla wondered at the same time Phoenix was suddenly apologizing.
"I really didn't know that was where you went," Phoenix bit on her lower lip as she held on to the sleeve of her brother's button up. "You're not that mad at me, right?"
"It's fine," Shawn shrugged himself out of her hold. "You guys should head home before it's too late. I'll set up the lunch another time with her as well."
"Alright, then," Isla agreed for them all. "We could always have lunch some other time." Actually, she quite liked Shawn's girlfriend already. Though she still had some sort of reservations, she liked that the girl put Dainee in her heart, even though she hadn't known that she was Shawn's offspring.
Dainee put on a brief smile to see her aunt, uncle and grandmother out but it still fell off her face as soon as they'd gone. No surprises there. Like her father, she most times seemed to have a case of facial paralysis.
That woman's face flitted in her mind's eye again. If the conversation these adults had was anything to go by, then that lady who'd saved her was her father's girlfriend.
Even though she was a bit cheerful that it meant she would be seeing her more often, she really didn't understand the concept of a girlfriend too well.
...