Chapter 543 Out All Night
“Are you still at work?” I asked again in response. I felt sorry that he was working so hard to provide for me. “No, a friend needs my help. I may be back a little later tonight.”
“I see. I’d better let you get to it then. I’m going to see Janette.” I did not doubt Michael as he had never given me a reason to. Many other women I knew would call and ask their husbands what they were doing when they stayed out past office hours, but not me.
Soon after, I arrived at the hospital with the broth I had prepared at home. Before getting on the elevator, I glanced instinctively at the end of the corridor. The figure I saw that afternoon was startlingly familiar, but as I’ve reminded myself for what seemed like the tenth time, Michael had no reason to be at the hospital.
Janette seemed to be doing better when I arrived at her ward. With her faculties finally free from the effects of anesthesia, she merely glanced over at my arrival without deigning to speak to me.
Being accustomed to her attitude toward me, I was as indifferent as she was. I placed the thermos on the bedside cabinet before turning to address my mother. “I made this at home. You should get her to have some while it’s still warm. I’ll get some hot water.”
As Janette needed someone to take care of her, I took the initiative to do the little things to free my mother up for the bulk of the grunt work. If she had to do everything, her body would definitely not be able to take the strain.
My mother was already feeding Janette when I arrived back at the ward with a thermos full of hot water. I walked to the side and sat down while she had her meal.
My mother turned to look at me gratefully as Janette swallowed the last spoonful of the broth. “Anna, thank you for all the help you have given us recently. I appreciate how hard you have been working.”
“There’s no need for the formalities. I will help you out whenever you need it.”
I meant it. After spending some time together, I felt closer to her. Aside from being unable to change how I greeted her, I found that I had lost some of the initial stiffness I employed when I spoke to her in the beginning. She perked up at once. “Are you finally admitting that I am your mother?”
“You are. There’s no use in pretending that otherwise. I just don’t know how to start calling you Mom. Give me a little more time.”
After finding myself getting along with her over the period of our reacquaintance, I have decided to forgive her. After seeing how she blamed herself for what happened to Janette, I thought that it was only fair for me to put myself in her shoes and consider how difficult it must have been for her to choose all those years ago.
“You have no idea how happy that made me, Anna,” she whispered, her voice quavering. “I never would have imagined that you would one day choose to forgive me. Despite only wanting to see how you were doing, I felt this maternal instinct pulling me closer to you. After over twenty years of separation, I could not find it in me to disappear from your life again.”
My nose twinged at her words. I forced myself to hold back the tears that were already welling in my eyes.
I turned away, not wanting them to see me turn into a blubbering mess. In fact, I no longer hated my mother as much as I did. Having grown up without her in my life, I just needed time to learn how to be a daughter.
“Say no more,” I muttered, worried that I might not be able to stop the tears if they come. “Let’s focus on taking good care of Janette.”
“Leave her to me. Go home and get some rest, Anna. The housekeeper will be coming soon to relieve me.”
As Janette had almost completed her meal, my mother sent me home to rest.
I was going to volunteer myself to care for Janette in her stead. On second thought, I would be the last person Janette would want by her side. Her mood would only worsen with my presence.
“All right,” I said to my mother as I stood up. “I’ll bring her something for breakfast tomorrow morning.”
It was already past nine o’clock when I finally arrived back at the Shaw residence after leaving the hospital. To my surprise, Michael still had not arrived home.
I called him again after I got out of the shower to no avail. Even more suspiciously, his phone had been turned off.
Could his phone be out of battery?
It was the only logical conclusion. Michael would have no other reason to not answer my call.
As Michael often came back later than that when he had to entertain clients, I was not too worried. Confident that he would be home soon, I tucked myself in.
It was a sign of the state of my sleep deprivation that I fell asleep as soon as my head collapsed onto the pillow.
It was already the following morning when I finally woke up. Usually, I would find Michael asleep next to me, with a faint trace of booze on his body if he had returned from entertaining clients. That morning, however, he was nowhere to be found.
I’m beginning to suspect that he did not even come home last night. What kind of friend is in such desperate need of help that would warrant this kind of sacrifice on his part? Worst of all, he did not even tell me that he would not be coming back.
With resentment bubbling just below the surface, I called Michael again. Upon getting the same message of him being unreachable, I threw my phone onto the bed in frustration.
How inconsiderate of him! Does he even care how worried he makes me? I can’t even reach him to know that he’s safe!
The Shaws were already having breakfast when I got dressed and went downstairs. As I did not have dinner the night before, I felt ravenous.
Lincoln turned to look at me as soon as I sat down. “Why isn’t Michael here for breakfast?”
“I don’t know. He hasn’t come back all night. I tried calling him but his phone is turned off. I don’t know where he is.”
My irritation flared up again at the reminder of Michael’s inconsiderateness. His actions made me feel like I’m an outsider who was not privy to his plans.
“What?” Lincoln grumbled. “What’s the matter with this kid? He never used to do that.”
Just when I was about to answer, the door clicked open to announce Michael’s arrival.
Though I was relieved to see him in one piece, my irritation did not immediately abate.
Josephine cleared her throat. “Michael, you’re back.”
Michael merely grunted before dropping his briefcase onto the couch. He looked exhausted.
“What have you been up to last night?” Josephine asked as she eyed her son sternly. “Why didn’t you come home?”
