MainNovelStella blinked in surprise, as if she could hardly believe what she was hearing.
"Bryn, it's strange," she said quietly. "Back when you were hopelessly in love with Stewart, I don't think you ever truly understood him. But now that you don't love him anymore, it's almost as if... you see him more clearly than ever." Briony paused, caught off guard by the observation.
The living room was silent except for the low, bubbling sound of the kettle boiling in the kitchen.
No one picked up the thread of conversation again.
Upstairs at Southcreek Manor, in the master bedroom.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAfter the IV drip, Stewart's condition finally stabilized, though he remained unconscious.
Dr. Cedric Clarke packed away his medical kit and stepped out of the bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him.
Waiting in the hallway were Lorna, Carl, and Carol-all three watching Cedric with anxious expressions.
Cedric pressed his lips together and sighed. "For now, he's stable," he said, "but his illness is progressing much faster than any of us expected." Carl's eyes reddened. "Dr. Clarke, Mr. Wentworth is still so young. Please, there must be something more you can try." Cedric shook his head, his voice heavy. "You all need to prepare yourselves. I'm afraid... he may not make it through the summer." The words weighed on him-he hated to admit it, but there was nothing more he could do.
It was late July. The kids' summer break was already halfway over.
Summers in Northborough were brief; by the end of August, you could already feel the first hints of autumn in the air.
Which meant Stewart likely had less than two months left.
The realization left everyone in stunned silence.
Carol hadn't worked for Stewart long, but it was obvious to her how much he loved his two children.
At the thought of little Maand Nina soon losing their father, Carol felt tears prick her eyes.
They were just kids-barely reunited with their dad, hardly enough tto build memories together. How could this be happening? Wiping her tears, Carol choked out, "Little Masaid just the other day that when winter comes, he wants to build snowmen and have snowball fights with his dad in the yard..." The words landed like a punch in the gut.
Lorna turned to her, her tone grave. "Carol, you mustn't let Maknow how sick Stewart is." "But... he's going to find out eventually..." "We'll keep it from him as long as we can," Lorna insisted. "Nobody can know the full extent of Stewart's illness yet not even the kids." She couldn't bring herself to say more; Stewart's sudden decline meant their twas running out faster than anyone had expected.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Don't worry, Ms. Riley. I'll do whatever you say," Carol promised, not fully understanding the stakes. She assumed Stewart just didn't want Briony and the children to worry.
Lorna turned to Cedric. "When will Stewart wake up?"
Cedric hesitated. "Hard to say. Maybe tomorrow, maybe a day or two. But whenever he wakes, he'll need to stay in bed and rest for at least a week." "In a week, Mario's going to notice something's wrong," Lorna said quietly.
Cedric thought for a moment, then suggested, "Let's have Mastay at Retreat for a few days.
Skybreeze eze We'll put summer camp on hold for now. If Briony asks, just say Mario's been missing his mom." It was the only workable plan they had.
Lorna looked at Carol. "You'll go with Mato stay at the retreat for a few days.
But you have to be careful-don't let anything slip." Carol nodded, fighting back tears. "I understand."
you "Go pack your things," Lorna instructed. "I'll have the driver take you to pick up Mafrom preschool. While you're at the retreat, if Briony wants to take the kids out, make sure Crystal goes with them." Carol frowned, puzzled. "Why does Crystal need to go?" Lorna didn't explain. "Just do as I say." Carol nodded again and hurried off to get ready.
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