“I’m sorry, Mother… I’m so sorry…” I cried into her shoulder.
She held me tighter. “You came… You came back… I missed you so much…”
We cried together. Her tears soaked my shoulder, while mine soaked hers. as if for that
Then she pulled back a little and held my face between both palms. “He’s been waiting for you, Liana. Even in his sleep, he keeps mumbling your name. He wanted to see you.”
I nodded slowly, my lips trembling violently as I tried to stay strong.
I turned toward the bed. My legs were trembling as I saw him.
My father.
He looked pale. So different from the strong man I remembered. His chest rose slowly with the help of machines. There were tubes attached to his nose, an oxygen mask covering part of his face. It was too much. Too real.
I reached for his hand.
“Daddy…” I whispered.
My tears dropped freely as I gripped his hand tightly between mine.
‘Daddy, it’s me. It’s Liana… I’m here. I’m here now… Please don’t go. Please..
The room was quiet, except for the soft beeping of machines. I was holding his hand tightly, trying to make him feel me. Trying to let him know I was here.
Then I felt a small hand rest gently on my back.
“Mommy… don’t cry.” Ryan whispered softly from behind me.
I turned and pulled him into a hug. “This is your grandpa, baby.”
“Really?” Ryan looked up at the man in the bed, his voice filled with quiet curiosity.
That was when I noticed my stepmother’s eyes shift to him.
She was looking closely now, her eyes flickering over his face
Her brows pulled together, as if something was slowly clicking into place in her mind.
Her mouth parted slightly, as though the thought just hit her.
Then her eyes widened.
And she gasped.
Jend
Liana’s POV
“Is this not…” her voice trailed off as she rubbed her eyes, looking between Killian, Ryan, and me. Her expression was a mix of confusion and realization.
Her gaze settled on Ryan, who was now hiding shyly behind my leg.
“Liana,” she said slowly, cautiously, “is this your child?”
I nodded gently. My heart was racing. “Yes, Mother. This is Ryan.”
Killian stood beside us, saying nothing, his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable.
I knelt beside Ryan and brushed his curls gently. “Baby, say hello to Grandma.”
HAPIN
Ryan blinked, a little unsure, then stepped forward a bit. “Hi… I’m Ryan,” he said softly, his voice unsure but polite.
Mother just stared at him. Completely frozen.
She looked at his face, then glanced at Killian again. Her eyes were slowly scanning every part of him. The resemblance wasn’t small, but she said nothing. Her lips pressed into a thin line as if she wanted to say something but chose to hold it in.
She finally knelt down and gently touched Ryan’s cheek. “Hello, Ryan,” she whispered. “It’s nice to meet you.”
I smiled awkwardly and quickly stood up. “What did the doctor say?”
She seemed to snap out of her daze. Her shoulders slumped again as fear took over her features. “He had a heart attack,” she said, her voice trembling. “They said it was severe. He’s unconscious. They managed to stabilize him, but… he hasn’t woken up yet.”
Tears pooled in her eyes again. “They don’t know when he’ll wake up. They said… it might take days.”
Killian quietly stepped away, mumbling something about going to see the doctor.
Mother turned back to me and placed her hands on my arms. “How are you, baby? How have you been faring all these years?
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’ve been managing. It hasn’t been easy, but… I survived.”
I could see all the other questions she wanted to ask, about Ryan, about where I’d been, what I’d gone through, but she didn’t ask. Not with Ryan there. She only nodded, holding my arms a little tighter.
Killian returned after a few minutes. “The doctor said he’ll most likely stay unconscious for the next 48 hours. They’ll monitor him closely until then.”
Mother wiped her face quickly. “I want to stay here. I want to be with him. I’ll stay overnight.”
“Mother, you look tired. Maybe go home, freshen up, rest a bit? You can come back in the evening.”
She shook her head firmly. “I’m staying I’ll go home later, maybe to pick a few things.”
We didn’t argue much. We knew better, When she made up her mind, it was hard to change it.
Eventually, we left the hospital. The ride home was quiet. Ryan had dozed off in the back seat.
As soon as we got home, I stepped out of the car and looked at the house I once called home. Everything was the same. Nothing had changed And yet, everything inside me hadI followed Mother inside, holding Ryan in my arms while he slept.
She led me upstairs, to my old room. When I opened the door, I froze.
It was untouched.
My bed was neatly made, the sheets looked fresh, as if she had been changing them regularly. My books were still on the shelf. My posters still on the wall. Even my favorite stuffed bear was on the pillow, waiting.
Tears welled in my eyes.
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