She really shouldn’t have brought up the piano.
Thankfully, Forrest didn’t pursue the subject. If he had, she was afraid she might have lost her composure right then and there.
After taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, she finally lay down and tried to sleep.
But her rest was anything but peaceful that night. In the early hours, her alarm roused her, and she immediately went to wake Julian.
She’d already consulted with a doctor about his sleepwalking. If a child’s episodes tend to happen at the same time every night, it’s best to gently wake them before that hour, keep them up for a bit, and then let them go back to sleep. Over time, this routine could help.
Fighting off her own exhaustion, she played quietly with Julian for a while. Only after three in the morning did they both crawl back into bed.
The next morning, Forrest was nowhere to be seen at breakfast. Since moving in, this was the first time Mila hadn’t found him at the table. Curious, she asked Howard, the house steward.
“Mr. Sinclair had something urgent come up at work,” Howard replied.
Since it was just a work matter, Mila didn’t think much of it. After breakfast, she took Julian to the studio to continue her daily design work and to teach him how to draw.
That afternoon, as Howard brought in tea, he hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Ms. Sutherland, may I ask a favor? It’s about Mr. Sinclair.”
Mila agreed immediately, without a second thought. “Of course. Please, go ahead.”
She owed Forrest so much, yet never knew how to repay his kindness. If there was anything within her power to do, she would gladly help.
After a brief pause, Howard nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Ms. Sutherland. It’s nothing major, really. But you may have noticed—Mr. Sinclair is always buried in work. It’s been this way for years. He rarely takes a moment to unwind. My words don’t seem to have much effect, but you…perhaps you could occasionally coax him away from his work. Even a bit of fresh air would do him good.”
Mila had noticed, of course. In the first few days, she’d often run into Forrest around the house, but now she only ever saw him in the mornings. He worked late into the night, every night.
A true workaholic.
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