Chapter 4 Can You Carry Me In Your Arms

The next day was Sunday.

Sharon took her two boys to Poustea Hospital to visit her mother.

After paying for the cab fare, she took the two kids by the hand and helped them out of the car.

Suddenly, she caught sight of a conspicuous and familiar car steadily approaching the hospital.

It was a jet black Rolls-Royce phantom-and it looked exactly like the one that was parked in the garage of the Fuller family. Sharon looked at the license plate, which confirmed her guess.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Before she could react, the car pulled to a stop in front of the gate to the hospital. The driver promptly got out and trotted over to the backseat to respectfully open the door for his passenger.

Then, a shiny pair of leather shoes stepped on the pavement, followed by a tall, domineering man in a casual black suit.

Sure enough, the man was none other than Tristan.

But he was wearing a mask that concealed his whole face, save for a pair of sharp eyes. This, coupled with his serious, cold demeanor, made him look far from approachable.

He was around six feet tall, making him easily stand out in a crowd.

When Sharon saw him here, the events of last night flashed through Sharon's mind. She felt a surge of heat rising up to the top of her head as she stared at her ex-husband in the distance. Tristan seemed to have sensed her intent gaze, because he slowly turned his head and looked in her direction.

"Damn it!" Sharon cursed in a low voice.

The two children were still with her. She couldn't let Tristan see them, no matter what!

Out of sheer instinct, Sharon suddenly pulled the two kids and hid behind a stone pillar beside the hospital gate.

"Mom-"

"Shh! Keep quiet first."

Only when Sharon was ordering her son did she realize something.

All throughout her marriage to Tristan, the latter had been in a vegetative state. When he woke up and divorced her, he never even bothered to meet her. Last night, the lounge was so dimly lit for him to see anything clearly, and besides, he was not in his right mind and probably didn't remember anything.

In other words, Tristan had no idea what she looked like.

In that case, why should she hide?

Hiding would simply arouse suspicion.

She lowered her head to look at the two kids.

Sure enough, Nolan and Louis were staring up at her suspiciously.

Sharon forced a smile and laughed nervously. "Oh, it's nothing. I just saw an acquaintance."

Brows knitted, Louis queried, "Then shouldn't you say hello? Why are you hiding, Mommy?"

"Well... He and I never got along well," Sharon explained falteringly.

Nolan narrowed his sharp eyes at her. "Really?"

Sharon was rendered speechless.

How come toddlers were so difficult to fool nowadays?

Avoiding the little guys' piercing gazes, Sharon pretended to be calm and said in a steady tone, "Yes, really."

"If you say so, Mommy." Nolan didn't ask about it anymore. "Can we go in now?"

Before answering, Sharon quietly poked her head out from behind the stone pillar and looked around. Seeing that Tristan was no longer there, she sighed in relief and said, "Okay, you can come out now."

The two boys walked out from behind the stone pillar.

"Mom, are we still going to visit Grandma?"

Sharon bit her lip.

She could not help but flinch.

Although Tristan might not know what she looked like, the other members of the Fuller family did. What if they were also here?

Nolan and Louis looked just like her.

If they saw her with the two little boys, the Fuller family would instantly put two and two together.

Then they'd definitely take the children away from her.

But...

When Sharon met Nolan's sharp eyes, she hesitated. She was certain that if they turned around and left now, Nolan would be extremely suspicious.

"Mom?" Louis waved his hand at the dazed Sharon.

"Oh, uh, yes! Of course we're still going to see Grandma today. I made a promise, didn't I?" Sharon forced a smile.

"Okay!" Louis clapped happily.

Nolan, on the other hand, stuffed his hands into his pockets and said coolly, "Let's go."

Seeing the little guy lead the way, Sharon was at a loss for words.

She sighed helplessly and had no choice but to follow him in with Louis.

Though she was still wary, she tried to reassure herself silently. Tristan was likely here for some follow-up examinations.

She and the two boys, on the other hand, were headed to the in-patient department. Since Tristan was probably headed to the out-patient department, she doubted they'd run into each other in the big hospital.

Still, Sharon remained vigilant all throughout, worried she'd cross paths with the Fuller family. Fortunately, there were no more incidents, and the family of three made it to the twelfth floor of the in-patient department without a hitch.

Five minutes later, in a ward, the three stood next to Nicola Howe's bed.

The caregiver Sharon hired, Khloe Wheeler, was trying with difficulty to turn Nicola over to clean her body. Seeing this, Sharon went to help.

"Khloe, is my mother getting any better?"

Khloe shook her head and said grimly, "I'm afraid nothing's changed. She's still the same."

Sharon didn't know what to say.

As she gazed at her mother lying limply in bed, surrounded by numerous medical instruments and with eyes closed, a lump formed in her throat. She beckoned to the two little babies, saying, "Nol, Lou, come over here. Meet your grandma."

Like Tristan, Nicola was also in a coma because of a car accident.

Part of the reason why Santino had chosen her to be Tristan's wife was that she had a lot of experience taking care of a vegetable.

But Nicola wasn't as lucky as Tristan; she had been unconscious for five whole years now, and there was no sign she'd wake up.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Sharon massaged Nicola's limbs skillfully.

"Hi, Grandma. I'm Lou, your grandson!" Leaning against the edge of the bed, Louis mimicked Sharon and tried to massage Nicola, though his movements were clumsy. He said in a cute tone, "Grandma, you're a grown up. Grown-ups can't sleep in. You have to wake up soon!"

Nolan walked over and said firmly, "Grandma will wake up soon, I'm sure of it!"

"Yes."

Sharon also held onto hope that Nicola would wake up someday.

Especially since Tristan was able to wake up from his coma, she was more confident Nicola could, too.

After hanging out in the ward for a while, the two boys exchanged meaningful glances. The next second, Louis rubbed his stomach and announced, "Mom, I'm thirsty."

"Okay, I'll go and get some water for you."

"No, thanks. You can talk to Grandma. Nol can come with me. I saw a water dispenser at the nurses' station. We'll be back soon!" Louis said confidently.

Before Sharon could protest, the two ran away hand in hand.

The nurses' station was just next door, but... The hospital was still a public place filled with strangers. Worried about the safety of her boys, she asked Khloe to go outside to check on them, since she was busy giving Nicola a massage.

However, when Khloe went to the nurses' station, the two kids were nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, in the outpatient department.

After receiving a rabies vaccine, Tristan left with a doctor's prescription for some ointment.

When he rounded the corner, a little boy ran right into him. Tristan reacted quickly and steadied the kid. "Watch where you're going," he said expressionlessly.

"I'm sorry, sir..." Nolan felt a bit disappointed that he failed to knock Tristan down, but he still had other plans.

Seeing that Tristan was about to walk away, Nolan grabbed his hand in a hurry. Scrunching up his face, he feigned a pitiful expression and looked up at Tristan, sobbing, "Sir, I'm looking for my mother..."

When their eyes met, Tristan was slightly stunned.

The little guy in front of him was quite handsome. Flawless skin, a cute nose, and eyes that shone like stars. His short hair fell gently, covering his smooth forehead. He just had this pure and adorable aura about him that was simply irresistible.

Perhaps it was because Tristan was now a father that he found that he didn't hate children anymore.

He squatted down in front of Nolan and asked gently, "Where's your mother?"

"I... I don't know... I'm lost! Waah... Waah..."

"I'll help you find her," Tristan said, straightening up and taking him by the hand.

"Where are we going?"

"The nurses' station."

"No!" Nolan yelled anxiously. Clearing his throat, he resumed his performance and explained tearfully, "I'm scared, sir. My mother said that kidnappers will try to grab a pretty child. What if those nurses think I'm cute and take me home? Sir, can't you help me find my mother?"

"Aren't you worried that I might be a kidnapper?"

The little boy wiped his tears and said sweetly, "No, you look like a kind and compassionate gentleman!"

Him? A "kind and compassionate gentleman"?

The boy probably had a bad eyesight.

Couldn't he see the teeth marks on his face?

"Fine. Let's go." As Tristan spoke, he started to turn around.

Just then, he felt a small hand tugging at his pant leg.

Tristan lowered his head and met the child's teary, doe-like eyes. His stone-cold heart softened for some reason and he asked in an unusually gentle tone, "What's wrong?"

The little boy stretched out his hands, lips trembling as though he was about to cry again. "Can you carry me in your arms?"