Chapter 23
On Sunday morning, Valeria told her daughter to stay home and watch cartoons while she took Lucy to the hospital for a check-up.
They ran a whole bunch of tests. Lucy waited in line inside the ultrasound room while Valeria waited outside. Suddenly, she heard someone call out, “Dr. Grant.”
Turning, Valeria saw that it was a male doctor she didn’t know.
Her whole body tensed up before she realized that and let out a quiet breath.
The hospital was huge and always busy. This wasn’t even the cardiothoracic section, so why would she run into him here?
She was like a cat on high alert. The name “Sebastian Grant” was like the torment that haunted her soul, but even here, she inevitably heard news about Sebastian.
He was the star doctor at the city hospital, always a center of attention no matter where he
went.
While waiting in the seating area outside the ultrasound room, Valeria overheard a few nurses at the information desk chatting.
“I’m on rotation in the cardiothoracic department tomorrow, but Dr. Grant is taking a few days off.”
“I heard he has a girlfriend now. She even brought him lunch. Dr. Gardner saw her.”
“Really? Ruby’s been chasing him for so long…”
Lucy’s test results came out three days later, and Valeria went to pick them up.
The report came back stating that she had high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol. Given her age, the doctor recommended a few days in the hospital to stabilize her
condition.
In the afternoon, Valeria took time off work to help Lucy check in.
Lucy pulled a face. “It’s going to cost so much money. I’m fine most of the time.”
“If something happens, it’ll be too late.”
Lucy was usually very stubborn, but Valeria was even more determined, insisting that she follow the doctor’s advice.
At first, Valeria had rented the attic room from Lucy, paying monthly rent. Though lower than the market rate, it was still something…
Later on, Lucy waved it off. “This attic is just sitting here empty anyway. You even
acknowledge me as your mom. This is fate, so you can live here.”
Whenever Valeria was busy with work, Lucy would help look after Selena. For that, Valeria was
truly grateful.
Lucy’s son, Shane, lived in Amaran. After having gotten married last year, he decided to settle there permanently and only returned for festive holidays.
As people aged, they would fear loneliness even more. So, during normal days, Lucy treated Valeria like her own daughter.
Looking at Lucy’s medical report, Valeria could only do her best to take care of her.
During Lucy’s hospital stay, Valeria would pick Selena up from school in the afternoons and stop by the hospital on the
way home.
Selena called Lucy “Granny”, so the other patients naturally assumed Valeria was Lucy’s daughter-in-law.
Five patients shared the room, but Lucy had an extra bed added. All the patients there were older people with high blood pressure or other cardiovascular issues.
At 6:00 pm every night, Valeria would bring Selena.
Other patients often said to Lucy, “Your daughter-in-law and granddaughter came to see you again.”
Valeria would bring dinner for Lucy every time she came. Selena would lean on the nightstand and read her fairy tale book.
Not only was Valeria beautiful, but she had an adorable daughter, making the other patients envious of Lucy.
Valeria never explained anything, seeing that there was no point in explaining too much to
strangers.
Besides, she knew Lucy fancied being called “Grandma”.
Lucy had always been a tough old lady. However, in her later years, she was left alone after her husband died and her son moved away. If it hadn’t been for Valeria, no one would visit her now that she was in the hospital.
That afternoon, Valeria brought Selena into the hospital room. As they entered, someone inside called out, “Lucy, your daughter-in-law and granddaughter are here!”
However, Valeria hadn’t expected Sebastian to be there as well.
He stood beside the bed next to Lucy’s. The old man in that bed had trouble breathing earlier and pressed the call button. The doctors and nurses had arrived to attend to him, so he was now stable.
Valeria looked at Sebastian’s back and lightly bit her lip.
The orange afterglow of the sunset fell across his white coat, his handsome profile outlined with a soft, cool light. But his eyes and brows carried that familiar, distant coldness.
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