Chapter 72 Chapter Seventy Two
Sydney’s POV
Grandma Doris smiled at Mark and m*uthed, Thank you.”
Mark nodded, tight l*pped. Then Grandma turned to me, “Where is Lucas? Did he come with you?
“Yes,” I answered quickly. I know Lucas was itching to see her too. “He’s waiting outside.” “Let him in, I would like to see him too, Doris croaked out weakly.
I rose to my feet and walked to the door. I opened the door and stuck my head out like I had done when I came to call Mark. His elbows rested on his knee and his head was in his hands. I wonder what he’s thinking?
“Hey babe,” I called softly and he sprang up from his position.
“Hey,” he said breathlessly and rushed to the door. “How’s she?”
“Well,” I shrughged slightly, “She’s still hanging in there.” Then I relayed Grandma’s message, “She wants to see you.”
Lucas raised his brows and his m*uth formed an O as if he hadn’t expected to also be called in.
I opened the door wider and stepped away from the doorway. “Come on,” I said and turned back
to Doris bed. The door made a soft click as he closed it after he stepped in after me.
Mark and I watched as Doris gazed and smiled at Lucas. As usual, she had a thick veil over her emotions and no one could pin point close to whatever was on her mind.
Her smile widened when Lucas got closer and held her hand. Lucas pressed his l*ps together and managed a smile. Mark and I took a step back, leaving both of them to their moment.
“I know how’re you isn’t the right question, but I don’t know what else to say, Lucas said in a small voice thick with emotion and it pulled at my heart.
Grandma smiled, her eyes glinting. Her frail hand shook as she slowly brought it up. At first, Lucas just stared at her until he realized that she wanted to touch him then he awkwardly lowered his face toward her hand.
Doris palmed his checks, “You’re such a sweet boy, Lucas. You’ve always been and you always say the right thing.
Lucas smiled. “Please, get well soon,” he said and I could swear that his voice quivered. I wanted to hug him to me and tell him that Grandma would be fine even if I had no idea if she would be but Doris needed this time with him.
“For you?” Her smile widened then it dimmed slightly that you could hardly see it, “I will if 1 could.”
I quickly looked down when I felt the wetness on my cheeks. I stealthily flicked my cheeks with my thumb. I swallowed as the foreboding feeling I felt spread wider.
I quickly wore a too bright smile as Doris gaze fell on me. There was a hint of a smile on her l*ps. as it remained on me for barely a second before she looked back at Lucas. My smile faded when she wasn’t looking anymore.
“Did you propose to Sydney already?”
Lucas looked surprised as he looked from me to Doris.
Doris let out a chuckle that ended with a cough wracking her b*dy. Her eyes were watery when she looked back at Lucas, still smiling. “You look so surprised. No, Sydney didn’t tell me. I can see your mother’s ring on her finger.”
Lucas nodded slightly, “Yes, I proposed to her.”
“Where did you find it?”
Lucas understood what she was referring to immediately. “At an auction we attended.”
Chapter 72 Chapter Seventy, Iw
Doris nodded. Though she looked like she would like to say more about it, she didn’t.
There was silence in the room as Doris closed her eyes and squeezed them, her throat worked as she swallowed then she looked up at Lucas again.
“The whole of the Torres family owe you and Seraphina an apology,” she said and Lucas nodded solemnly.
“Doris, please. I’ve told you, It’s all in the past now.”
“You’re right about that again but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. It did and on behalf of the Torres family, I offer our sincere apology.”
As I watched and listened to them converse, I couldn’t help but recall what Lucas had told me. Τι was one of those nights where we randomly talked about everything and anything after making love. I had said while curled around him, my head resting comfortably on his broad ch*st …
“Tell me something I don’t know about your past..
Tm Harry’s Doris‘ husband illegitimate son..”
“I’ve heard that like a zillion times, I interrupted him with a groan and said jokingly. “Tell me something I don’t know.” He chuckled at what I said which automatically brought a smile to my face.
“Alright. I’ll tell you something you don’t know. My mother’s name is Seraphina,” he started, his voice sombre and his hand absentmindedly stroked my hair.
I remember how my ears had perked up. Lucas had always shied away from taking about his mother.
“Harry had wanted a younger woman, you know, someone to make him feel like he was in his youthful days again. My mother turned out to be more than what he bargained for. He fell in love with her and decided to divorce Doris,”
There was a long pause and I was already pouting because I thought he was going to end it there but he continued.
“Dad died of a heart attack while mom was pregnant with me. She was close to her due date and Mom who had equally fallen in love with him mourned him so much. When she have birth to me, her health was in so much risk.”
He trailed off again and I hugged him closer to me, silently comforting him. I knew how it felt to live without one’s parents.
“After I was born, that night, I was taken to the countryside by Mark’s father, George. No one knew about it. He saw me as a threat so he took the threat away. I grew up around maids. I had money and maids at my disposal but I had no idea about who my parents or my family was.” “I let out a small gasp. “And then I met you,” I blurted out without thinking
I felt his chin touch my head and then it was fine so I assumed he nodded. So all those while, the only people he knew were his maids, no wonder I never saw his parents. If it wasn’t for the money he had, he probably would have ended up in an orphanage home too,
“And then George died and I still wasn’t brought back. It was as if I had been forgotten. And I was fine with it. I stopped asking questions and decided to just live like that. His hold on me tightened, “And with you.”
I finally looked up at him and even though, his voice had been passive all these while, his facial expression held no malice or anger toward all that had happened to him.
“One day, out of nowhere, Doris appeared.” And this time, his eyes softened. “She told me everything. How she had tried to look for me only to find out that I died in the hospital.” Of course, George would’ve cooked up a story, I thought to myself.
“She told me that she had lived with the guilt of my death. She believed that no matter how horrible the relationship between parents are, it should never affect a child. She said I had no hand in anything so I shouldn’t have suffered for it. She felt like she and her dead husband owed me and mum an apology. She finally found the opportunity when she somehow discovered that I was actually alive. Since then, Doris has been tirelessly apologizing and making it up to me.”
Chapter 72 Chapter Seventy Two
Doris, I thought admiringly, strong and rebellious actually had a heart of gold.
“Sydney!” I jumped away and was jolted back to the present when I felt a hand tap me on the shoulder. I looked around me to find everyone staring at me, Mark, Lucas, Grandma and one other face the person closest to me and who had tapped me.
–
My eyes raked up and down their outfit and I could tell that she was a nurse. “Sorry, you’re in my way, the nurse said politely and pointed to the pole that held the drip that I was standing beside.
“Oh, sorry.” I muttered, slightly embarrassed and shuffled away.
She changed Doris‘ drip, checked her temperature and whatever else nurses do when they come to ch*ck their patients and left.
Lucas and Doris continued talking. “Now, I am much more relieved that you have found happiness.”
“I have found happiness, Lucas repeated then simultaneously, Doris and Lucas turned to me, at dashing smile on Lucas‘ l*ps then Mark lifted his head too. I flushed red under all of their gazes, willing them to look away. Thankfully they did but Mark’s unfathomable gaze lingered. I met his. gaze and lifted a brow at him and he looked away.
Doris looked at Lucas, her eves i
with a mixture of forlornness, rue and…contentment? “Lucas,” she was cupping his cheek again. “You’re a good kid. I hope you don’t let go of whatever makes you happy. She held his gaze steely, “Never let her go, Lucas.”
He nodded but Grandma shook his head, “Promise me.”
Lucas didn’t respond immediately, his hold on Rebecca just tightened and the both of them seemed to be having a staredown then Lucas said, “You will live to see me keep her till the end of time.
Rebecca chuckled and it sounded like old times when she was not lying on a hospital bed. “Promise me, boy. Give me your word.”
“I promise you, Doris. I’ll never let her go.”
Doris smiled. Lucas leaned forward and placed a k*ss on her forehead then he muttered, “Thank you.”
Doris looked at each of us one after the other and smiled. “Come on,” she opened her arms and grinned wickedly, “Group hug, kids.”
Lucas laughed, a tear dropping on my hand as I joined him. I don’t think he knew anyone noticed so I made no comment about it.
Doris tipped her head up and glared at Mark who remained standing alone like a grumpy kid. Come over here. It’s an order.”
Mark rolled his eyes, but he stepped forward anyway. Setting aside whatever grievances we had, we all crowded Grandma and hugged her, her small, trembling arms struggled to stay around us. A few seconds later, we pulled away and every one of our eyes shimmered with tears. We watched Grandma sigh deeply. Her l*ps were still curved in a smile as she closed her eyes.
I think we had all thought, she just closed her eyes like she’s been doing the whole time so we’re were expecting her to open her eyes and pass us another glare but Doris eyes remained shut. It was like time stopped and we all froze as we stared at rigid form in the bed.
A second passed….then another…and then Mark and Lucas were shouting for the doctor.
I watched, my sound of my drumming heart resounding in my ears, as Lucas and Mark shook Doris. Lucas yelled something at Mark then Mark turned and ran past me and I heard the door slam close.
It all happened like a blur. The doctor and several nurses rushed in. Lucas ran his fingers in his hair then he came to my side and hugged me to him.
I wasn’t sure if I cried or not but I buried my face in Lucas‘ ch*st as the doctors and nurses ran helter skelter and did their thing.
When Lucas softly called my name and I looked up, the spot on his shirt where my face had Chapter 72 Chapter Seventy Twe
been on was wet. His thumbs ran across my cheeks then he looked behind me.
I followed his gaze. Doris eyes were closed. Lucas explained that she had sl*pped into a coma. “Don’t worry.
she’ll make it,” he said but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. But I had clearly heard the doctor after he sighed. There’s an equal probablity that she would either make it or remain in coma until death.”
Chapter 72 Chapter Seventy Two
