It all happened so quickly. I barely had time to process my reaction. “Thank you, Mrs. Lane. Thank you so much.”
With a choked voice, I expressed my gratitude over and over again. I did not know whether to cry or laugh. I was happy to finally be acknowledged by Christopher’s family. At the same time, I wanted to burst out into tears, perhaps because this happiness had not come easy for me.
“Thank you, Mrs. Lane.” Tears welled up in my eyes and overflowed down my face. I had finally done it. My determination had managed to sway them.
“What are you crying for? Have I been that harsh on you? I just agreed to your marriage, that’s all, yet you’re so emotional.” Julia’s eyes started to tear up too. She gently dabbed away the tears on my face.
“Not at all. I’m just… so happy. If Chris knew about this, he would be overjoyed too. Mrs. Lane, do you mind if I give him a call right now?” I looked expectantly toward her.
Her lips quivered. Whatever it was that she intended to say, she did not. Instead, she turned around and exited the ward. With tears still at the corners of my eyes, I was confused. Is that a yes or a no?
As they said, never count your chickens before they hatch. I supposed that my situation had been too good to be true. Right after Julia left, Christopher appeared by the door.
His face was tense as he stood there silently. His typically neat hair was a mess. Even the clothes that hung on his body were wrinkled. It looked as though he had just gotten out of bed.
The worst part of it all was his facial expression. Looking at him, I was at a loss for words. I squirmed under my blanket and started to sob. Why would Julia do this? I looked over to her in hopes that she would catch my signal. However, she responded by ignoring me and shutting the door behind her.
Wow. So much for becoming closer. How could she turn her back so quickly on me?
Christopher strode over and pulled me into his arms. Because he was too forceful, his body slammed into the injury on my chest. The pain caused my face to twist, but I kept my mouth sealed. I hugged him back tightly.
For someone as careful as Christopher to act like this, he must have been worried sick. I leaned into his arms and whispered, “I’m fine. Don’t worry. It’s just a tiny injury. The doctor said it’s pretty minor. I just need to rest for a couple of days.”
“Eve!” he shouted.
“I’m right here. I’m actually kind of hungry. Mrs. Lane brought some soup over. Do you mind passing it to me?” I gestured over to the thermos on the table.
“Eve!” Christopher shouted again. He held me firmly in his arms as he buried his face into my neck. He was hugging me so tight that I was struggling to breathe.
“What is it?” I blinked.
“Eve!” He just kept shouting my name over and over again. If I did not respond, he would keep yelling until I answered.
“Christopher, I already told you I’m fine. Look at me. Don’t I look perfectly fine? In fact, I feel livelier than ever. Mrs. Lane must have exaggerated things because she was worried about me. I’m as sprightly as always. What are you so worked up for?”
I could sense his panic, so I tried to reassure him gently. I cupped his head to make him face me. However, when I saw his face, I could not bring myself to speak.
His eyes were filled with fear and worry as he nervously held on to me. Because he was so afraid, his hands were trembling. His eyes were bloodshot and glistening, looking like tears were about to fall at any moment.
Is he crying? This man was crying because he was so worried about me getting hurt. What had I done to deserve such a caring man? Seeing him like this, my eyes started to well up with tears too.
I held his face and leaned forward to press my cheek against his. “I’m sorry for making you worry. I really am.”
An indescribable feeling of frustration washed over me. Of course, I did not regret saving Julia. However, I did wish that I had taken better care of myself. I knew Christopher would be concerned about me, yet I rushed over so impulsively. If anything had happened to me, he would have lost his mind.
