Chapter 56 Goodbye, Sweetheart
Tessa had to keep herself from sighing aloud as she said this. The sensibility of her rejection did not take away from the sadness that came with it.
Nicholas, on the other hand, fell silent as well, like he could not bring himself to argue with her.
With nothing more to add to this, she looked away from him and muttered softly, “It’s late. You should get some rest, President Sawyer. I’m heading back to sleep.”
She rose from the couch after that and returned to Gregory’s bedside. She tucked the blanket snugly around him, then hunched over the side of the bed and slept.
In truth, however, sleep evaded her. She was merely resting her head on her folded arms as she took in Gregory’s cherubic sleeping face, feeling an inexplicable rush of sadness.
Meanwhile, Nicholas sat on the couch like a statue as he stared at Tessa’s back with interest, but he left her decision as it was and did not attempt to dissuade her from it. Admittedly, he was surprised to hear how much thought she had put into her rejection and how far-sighted her reasons had been.
That being said, he had to agree with her. Gregory was developing an attachment to her that would eventually grow into a bond. More importantly, if Nicholas had any confirmation at all that she was the woman who had abandoned her child for money all those years ago, then he would have cast her out of their lives without a second word.
As things were, it was better for Tessa to leave them now rather than wait for complications to arise over time. Gregory would be upset and throw fits at first, but he was a smart kid, and as time went on, he would figure out the reasons behind her departure.
And so, for the rest of the night, neither Tessa nor Nicholas spoke to each other.
…
Early next morning, Gregory broke into a wide grin as soon as he woke up and registered Tessa’s presence at his bedside. “Good morning, Miss Pretty Lady!” he greeted cheerily.
Tessa’s smile was a gentle and dazzling one as she reached out to caress his soft cheek. “Good morning, sweetheart.”
She promptly led him to the adjoining bathroom to wash up, and when that was done, the three of them enjoyed breakfast, which was delivered personally by the Sawyer Family’s butler. Then, Nicholas and Tessa brought Gregory to run several more tests to see whether he was doing much better.
When the check-up was done, the doctor walked to Nicholas and declared, “Good news, President Sawyer. Young Master Gregory is completely fine and there is nothing for you to worry about anymore. However, his gastrointestinal system is still working to purge the remaining toxins, so it’s advisable for him to stick to plain, healthy food for the next month or so until his body fully recovers. Remember, he must stay away from foods that could stimulate any sort of stomach or gastrointestinal discomfort.”
Nicholas nodded somberly as he replied, “Thank you, doctor.”
They went over the discharge paperwork and made their way out of the hospital once that was done. Before leaving, Tessa waved goodbye at Gregory, saying reluctantly, “Goodbye, sweetheart.”
Gregory froze and doubt crept over his little face as he asked, “Miss Pretty Lady, aren’t you coming home with me?”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” she began apologetically. “There’s a really important performance lined up for our orchestra, though, and I’ll have to go for a really long training before that, so I won’t be able to see you at all.”
“Oh…” His expression fell when he heard this and he mumbled in disappointment, “Does this mean you’ll be gone for a really long time? How long will that be?”
The question shot through her heart like an arrow, but she maintained her smile as she said quietly, “Well, I don’t know how long I’ll be gone either.”
He looked up at her with wide, glistening eyes, and pressed, “Then, can I go and visit you whenever I miss you?”
Her heart twisted even more, but she stood her ground and said firmly, “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but it’s better if you don’t visit me at all for the time being. It might be a little hard on my schedule as it is.”
Gregory’s mind raced, as if he had sensed something was off. A prickly sensation assaulted his nose as he asked sorrowfully, “You don’t want to tutor me anymore, do you, Miss Pretty Lady?”
“I…” Tessa trailed off, thinking of a way to gently let the child down, but after a minute or so, she decided that she could not be anything but blunt as she pursed her lips and replied, “I’m sorry.”
After leaving the hospital, Gregory was silent on the entire way home. He had his head down the whole time and there was unmistakable sadness written all over his face, coupled with heart-wrenching disappointment.
Unsettled by the child’s depressing demeanor, Nicholas tried to get the little guy to speak, but his attempt at conversation was brutally rebuffed by Gregory’s silence.
With a sigh, Nicholas gave up.
They pulled up at Dynasty Gardens half an hour later.
Presently, having gotten word that Gregory would return home today from the hospital, Stefania was already waiting eagerly for his arrival. As soon as she saw him walk past the threshold, she walked up to him happily and crooned, “Oh, hello, my little baby! I have missed you!”
Ecstatic to know that the little boy was perfectly fine, she went on to ask a flurry of questions out of concern. “What do you want for lunch, Greg? I’ll get the kitchen to whip up something delicious for you, how about it? Do you still feel terribly, my darling?”
However, he kept his head down the whole time and he did not utter a single word. He even stepped around her and sulked his way into his room before rising on his tiptoes to lock the door.
Something was definitely off and Stefania couldn’t help but grow distressed as she asked frantically, “Nicholas, what’s wrong with Greg?”
