After making the call, Max headed back to the ward. He saw from outside the window that his mother was sitting by the hospital bed, tucking her father in.
Her face clearly registered concern and anguish. She did not look like her usually fierce self at all.
Max didn't go in immediately but stood by the window for a while. His lips quietly curved into a tiny smile.
"This is the way with Mom."
"She's sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. She complains about Dad a lot. She talks about how she distastes him and how annoying he is."
"But when something happens to him, Mom will be the one who worries most."
"Maybe this is what true love is."
As he contemplated, he couldn't help but think of Kristina.
Others might not have noticed anything.
But just now, he observed that the look in Kristina's eyes was quite special when she saw his father.
Associating this with that photo of Kristina hidden in his father's book, Max guessed his father also feared that his mother would find out about this woman.
"What's going on between them? Why does it seem that Mom utterly dislikes Kristina?
"And what feelings does Kristina have for Dad?"
Max felt he could try to ask his mother about this.
Therefore, he pushed the door open and walked. Smiling, he said, "Mom, I've talked to Kevin. He'll come here after work."
Christine nodded.
She had two sons. But her two sons had opposite dispositions and ways of doing things.
Kevin was mature and steady, while Max was free and erratic. Thus, she knew she had nothing to worry about now that Kevin was handling the business.
With that thought in mind, Christine looked up at Max.
"You're no help here. Go back to your business. I'll call you when your father is up."
But Max didn't leave. Instead, he fetched a stool and sat down beside his mother.
"Mom, you're being a bit cold. You didn't want me to go when Dad was in surgery. Now Dad is fine and your backbone is back, you can't wait to get me out of your hair. But I won't budge."
Christine had learned how glib-tongued Max was since he was a child.
Now Chad was out of danger, she was also in the mood for jokes.
She turned around to look at him with a faint smile, then teased, "Well, why are you never so clingy to me when your wife is around? Who did you learn this two-faced strategy from?"
Max instantly stiffened.
But the next moment, he spotted the flaw in her words.
With eyes gleaming, he asked in surprise, "Mom, you finally admitted that Laura is my wife, didn't you?"
Christine's face turned stern.
She made that remark without giving it too much thinking.
She didn't mean to acknowledge Laura as her son-in-law.
After all, she hadn't completely gotten over her bias against people in the entertainment circle that she formed because of Kristina. Plus, she really couldn't bear Laura's unbending character.
For these reasons, she still hoped Max and Laura would end the marriage if they could.
Max was very erratic. She felt that he needed a sweeter and more sensible woman to be with him.
Only that kind of woman could take care of him and keep him company for a lifetime.
But seeing Max's bright, expectant eyes, somehow, Christine could not bring herself to disappoint him, so the word "no" got stuck in her throat.
At last, he snorted heavily and threw Max a hard look.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: My Wife Is So Sweet (Natalia Dawson)