Chapter503
The fingers she rested on the sofa tightened involuntarily as she observed the man before her in silence. His concentration and earnestness resembled that of someone handling a precious treasure, cherishing each moment.
Natalie sensed a change in Nathan today—he seemed more open with his emotions than usual. Now she was convinced that the affection she had glimpsed briefly in his gaze was not a figment of her imagination.
"Try to stand."
After finishing the cleaning, Nathan helped Natalie to her feet and encouraged her gently, "Don’t worry. The bone has mended by now."
The sensation of her sole pressing firmly against the ground and bearing weight was entirely new, akin to a rebirth.
For a moment, Natalie nearly forgot Nathan's presence as she tentatively attempted to lift her left foot, balancing solely on her right.
"I did it!"
Natalie's smile grew, her happiness growing with each passing second.
"It’s still early. Why don’t we go outside and familiarize yourself with walking? We can have dinner afterward," Nathan proposed, his voice carrying a warmth that contrasted his usual behavior.
"Okay!"
Having not walked for over a month, the prospect of walking again was both frightening and exhilarating for Natalie.
Maple Villa was a high-end community surrounded by lush greenery, boasting its own small park just outside the gates.
Initially, Natalie felt too anxious to walk without support and relied on Nathan. The vivid memory of the bone fracture's intense pain haunted her, and she could still recall the sensation of her bone shifting under her skin during the fall.
It felt like a psychological barrier hanging over her.
Furthermore, her muscles seemed to have forgotten the necessary coordination for walking after being inactive for an extended period.
"Natalie, don’t be scared. You’re making excellent progress," Nathan reassured her, instilling the confidence she needed to start walking independently.
In their vicinity, a baby, not yet a year old, was making tentative steps with the help of family members, taking bouncy little steps.
Feeling a surge of embarrassment, Natalie said, "Nathan, I would like to try walking on my own. You don’t need to follow me."
Casting a quick look at the baby and the others, Nathan quickly hid his emotions and replied with a smile, "Alright, I’ll stay right here."
Natalie then began to circle a large flowerbed located in the center of the small park. She unintentionally favored her right foot, believing that all she needed was to rebuild muscle strength, when she suddenly overheard a mocking laugh.
"Look, there’s a cripple over there!"
A boy, around six or seven years old, pointed at Natalie as he spoke to his friend.
Natalie, taken aback, froze in her tracks.
His friend, intrigued, watched Natalie and asked, "Huh? Why did she stop?"
"Hey! Why aren’t you walking?" the boy yelled at Natalie, "Take a few more steps! Huh? You have legs, why are you limping?"
Joining in, his friend asked, "Hey, what’s wrong with your right foot?"
Natalie stared at the two boys, feeling as if the entire world had lost its color and sound, leaving only their voices taunting her as a cripple.
They probably did not mean any harm, driven by curiosity and the novelty of the situation.
It took a considerable amount of time before Natalie looked down at her legs blankly.
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