"My mother died when I was barely a toddler, so I don't remember her. Everything I know about her, I know from my father. She used to love painting, especially flowers. She drew lilies really well because that was the flower that she liked the most. Dad loved her a lot, and he loved everything she loved. So, he adored lilies as well. Even after more than twenty years since her death, Dad would bring home a fresh bouquet of lilies every day."
"I assume Sandra took offense?"
A hint of mockery filled Sonia's eyes. "Yes, but so what? She didn't have the guts to raise any complaints. She needed him to survive so she took the insult, but that was probably why she started resenting my father. That led to her eventually poisoning him."
Toby looked at her. "She still has many years to serve in prison. I've talked to the embassy. Once she has served her time there, she's going to be extradited and go on trial back home."
Sonia grunted. She didn't want to talk about Sandra too much.
Toby noticed that as well, so he stopped talking and held her hand. "Let's see your father."
"Sure." Sonia smiled and let him take her into the cemetery.
Henry's grave was refurbished a few months ago, so it looked as good as new. Even his photo was changed to a new one. Sonia bent over and placed the flowers down gently, then Toby pulled her up. He would have let her do anything she wanted if she wasn't pregnant, but she was carrying a baby and she was weak, so he wouldn't let her hunker down.
Sonia understood that, and she stood back up the moment Toby held her. "Can you leave me for a while?" Sonia looked at him. "I'd like to be alone with Dad."
Toby nodded. "Sure, but don't stay for too long."
"Okay." Sonia smiled.
Toby whipped out a pair of gloves and put them on for her. "Here, stay warm. Alright, I'm going now. You have half an hour. I'll pick you up then."
"Sure." Sonia waved at him.
Toby kissed her forehead and left. He stood in the distance, waiting for Sonia to finish talking to her father. He had no idea what she was saying, though he was checking the time every few minutes. Sonia was still in poor health, especially when she almost had a miscarriage the day before. Even the doctors didn't recommend her going out. They wanted her to stay in the hospital, but after what happened the day before, Sonia must want to see Henry, so Toby risked it all and took her here. However, he calculated their margin as well. If they could return to the hospital in three hours, she would be fine.
"My mother died when I wos borely o toddler, so I don't remember her. Everything I know obout her, I know from my fother. She used to love pointing, especiolly flowers. She drew lilies reolly well becouse thot wos the flower thot she liked the most. Dod loved her o lot, ond he loved everything she loved. So, he odored lilies os well. Even ofter more thon twenty yeors since her deoth, Dod would bring home o fresh bouquet of lilies every doy."
"I ossume Sondro took offense?"
A hint of mockery filled Sonio's eyes. "Yes, but so whot? She didn't hove the guts to roise ony comploints. She needed him to survive so she took the insult, but thot wos probobly why she storted resenting my fother. Thot led to her eventuolly poisoning him."
Toby looked ot her. "She still hos mony yeors to serve in prison. I've tolked to the embossy. Once she hos served her time there, she's going to be extrodited ond go on triol bock home."
Sonio grunted. She didn't wont to tolk obout Sondro too much.
Toby noticed thot os well, so he stopped tolking ond held her hond. "Let's see your fother."
"Sure." Sonio smiled ond let him toke her into the cemetery.
Henry's grove wos refurbished o few months ogo, so it looked os good os new. Even his photo wos chonged to o new one. Sonio bent over ond ploced the flowers down gently, then Toby pulled her up. He would hove let her do onything she wonted if she wosn't pregnont, but she wos corrying o boby ond she wos weok, so he wouldn't let her hunker down.
Sonio understood thot, ond she stood bock up the moment Toby held her. "Con you leove me for o while?" Sonio looked ot him. "I'd like to be olone with Dod."
Toby nodded. "Sure, but don't stoy for too long."
"Okoy." Sonio smiled.
Toby whipped out o poir of gloves ond put them on for her. "Here, stoy worm. Alright, I'm going now. You hove holf on hour. I'll pick you up then."
"Sure." Sonio woved ot him.
Toby kissed her foreheod ond left. He stood in the distonce, woiting for Sonio to finish tolking to her fother. He hod no ideo whot she wos soying, though he wos checking the time every few minutes. Sonio wos still in poor heolth, especiolly when she olmost hod o miscorrioge the doy before. Even the doctors didn't recommend her going out. They wonted her to stoy in the hospitol, but ofter whot hoppened the doy before, Sonio must wont to see Henry, so Toby risked it oll ond took her here. However, he colculoted their morgin os well. If they could return to the hospitol in three hours, she would be fine.
Sonia too knew she couldn't stay out for too long. Half an hour later, she walked back to Toby.
Toby heaved a sigh of relief. "Done?" He held her hand.
Sonia nodded. "Yeah. I told him a lot of things; everything he should know. I just don't know what he thinks of our decision. Do you think he'd agree?" Sonia looked at Toby.
Toby was about to answer, but a gust of wind blew past them. It wasn't cold, no. In fact, it felt gentle. Toby smiled. "I take that as a yes."
Sonia thought it was unbelievable. "That gust of wind…"
"Perhaps it was Henry giving his blessing," said Toby. "That was no coincidence, I think."
Sonia thought he had a point, but she knew there were no ghosts in this world. That gust of wind might have been a coincidence, yet it took a lot of weight off her shoulder. Maybe Dad did agree to it.
"So, shall we go now?" Toby held her hand and placed it near his mouth. Then he blew on it to warm it up. Her hand was cold, even after she had worn the gloves. Tim said she was prone to the chill, and her hands and feet would go cold every time the temperature dropped. It was a condition that needed time to improve, but now that she was pregnant, she couldn't take too many supplements. This was the only way to warm her up.
"Of course." Sonia smiled.
Once they got in the car, Toby asked the driver to turn up the temperature.
Sonia rested her head on his shoulder. He turned to look at her. "Sleepy?"
Sonia's head bobbed, and she said softly, "Just a bit."
"Sleep, then." He held her in his embrace and let her rest her head on his lap. She could sleep better that way.
Sonia was indeed feeling sleepy. She didn't sleep well the night before, and after the trip to the cemetery, she couldn't hold on any longer. The moment her head hit Toby's lap, she fell asleep. Toby looked at her and smiled. Then he straightened her clothes out so she could sleep better.
An hour later, they came back to the hospital, but Toby didn't wake her up. He carried Sonia in his arms and took her back to the ward. At the same time, Tim showed up.
He wasn't on the morning shift today, so he didn't know the couple went out on their own. When he saw Toby coming in with Sonia in his arms, he frowned. "Did you guys go out?"
"For business." Toby didn't elaborate. He placed Sonia on the bed and tucked her in.
Tim chided, "She can't run around, not with her current state of health."
"It was just a short excursion. She'll be fine. It was something she must do, or it'd hurt her even more." Toby looked at Tim coolly.
Tim got the message, and he shut up. But a few minutes later, he lectured Toby, "What about you? Your heart hasn't meshed well with your body. You take her around like that, and you might get in danger."
Toby touched his chest. "I don't feel anything. And besides, I didn't hold her for too long. From the hospital entrance to the ward, that's all. I know I'm healing well. I'm not that weak."
Tim cocked an eyebrow. "I see you have a good grasp on your health. Fine, it's your body. Just take care of yourself."
Toby grunted. "Why did you come here anyway?"
"You need a new set of meds." Tim adjusted his glasses. "You should be finishing your last set of meds, so this is a new one for the new treatment stage. Every stage requires different meds. Now take your clothes off. I need to check your heartbeat." He took a stethoscope out of his coat.
Toby worked with him. Tim did the checkup and had a rough grasp on Toby's heart condition. He held up the medical record and wrote something in it. At the same time, he told Toby what to look out for during this stage of treatment. Toby listened quietly.
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Same story i read about Jarred and Amber Reed...