Chapter 55 Cuteness Won't Work
After returning from the grocery store, Jessica insisted on having the older doctor from the clinic downstairs come up to check on Gabriel. He assured her he was fine, but Jessica persisted. Eventually, the older man confirmed there wasn't anything seriously wrong, which finally improved Jessica's mood.
Before the older doctor left, he handed Jessica a small box of ointment, instructing her to apply it to Gabriel's chest wound to prevent it from bruising for several days.
Danielle carefully escorted the old doctor down the stairs and then cheerfully bounced back home. As she neared the bedroom door, she saw Mommy applying ointment to Gabriel.
Jessica had just loosened Spencer's shirt a bit more. She remembered the scene in the supermarket earlier and felt a bit embarrassed now, but he couldn't apply the ointment himself. She figured she'd tend to his wounds and then leave him be.
But there was Danielle, standing at the bedroom door like a little sneak, peering in and giggling at them.
"Danielle, it's not polite to stare. Go back to your room," Jessica said seriously as she focused on applying ointment to the man's chest.
Danielle didn't move. Instead, she made a logical argument, "If Mommy can pull at Spencer's shirt to put on the ointment, why can't I watch? You're not going to marry Spencer, after all. But I'm going to marry him someday!"
Jessica had deliberately avoided Gabriel's gaze, trying to ignore this inexplicably awkward situation. After all, he had been cared for in her home for many days, so there was nothing to feel embarrassed about.
However, Danielle's words suddenly intensified the embarrassing atmosphere in the room.
Jessica abruptly looked up. Because she was bent over to apply the ointment, her eyes were level with Gabriel's, who sat on the edge of the bed. They were much closer than usual.
Gabriel didn't move as if he had no intention of resisting her seemingly fierce action of pressing him into the bed.
The man's gaze was dark and deep like the night, yet it emitted a flicker that made Jessica's heart tremble mysteriously. Her hand, which was on the medicine box, trembled, and she suddenly released his collar, which she had been holding open. Then she stepped back and glared at Danielle: "I've warned you more than once today. Do you want me to take away your chocolate for next month?"
Danielle pouted, her big eyes looking pitifully at Gabriel.
Just as Gabriel was about to speak, Jessica threw the medicine box into his lap, almost hitting his wound again. He quickly caught it.
Jessica turned and walked towards the bedroom door. "Acting cute won't help. Spencer isn't going to stay with us forever; he'll leave eventually. He can't protect you forever, Danielle. You've been too much lately, always taking Mommy's words lightly. Do you really need me to get angry for you to listen?"
Danielle stood by the door, motionless. Hearing Jessica's words, her pouted mouth gradually deflated, her eyes reddened, and she sniffled before suddenly turning and running away, heading straight back to the children's room.
Gabriel nonchalantly opened the tube of ointment and began applying it to his scrapes. He heard Danielle's sobs as she ran back to her bedroom and let out a soft sigh, "What's the point in getting angry with the kid?"
Jessica didn't feel like explaining.
Danielle had been growing increasingly attached to Gabriel. The concept of "Daddy" had been a vague one for her previously, and she had never expressed a desire for a father, but lately, she had been talking about it often.
The more intelligent children are, the better they hide their feelings, and they're quite sensitive too. Danielle's longing for a father figure and her dependency on Gabriel were not hard to see.
He knew that he would eventually leave, perhaps tomorrow, next week, or next month. The more Danielle clung to him now, the more lost and longing she would feel when he departed.
If they didn't remove those innocent little notions from Danielle now, it would be even harder to console her in the future.
