"I thought you left with Harry?" Lucy asked as she turned away from Aaron and Jamal to the door when Tom walked inside the room.
"I dropped him off at his apartment. He wants to be alone so I left. How is Aaron doing?" Tom asked as his gaze moved to the bed where Jamal, who was now lying down on the little space beside Aaron, was sleeping.
"He has been stable. He was crying in his sleep initially but he is calm now. How is Harry?" Lucy asked as she rose from her seat to meet Tom, and he sighed.
"I don't know. I wish I knew. He is not saying much. I'm even more worried because he's trying so hard to act like he's fine," Tom said with a worried frown.
"Maybe you shouldn't have left him alone?" Lucy said, but Tom shook his head.
"He's better off alone right now. I think he needs to be alone to process everything," Tom said, and Lucy sighed.
"Your mom is aware of everything. I spoke with her a short while ago," Lucy said, and Tom raised a brow.
"Why did you tell her about it?"
"They are visiting my parents," Lucy said as she explained the details of the phone call to him.
"I see. I will give her a call later then," Tom said, and Lucy gave him a nod.
"When will they get here?" Lucy asked, referring to Jade and Candace as she glanced back at the bed to look at Aaron and Jamal.
Tom glanced at his wristwatch, "They should get here within the next hour. They moved two hours ago," Tom said, and Lucy nodded.
"That's fine. Have you been able to come up with a plan yet?" Lucy asked, but Tom shook his head.
"Let's not talk about that right now. I have to return to the office to take care of things. I already asked Adolf to deliver lunch to you here," Tom said as he kissed her forehead.
"Let me know if you need anything," Tom said and before he could walk away, Lucy grabbed his hand.
"I'm sorry about the incident in the car. I've been thinking about it, and I was wrong..."
"I can't talk about that right now, Lu. Let's talk later," Tom cut in as he glanced at his wristwatch.
"I have to take care of something at the office," Tom said as he kissed her lips, and she gave him a nod she watched him walk away.
Lucy turned to the bed when she heard Aaron groan behind her.
"Harry?" Aaron called softly.
She walked over to the bed quickly, "Aaron? Are you awake now? How are you feeling?" She asked as she looked at him with concern, but Aaron was looking at the kid who was holding his hand and sleeping next to him.
'ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ No(ve) l Bi n',
Slowly he raised his eyes to meet Lucy and his brows furrowed in confusion, "Lucy?" He called looking disoriented as he looked down at the kid who was lying next to him.
For a moment there he had thought he was dreaming and the kid beside him was little Harry, but seeing Lucy now he wasn't so sure anymore if he was seeing things or dreaming.
Seeing the way he was staring at Jamal, Lucy quickly understood his confusion, "His name is Jamal. He is with me," she said, not sure if it was time to tell him who Jamal was. She wasn't sure it was her place to make such introductions.
She was just going to wait for Candace to arrive and then let them do the introduction themselves.
"Why am I here? Where is Harry?" Aaron asked as he tried to sit up, rousing Jamal from sleep in the process.
Lucy was quick to place a hand on Aaron's shoulder to stop him, "You shouldn't sit up yet. I have to get the doctor," Lucy said as she pressed the tiny bell beside his bed.
Jamal's eyes lit up when he realized that Aaron was awake, and he sat up and faced Aaron, "It worked. You are awake," Jamal said with a cheerful smile.
"What worked?" Aaron asked as he looked into Jamal's brown eyes which seemed to remind him of Harry's.
"He said you will feel better if I hold your hands like I held his hand," Jamal explained making Aaron look down at his hand which Jamal was still holding, before looking at Lucy with sad questioning eyes.
"Harry said he could hold your hands," Lucy explained. She could tell he had a lot of questions, but it was best to start by answering the easier ones.
"Who is the kid? And where is Harry?" Aaron asked once again as he returned his gaze to Jamal, wondering who the kid was and what he was doing there with them.
Lucy refrained from saying, 'Your grandson' but before she could say anything Jamal spoke again.
"My name is Jamal. I've been wiping your tears and holding your hands while you slept," Jamal said, and Aaron looked at Lucy with questioning eyes, but before he could ask any more questions a doctor and two nurses walked in to check his vitals.
Jamal watched with curious interest as they checked him, and once they were done, Lucy walked out with the doctor to hear what he had to say, leaving Jamal alone with Aaron.
"Where is my son?" Aaron asked Jamal since he seemed to know a lot of things.
"He left with Tom," Jamal said thoughtfully, and Aaron sighed.
Was Harry still mad at him?
"But you don't have to worry, Lucy won't leave you. I won't leave too," Jamal promised with a reassuring smile, leaving Aaron no choice but to smile back at him.
"Why are you in a hospital? Where are your parents?" Aaron asked curiously.
"I don't know where my father is. My mother traveled with the lawyer lady to catch some bad people, so I'm living with Tom and Lucy. They are my gardners," Jamal said, while Aaron looked at him thoughtfully.
"Gardners?" Aaron asked, and then his lips twitched when he realized what Jamal meant.
"They are your guardians," he said in amusement, and Jamal bobbed his head.
"Is your heart still aching?" Jamal asked as he looked at him curiously and let go of Aaron's hand to place a hand on Aaron's chest.
'ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NovelB(i)n. ᴄᴏᴍ',
"My heart?" Aaron asked curiously.
Jamal bobbed his head, "When people feel sad their heart aches and it makes them cry," Jamal explained reasonably.
Aaron nodded, "My heart still aches," he confessed, and Jamal's brows pulled together.
"Are you going to get sick again? Do you need me to hold your hands again until you feel all better?" Jamal asked and took Aaron's hand again just as Lucy returned to join them.
"How long have I been here? I had a bad dream," Aaron cut in, and Lucy looked at him curiously.
"What dream?"
"We were in Harry's office. Me, you, and Harry. I think Tom joined us. You said something about my daughter," Aaron's eyes filled up with tears as he spoke, and Lucy's brows pulled together.
"What did I say?"
"You even played a voice recording..."
Oh, dear! Was he thinking all of that was a dream? Lucy mused with a concerned frown.
"It wasn't a dream?" Aaron asked when he noticed the worry on Lucy's face.
"Let's not talk about that until you are well, okay?" Lucy said as she touched his shoulder lightly.
"Does that mean I told Harry the truth?" Aaron asked, and Lucy reluctantly gave him a nod.
"The kid says Harry left with Tom?" Aaron asked Lucy, and she gave him a nod.
"Yes. He went home. I will give him a call..."
"Is that why he is not here? Is he mad at me because I told him the truth?"
"Not at all. You don't have to worry. Harry's not mad at you. All his anger is directed at Sara," she assured him with a forced smile.
"Are you telling me the truth?" Aaron asked, and Lucy gave him a nod.
"He said he needs to clear his head and come up with a way to take care of Sara," Lucy added when Aaron continued to look at her skeptically.
"She is telling you the truth. He said he's upset but he's not mad at you," Jamal supplied, surprising Lucy who hadn't expected Jamal to understand what they had been talking about earlier.
"Did he really say that?" Aaron asked, and Jamal gave him a nod.
"I was there when he said it. That was what he said when Lucy asked him not to leave so you wouldn't think he was mad at you when you wake up," Jamal explained, and Lucy made a mental note to be careful of her words around Jamal. The kid seemed to be more intelligent and observant than she had thought.
"I should let Harry know that you are up now. That will make him feel better," Lucy said as she took out her phone from her handbag and dialed Harry's line.