Chapter 213 The Lost Daughter
Sophia pulled the three children closer to her.
Sam was a bit confused.
He followed Ethan and Emma in his dazed state, mimicking whatever they did.
It was the same at Aunt Kelly's house; he had everything that Ethan and Emma did, except for Mommy.
"Mom and Dad, I'm sorry I haven't visited you in five years..."
Sophia spoke a few words to her parents at their grave. She noticed that the inscription on the tombstone was unclear; it was difficult to discern as if it had been deliberately erased.
Who would find it amusing to erase the words from someone's gravestone?
Sophia couldn't figure it out and guessed it might have been a prank by someone.
She thought to herself that she needed to find someone to re-engrave the words on the stone.
Not wanting to scare the three children, Sophia didn't stay long at the grave.
She updated her parents briefly on her current situation and silently asked for their blessing in securing custody of Sam.
Colin escorted his grandmother back to the hotel and helped her sit down.
The elderly lady had a kind face and warm eyes, and her silver hair was styled into a bun. After she sat down, she closed her eyes and gently fingered the rosary beads in her hands.
After a while, she opened her eyes.
"Go contact someone immediately to refurbish their graves," she instructed.
The inscription on the tombstone was illegible, and the surrounding area was overgrown with weeds.
If not for the photos on it, she wouldn't even have known if she was at the right place.
The old lady's eyes brimmed with sadness, and her eyes slowly became red-rimmed.
So many years had passed, and when she finally found them, they were just a set of graves.
Her tears fell with a plop.
"Grandma, please accept my condolences," Colin offered, handing her a clean handkerchief.
The old lady took it and wiped away her tears.
How could she hold back her grief? That was her daughter who had been lost for decades.
That tumultuous year, she was taking her children back to the city to reunite with her husband. At the crowded train station, she didn’t dare go to the restroom and never took her eyes off her children, yet in the blink of an eye, her two-year-old daughter disappeared.
Back then, the little girl had just learned to walk and was still unsteady, calling out "Mommy" at every turn.
Thinking back, the old lady regretted not leaving the fallen train ticket where it lay, reasoning that missing it meant only returning to the city a few days later.
The old lady cried uncontrollably, and Colin also began to feel a deep sadness.
He knew all about the family issues. His aunt had gone missing at the age of two during a period of turmoil for the Blackwood family.
They had taken a hard hit and could barely establish themselves in the country, leading their great-grandfather to arrange for all descendants of the Blackwood family to be sent abroad before his death.
In those days, once a child was lost, the chances of finding them were almost zero.
Still, as soon as the Blackwood family had settled overseas, they immediately sent people back to look for her.
After so many years, there was finally news, but it was too late.
Exhausted from crying, the old lady fell asleep on the couch, and Colin covered her with a blanket.
He still had to visit the Wilson Family; his aunt had a daughter living with the Wilsons.
After Sophia returned, she prepared lunch for the children.
In the afternoon, while the children napped, she did some research on her laptop.
Once she confirmed that Gabriel was not at the hospital, she took the kids to visit Madam Lancaster.
"Great-grandma, we went to visit Grandpa and Grandma today," Emma excitedly told Madam Lancaster as soon as they entered.
Madam Lancaster felt better today. After waking up, she could eat some liquid food, and her condition was stable.
Although she still couldn't get out of bed and walk around, she was still much better. She could only sit up halfway in bed with her head raised.
"Is it my fault? I haven't gone to see them all these years," Madam Lancaster said with regret.
"You shouldn't blame yourself, Grandma. It's my fault; I am their daughter," Sophia quickly responded.
"Every Memorial Day, Gabriel does go to tend their graves," Madam mentioned casually.
On every Memorial Day, when Gabriel went to "tend to Sophia and the two children’s graves," he also tended to his in-laws' shared grave.
When Sophia heard this, she was stunned for a moment, then scoffed inwardly. He was probably doing it just to keep up appearances.
"How are you feeling today, Grandma?" Sophia skillfully changed the subject.
"Much better."
"Great-grandma, Christmas is coming soon. Shall we have Christmas dinner together?" Emma gently shook Madam's arm. Her mommy once told her that it was important for the family to sit together and have a lively Christmas dinner.
She wanted to have Christmas dinner with Great-grandma. Actually... she wanted Daddy too, but Daddy was a bad daddy, so after careful consideration, Emma decided to exclude the bad guy daddy.
She would celebrate only with Mommy, Ethan, Sam, Great-grandma, and Godmother. Oh right, and Godfather.
As for the bad guy daddy, let him spend time with the mean woman instead.
"Sure, let's have Christmas dinner together." Madam Lancaster hadn't looked forward to Christmas so much since her childhood. The family was small, and every New Year's celebration was just her and Sam. Gabriel was busy on Christmas Eve and often came home late, so their Christmas dinners were always quiet.
Now things were better, with two more children, Christmas dinner could be lively.
But Christmas was only a few days away, and with her current condition, she feared she wouldn't be discharged from the hospital for a while.
An hour later, Gabriel was due to arrive, and Sophia asked Caroline to take the two children home while she continued to accompany Madam Lancaster in the ward.
Gabriel, when visiting the hospital, would first check on Madam Lancaster, and then meet with the attending physician to understand the day's situation before returning to the ward.
After chatting with the physician, Gabriel returned and was visibly in a good mood.
"Grandma, the attending physician says you're recovering very well."
Madam Lancaster asked expectantly, "So when can I be discharged?"
"At least another week of observation is needed."
Madam Lancaster's eyes dimmed.
Gabriel knew that with Christmas approaching, Grandma certainly didn't want to stay in the hospital, but he had consulted the attending physician, who advised that it was best for her not to move and be discharged yet.
"On Christmas Eve, I'll have the house prepare a meal to bring to the hospital. Sam and I will join you for Christmas dinner," he promised.
Madam Lancaster laid down and covered herself with the blanket.
"I'm a bit tired now; you all should go back."
Gabriel opened his lips as if wanting to say more but ultimately left without saying anything further while carrying Sam in his arms.
Sophia followed behind, and soon, her phone began ringing.
Seeing that it was Colin calling, she happily answered.
"Hello, Mr. Colin," her tone brightened up.
Colin chuckled on the other end, "I'm in City B now; are you free tonight?"
"Yes, yes, yes."
"How about we have dinner together?"
"Sure!" Sophia agreed before remembering that she bought a lot of groceries so she could cook a great dinner tonight.
Right! She could invite Colin over to her house; after all, Caroline also knew Colin, and hosting a guest at home would seem even more sincere.
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