Chapter 532 Embarrassment
Aurelia reached for a fresh towel, her movements growing deliberate and gentle as she approached his wounds, afraid of causing him any discomfort.
"Has Zack been helping you with this the past few days?" she asked softly.
Nathaniel felt himself melting under her tender care—it had been far too long since he'd experienced such comfort. Leaning back against the chair by the bathtub, drowsiness began to creep over him like a warm blanket.
Her seemingly random question made him assume she was spiraling into another bout of jealousy, and he couldn't help but smirk slightly. "What did you expect? I could hardly ask a nurse, could I? Zack's a man, for heaven's sake."
Aurelia's hand stilled against his neck—an area free of injuries where her touch became decidedly less gentle, her grip tightening with obvious irritation. "What on earth are you talking about? You think I'd be jealous of Zack?"
She paused, then continued with exasperation, "I was worried about how you've been managing. Zack may be reliable, but he's still a man—how could he possibly take proper care of you?"
Nathaniel wisely kept his mouth shut as Aurelia launched into her familiar complaints. "And you had the nerve to hide this from me! I'm the only one in this world who knows how to take care of you properly."
As she finished with his upper body and moved to his legs, she remained oblivious to the mischievous smile playing at the corners of his mouth. When the towel reached his knees, she tossed it onto his lap.
"The rest is up to you."
Nathaniel sat there in nothing but his boxers. They'd seen each other naked countless times—they were practically an old married couple—so embarrassment wasn't usually an issue. But as he stared at the towel now draped across his thighs, he put on his most pitiful expression.
"Aurelia, I'm feeling rather tired. Maybe we could skip the rest and just go to sleep?"
Her resolve crumbled instantly. She retrieved the towel and continued her ministrations all the way up to his thighs. After rinsing and hanging up the towel, she fetched a small basin of warm water.
"Take off your underwear and clean yourself down there."
Now Nathaniel felt genuinely embarrassed.
The thought of washing his backside and private parts with a basin felt like something from a period drama—the sort of thing women did in bygone eras. His face flushed crimson as he stared at the small basin, making no move to take it.
Seeing his hesitation, Aurelia clarified, "It's a brand new basin. I sterilized it, so you don't need to worry."
Nathaniel's scalp prickled with mortification as he imagined the logistics of the situation. "Maybe I could just stand and wash instead?"
Aurelia set the basin aside with obvious frustration. "Do you want to ruin your knee completely? If water drips down onto your injury, what then? I don't want a disabled husband, and Dorothy and Jacob don't want a disabled father. You need to heal properly, and quickly."
Nathaniel's ears burned red, but he remained silent.
It finally dawned on Aurelia that he was genuinely embarrassed. "If you don't want to do it yourself, should I help you instead?"
Nathaniel nearly jumped out of his skin. "No, no! That's not necessary!"
Sweat was already beading on his forehead. "Aurelia, could you step out? I'll manage on my own."
Aurelia had known he'd be too shy to accept her help—that's exactly why she'd made the offer, knowing it would spur him into action.
She gave him a knowing look. Right now, Nathaniel reminded her of a delicate flower, beautiful but utterly helpless.
A smile tugged at her lips. "I'll go make the bed then. Call me when you're finished."
"Yes, please do!" he said hastily.
Only after she left did he finally exhale in relief.
The next morning, the doorbell at Bloom Villa chimed insistently.
Aurelia had already helped Dorothy and Jacob with their morning routine and gotten Nathaniel cleaned up and dressed before assisting him downstairs.
The living room buzzed with an energy it hadn't seen in years.
Beatrice had arrived early with Ashley in tow, along with the family nutritionist and an impressive array of healing foods and toys for the children. The two women had been sitting quietly, speaking in hushed tones to avoid disturbing anyone upstairs, until they spotted Aurelia helping Nathaniel navigate the staircase.
Beatrice nudged Ashley. "Go help Aurelia—she can't manage him alone."
Ashley quickly bounded up the stairs, taking Nathaniel's other arm. "You know, this house really isn't practical without an elevator. If you don't mind the suggestion, you could use that property grandfather left me—it has a lovely garden and a proper elevator. Much more convenient."
Nathaniel looked at his sister with genuine surprise. After all these years, she seemed unusually thoughtful today.
"That's kind of you, but we'll be heading back to Coral Bay in a couple of days," Aurelia replied. "I can't bear the thought of leaving him here alone."
Ashley nodded quietly, lowering her gaze.
From the living room, Beatrice had caught their conversation and seized the opportunity. "Why don't the four of you stay at Heilbronn Villa for these few days? I'll be there to take care of everything—whatever you want to eat, whatever the children want to do. It's been so long since you've all been home."
Her eyes moved hopefully between Aurelia and the children trailing behind.
Beatrice had made her peace with Nathaniel's choices. He was going to marry whom he loved regardless, and at least this way the family would be whole, and Dorothy and Jacob would be happy. She knew she owed Aurelia a tremendous debt, and while her past actions might be unforgivable, she desperately wanted to try to mend what she could.
Even if they could never return to how things were, surely they didn't have to remain this distant.
Aurelia kept her head down, saying nothing as she helped Nathaniel into a chair in the breakfast nook where Betty had prepared their meal. She retreated to the kitchen under the pretense of helping serve breakfast, but really to avoid any unnecessary interaction with Beatrice. Whatever needed to be discussed could happen between Beatrice and Nathaniel—she was just an outsider now.
Nathaniel watched Aurelia's retreating figure, then turned to meet his mother's gaze. "Mom, we won't be coming over. She wouldn't be comfortable at Heilbronn Villa."
Beatrice nodded with understanding. What young woman wanted to live with her in-laws, especially after the conflicts they'd endured?
She looked between Nathaniel and the children, her heart heavy with longing. "Would my visiting here be too much of an intrusion?"
Nathaniel remained silent as Aurelia returned with bowls of oatmeal, serving everyone with perfect politeness while maintaining her silence.
Staring at the bowl before her, Beatrice felt a profound sadness settle in her chest. After a long moment, she ventured, "Aurelia, would it be possible for me to take Jacob and Dorothy out for the day?"
Aurelia's spoon paused mid-air. "Ask them directly. If they want to go, I won't stop them."
From her conversations with the children yesterday, Aurelia could tell that Beatrice was genuinely remorseful about her past behavior. She was clearly trying to build a relationship with Dorothy and Jacob while making amends for her previous mistakes.
Aurelia understood that Beatrice's attempts at reconciliation were likely prompted by something Nathaniel had said, or perhaps from a desire to ensure the children still acknowledged her as their grandmother. Regardless of the motivation, as long as Beatrice caused no more trouble, Aurelia was willing to coexist peacefully.
Her upbringing wouldn't allow her to be the one to start conflicts.
And Beatrice, now knowing that Dorothy and Jacob were truly her grandchildren, would never do anything to harm them.
This response was as close to agreement as Aurelia was prepared to give.
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