On Sunday morning, the next day, Winifred told Rosalind to stay home and watch cartoons while she took Ruby to the hospital for a check–up.
After a series of tests, Ruby was waiting in line for an ultrasound, and Winifred was outside the ultrasound room. Suddenly, she heard someone say, “Dr. Pierce!” She turned around and saw a male doctor she didn’t recognize.
Winifred tensed up and then quickly relaxed. The hospital was huge, and it wasn’t the department of cardiac surgery. There was no way she’d run into Humbert here.
She felt like a nervous cat. The name Humbert always made her uneasy. Even though she wanted to avoid him, it seemed impossible to escape hearing about him.
Humbert was the star doctor at Sonisburg General Hospital, a man who turned heads wherever he went.
Winifred was sitting in the waiting area outside the ultrasound room when she overheard two nurses chatting at the front desk.
“I’m scheduled to work in cardiovascular surgery tomorrow, but Dr. Pierce is taking a few days
off.”
“I heard he might have a girlfriend now. She even brought him lunch. Dr. Yates saw the whole thing.”
“Seriously? Susan has been chasing after him for ages…”
*****
Three days later, Winifred went to pick up Ruby’s test results.
Ruby’s blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol were all high. Given her age, the doctor recommended she stay in for a few days of observation and care. Winifred took the afternoon off to bring Ruby to the hospital and get her checked in.
Ruby scowled. “This is going to cost a lot of money. I’m usually fine.”
“By the time something happens, it’ll be too late,” Winifred replied.
Ruby was as stubborn as a mule, but Winifred was even more determined. She wasn’t about to let Ruby ignore the doctor’s orders.
When Winifred first moved in, she stayed in Ruby’s attic. The rent was cheaper than most places, but it still added up every month.
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Chapter 20
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Later, Ruby just waved it off. “This attic has been empty for ages, just collecting dust. I’m your mother–in–law, after all. Just stay here, and no need to pay.”
Whenever Winifred was buried in work, Ruby helped look after Rosalind, and Winifred couldn’t help but feel thankful.
As people got older, they got lonelier. Ruby always treated Winifred like her own daughter. Seeing Ruby’s test results, Winifred thought she had to do everything she could to take care of her now.
During the days Ruby was in the hospital, Winifred would pick Rosalind up from school in the afternoon and then head straight to the hospital.
Rosalind called Ruby “Grandma,” so naturally, the other patients assumed Winifred must be her daughter–in–law.
The hospital room had five beds, and Ruby was on a rollaway bed. The other patients were all elderly folks with high blood pressure and heart issues.
Every day at six in the afternoon, Winifred would bring Rosalind with her to visit.
The other patients would always say to Ruby, “Your daughter–in–law and granddaughter are here again.”
Every time Winifred visited, she would bring Ruby dinner, and Rosalind would sit by the bedside, completely engrossed in her fairy tale book.
Winifred was stunning, and Rosalind was just the cutest. Everyone in the room wished they had what Ruby had.
Winifred never bothered to correct them. Explaining things to strangers felt pointless. Besides, deep down, she knew Ruby actually liked Rosalind calling her “Grandma.”
Ruby was a tough old lady, but in her twilight years, with her husband gone and her son away, she was just a lonely woman. If it weren’t for Winifred, no one would visit her in the hospital.
*****
One afternoon, Winifred and Rosalind pushed open the hospital room door, and someone inside called out, “Ruby, your daughter–in–law and granddaughter are here again!”
But Winifred hadn’t expected to see Humbert there.
He was standing by the bed next to Ruby’s. The elderly man in that bed had been having trouble breathing and hit the call button. The doctor and nurses had arrived, and now the elderly man was feeling better.
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Chapter 20
:.
Winifred stared at Humbert’s back, gently biting the corner of her lip.
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The orange light of the setting sun hit his white coat, casting a soft glow over his handsome face. But his eyes and furrowed brows were distant and cold.
Right then, Humbert turned and paused. He raised an eyebrow just slightly as he looked at Winifred, who was standing a few feet away.
Rosalind said politely, “Hello, sir.”
“Hi,” Humbert said with a nod, taking a few steps forward. As he walked past Winifred, he slowed down for a moment, but he didn’t say anything.
He glanced down, catching sight of her lowered lashes. Then he strode away, leaving the air faintly scented with his cologne.
Once the door clicked shut, Winifred finally exhaled. She walked over to Ruby’s bed. “I brought you some steamed yams and stir–fried okra for dinner. You should eat while it’s still
warm.”
Rosalind was already sitting quietly by the bed, focused on a school poster she was working on at the nightstand.
Winifred couldn’t help but think about how Rosalind had inherited her creativity. When it came to art and color, Rosalind always had a bold, unique approach.
Sometimes, Winifred thought about her own mother, though she had no real memories of her. As a child, she’d often ask Mary where her mom was and why she didn’t have one.
Mary would just say that her mom had gone far away. Now, Winifred found herself telling Rosalind the same thing about her dad.
As time passed, those little white lies would eventually unravel on their own.
Ruby gave Winifred a knowing look. She could tell there was something between Winifred and Humbert. Nothing got past this old lady with sharp eyes. “Dr. Pierce sure is easy on the eyes, huh?”
Winifred, still wearing her gloves, began peeling the yams. “Come on, Ruby. Let’s eat.”
Ruby said, “If you like him, why not give it a try? You young people today are all about fun, not feelings, right?
“If you’re just in it for fun, you should pick a hottie like him. Don’t waste your time on someone who’s not even good–looking.”
Winifred’s cheeks turned red. She couldn’t believe Ruby was more open–minded than she
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Chapter 20
was. She muttered under her breath, “I don’t like him.”
Ruby leaned closer and whispered, “You couldn’t stop staring at his back.”
Winifred stiffened, wondering if she was being too obvious.
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Ruby stayed silent this time. After a while, Winifred ruffled Rosalind’s hair, grabbed a water bottle, and went out to get some water.
As she passed the nurse’s station, a few young nurses glanced her way. In a hospital, where the days were long and uneventful, gossip was always the best entertainment.
“That was the family of the patient in bed 17. She’s the old lady’s daughter–in–law. The old lady’s been in the hospital for four days now, and it’s always her daughter–in–law who comes with her granddaughter. The husband hasn’t shown up once.”
“I don’t get it. How can a guy not appreciate having such a beautiful wife and daughter? And his own mom’s sick, and he doesn’t even bother to visit?”
“I was in the room the other day, giving the old lady in bed 17 her IV, and I overheard that her son was living in Aurielia all year round.”
“That’s a pretty close relationship for a daughter–in–law and mother–in–law.”
“Dr. Pierce, are you free this Saturday night? Dr. Davis said there was a department dinner.”
Humbert paused and glanced at the nurse at the desk. After a moment of thought, he replied, “I’ll have to see. I’ve got some family stuff going on Saturday.”
The gossip picked right back up at the nurse’s station.
Humbert watched Winifred’s back as she walked away. With a slight frown on his face, he made his way toward her.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
