Chapter 508
Hearing Stella’s explanation, I finally heaved a sigh of relief, albeit secretly.
This chatterbox definitely couldn’t be let in on the real deal. She just couldn’t keep a secret.
“Could be. I mean, I’m a sucker for a good looker, and guess they are too.” I casually chimed in.
Just then, a different nurse arrived. She was a bit older and probably more experienced. She asked me where my child was, and Neil’s voice echoed from a nearby distance, “Over
here.”
Serena was nestled cozily in his arms, occasionally gazing up at him with a lively smile. The sight was rather heartwarming, reminiscent of a father-daughter bond.
Stella’s eyes were darting around. Her biggest hobby had been gossiping. If something felt off, she just had to stick her nose in it.
“Maybe the mother should be holding her.” the nurse suggested to Neil, “Moms usually have a better touch.”
I reached out to take Serena from Neil’s arms. As the nurse was instructing me on how to hold her for the injection, Neil suddenly voiced his concern, “Will this be a one-shot deal?”
The nurse hesitated for a second. The marks from the previous jab were still evident on Serena’s forehead. She appeared somewhat embarrassed, “The previous nurse was a bit jittery due to lack of experience. I can assure you that I’ll get it right the first time.”
Neil’s stern look softened a bit upon hearing this. He seemed even more concerned for Serena than I was, though I had no proof of this.
This time, thankfully, the procedure was successful. Serena let out a small cry, but at least the IV was now in place. I carried her to the IV room, which was deserted at this late hour. There were only me, Serena, Stella, and Neil.
Brandon was still at Stella’s place, who herself was a mother of three. I suggested that she should head back first, “Stella, why don’t you head back home? I’ll take a cab once
Serena’s done with her fluids.”
“Why taking a cab?” Stella’s gaze landed on Neil as she retorted, “Isn’t there a ready-made driver right here?*
Neil was engrossed in his phone, seemingly replying to some messages. At Stella’s
words, he lifted his gaze, neither agreeing nor refusing outright
Stella inquired, “Neil, are you in a hurry to get back?”
“No.” Neil replied
“Great, then could you please see this good deed through and drop Rena and the kid at my place later?” Stella sfood up with her bag slung over her shoulder, ready to leave.
“Uh-huh,” Neil responded curtly, without uttering a single unnecessary word. He and Stella always seemed to clash, Conversation was always limited between them.
I was worried that it was dangerous and inconvenient for Stella to head back alone, as she would need a cab or someone else to pick her up. So, I mustered up the courage to ask Neil if he could drop her off first.
To my surprise, Stella instantly declined, “No need. I don’t get along with this guy. I fear it might bring bad luck if I ride in his car!”
Neil’s expression darkened as he retorted coldly, “Good. I wasn’t planning on offering a ride anyway.”
“Hmph,” Stella grunted before hastily exiting, leaving just Neil, Serena, and me in the IV
room.
I was feeling quite tired, and the alcohol was making my head swim slightly. But I had to hold Serena, so I struggled to keep my eyes open.
The false eyelashes Stella had applied were too dense and were starting to loosen, obstructing my vision. The discomfort forced me to blink incessantly.
“You’ve got a twitch in your eye?” Neil noticed my strange behavior and asked bluntly.
“No!” I quickly lifted my gaze to look at Neil, causing the right eyelash to dislodge partially, leaving only a bit of glue stuck to my eyeliner.
There was an awkward pause. Neil, seated quite close to me and without any vision impairment, had a clear view of the false eyelash dangling from my eye.
He extended his hand, gently pinching the false eyelash, and pulled it off in one swift
motion.
“These things don’t suit you,” Neil tossed the false eyelash into the trash can before commenting on my make-up, “Your style is different from Stella’s, no need to force yourself into this spicy, seductive look.”
His words made me feel a bit awkward. Indeed, the look didn’t suit me. But Stella wanted
me to try it out, and I didn’t refuse.
But what did he have to do with it?
With that thought, my embarrassment evaporated, and I responded nonchalantly, “I don’t see how it’s any of your business”
“True, it’s not.” Neil’s words were barely out when his hand deftly yanked off the other false eyelash. The sudden pain caught me off guard, making me gasp.
I would have let out a string of expletives if I wasn’t worried about waking Serena.
Biting back my anger, I questioned him, “Neil, are you out of your mind? Couldn’t you have given a heads up before ripping it off?”
At my words, Serena woke up and started crying. It seemed she was uncomfortable. I smelled a whiff and immediately realized she might have got a diarrhea again.
In such a situation, it would be impossible for me to handle it alone. I needed someone to hold Serena to prevent the needle from dislodging.
Seeing my predicament, Neil reached out to take Serena from me, even before I had a chance to ask. The nanny had packed some diapers and wipes, making things a bit easier. As I bent over to change Serena’s diaper, I reminded Neil without lifting my head, “It’s a bit stinky. Bear with it.”
“Mm-hmm,” Neil responded simply.
I thought he would be repulsed. After all, in his mind, this was not his child.
Yet, throughout the process, Neil didn’t so much as wrinkle his brow or turn away to avoid the smell. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on my hands and finally commented, “You seem quite adept at this.”
“Duh, if I can’t change a diaper after half a year, do I even qualify as a parent?” I responded matter-of-factly.
“I don’t know how to do these things.” Neil suddenly blurted out.
“It’s fine if you don’t. Hiram’s grown up now. He doesn’t need you to change his diapers.” 1 replied, finding his statement rather strange.
But Neil didn’t seem too pleased with my response. He retorted, “It’s not too hard to learn.” I couldn’t fathom why he wanted to learn to change diapers.
But I didn’t have the energy to guess. Serena had her diaper changed, but she still seemed
uncomfortable. I needed to hold her and walk around a bit to distract her.
“I’ll grab the IV stand.” Neil, seemingly aware of my intentions, took the stand on which drip bag was hanged. “Let’s carry her around a bit. It might make her feel better.”
I gave him a silent glance, said nothing, and began to walk around. I cradled the child in my arms, and she seemed to relax a bit as soon as I started moving. She occasionally looked around, her eyes filled with curiosity about everything in sight.
