Chapter 218 I Really Miss You
Margaret's heart skipped a beat. Could it be? Had Marlon really woken up? Marlon, who had been out cold for so long, was actually awake!
At first, Margaret couldn't believe it. She thought Nancy was messing with her.
"Margaret, are you even listening? Your dad's awake!" Nancy's voice was practically shouting.
Margaret gripped the phone, still in shock. "When did Dad wake up?"
"Just now," Nancy said, her voice full of excitement.
Hearing this, Margaret felt a lump in her throat, and tears started to form. She hung up the phone and rushed to her closet to change.
When Marlon had his car accident and fell into a coma, Margaret hadn't cried. But now, with him awake, she realized just how tough things had been.
Margaret had gone through so much pain and hardship, and finally, Marlon was awake!
It felt like a miracle, like God had given her a break, letting Marlon see her one more time. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Mary, worried about Margaret being alone, insisted on going with her.
Margaret didn't care about the details. Mary drove her to the hospital and then called Raymond.
"Mr. Howard, Mr. Hughes is awake. Mrs. Howard is on her way to see him," Mary said into the phone.
Raymond had just heard the news from Alvin. He had planned to finish his work and tell Margaret himself, but she found out before he could.
Raymond's voice was cold. "Alright."
Mary then asked, "Mr. Howard, are you coming to see Mr. Hughes? Should we wait for you?"
Raymond hesitated. Even though he had ordered Hubert to wake Marlon up, Marlon was still the man who had killed his parents. Visiting him felt like a betrayal.
After a moment, Raymond said, "No need to wait for me. Once you're done, take Margaret back to the apartment."
Raymond had no intention of seeing Marlon.
Mary hung up and waited outside the ward.
Margaret walked into the room and saw Marlon, lying in bed with tubes everywhere, wearing a hospital gown. Nancy was sitting beside him.
When Marlon saw Margaret, his dry wrist trembled as he reached out, his lips moving. He was trying to speak.
Margaret rushed over and held his hand.
Marlon's hand used to be strong and firm.
Now, it was weak and soft, with no warmth.
"Dad," Margaret whispered.
She noticed Marlon's hair had turned gray. Before she got married, he didn't have a single gray hair. He must have worried so much about her.
After his fall, Marlon had developed dementia. He could still talk back then, though not clearly. Now, he couldn't speak at all.
"Dad, why can't you talk?" Margaret asked, her heart breaking.
Nancy covered her mouth, crying. "Dr. Diaz said your dad's head hit the ground first in the car accident. It's a miracle he woke up. Now he has a speech impediment and can't talk. He'll probably be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life and never stand up again."
Nancy's words hinted that even though Marlon had woken up, he was paralyzed and completely helpless.
"But it's good that he woke up," Nancy said. "I don't ask for anything else now, just that our family stays together, healthy and safe."
Margaret felt a wave of guilt wash over her. This was all her fault! If she hadn't been so stubborn about being with Raymond, if she had listened to Nancy and married a wealthy man, Marlon wouldn't be in this state, and the Hughes family wouldn't be in such chaos!
With a thud, Margaret dropped to her knees in front of Marlon, her knees hitting the cold, hard floor.
"Dad, I'm so sorry! It's all my fault! I'm sorry, Dad, I made you suffer so much!" Margaret cried out.
Marlon made muffled sounds.
Margaret grabbed his hand and pressed it against her cheek, saying, "You can hit me, you can scold me. I won't blame you."
But Marlon clenched his fist tightly.
Margaret cried harder.
Marlon watched her, making anxious, muffled sounds.
Nancy understood what Marlon was feeling. She quickly got up, crying, and pulled Margaret up from the floor. "Your dad loves you the most. How could he bear to hit or scold you? Get up, don't make him worry. Living well is the best way to repay us."
Margaret sobbed, tears streaming down her face. She wasn't living well at all. She was in the late stages of cancer, with a life-threatening baby in her belly, and could die at any moment. The mute child had died without a final goodbye, Ashley had died tragically, and she couldn't help. She was a failure!
Before Marlon woke up, Margaret didn't dare show her emotions in front of Nancy. But now, she had an excuse to let her emotions out.
Margaret cried, and Nancy cried with her. "Your dad waking up is a good thing; we should be happy. New Year's is coming up. Our family can spend it together again. Isn't that great?"
Tears streamed down Margaret's face. New Year's was just days away. Could she hold on until then? No one knew, not even her.
But she would try her best because she wanted to spend one last New Year's with her parents!
"Margaret, stay and talk to your dad. I'll go get some food," Nancy said.
Margaret wanted to go, but Nancy insisted she stay with Marlon, so she had to agree.
As soon as Nancy left, Marlon waved, his crooked lips making muffled sounds, excitedly calling out.
Margaret walked over and said, "Dad, what do you need?"
Marlon slowly reached out, his hand covering her gaunt cheek. He moved it.
Carefully, meticulously, bit by bit, he wiped away the tear stains on Margaret's face.
Marlon opened his crooked lips but couldn't form words. From his mouth movements, Margaret understood what he was saying.
"Dad, are you trying to say you missed me?" Margaret asked.
His eyes sparkled with joy, and he nodded excitedly.
The sourness in her eyes was unbearable.
Margaret couldn't hold back anymore. Tears instantly fell, and her throat choked. "Dad, I missed you so much too."
Margaret thought to herself, 'To wait for you to wake up, Mom and I exhausted all our energy. Thank goodness you finally woke up.'
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