Chapter 22 Accepted by the Dream Hospital

Seraphina's Perspective:

When I got back to the hotel, I found Saki chilling on the couch, watching TV with a half-eaten cup of ice cream in her hand.

I knew Saki wouldn't have gone out to get it herself. So, I turned my gaze to Lucas, who was sitting nearby, head down, sneaking glances at me. When he saw me looking, he jumped and quickly looked away.

"Lucas, did you sneak out again while I wasn't here?" I sat down in front of him.

Lucas didn't say anything, just buried his head even lower.

"Lucas didn't sneak out. I can vouch for him!" Saki, not understanding the situation, thought I was about to scold Lucas and tried to cover for him.

I asked, "Then where did you get that ice cream?"

Saki opened her mouth but didn't know how to answer.

"Lucas, do you know who was waiting at the agreed place?" I asked again.

I couldn't figure out what was going on.  We were supposed to meet Lucas's friend, but instead, that guy was waiting there.

As a result, I almost... Thinking about the scene made my cheeks flush.

"Lucas!" Seeing him still with his head down, I got a bit anxious and raised my voice, "Are you playing a trick on Mom?"

That question made things worse. Lucas started trembling, his big eyes filled with fear, looking like he was about to cry.

His intense reaction startled me. Lately, Lucas had been acting strangely, so different from before. If he weren't my son, I'd suspect he had been swapped with someone else.

"Saki, can you go wash up first? I need to talk to Lucas." I looked at Saki gently.

Saki hesitated, looking worried. I knew she was afraid I'd scold Lucas, so I patted her head.

"Don't worry, I won't scold Lucas. I need to talk to him, okay?"

"Okay." Saki nodded obediently, jumped off the couch, and went to the bathroom.

"Alright." I gently took Lucas's small hand and softened my tone, "I'm sorry, Mom got a bit anxious. Did I scare you? I know you're a good kid who doesn't lie."

"Tell me, was the man waiting for me your friend's dad? Did your friend not communicate well with his dad, causing the misunderstanding?"

"Yes!" Lucas nodded quickly, looking at me pitifully. "Mom, I really wasn't playing a trick on you. I'm sorry, please forgive me." As he spoke, tears started falling.

Seeing him like this broke my heart, and I felt I had been too harsh. Lucas was my son; how could he possibly be in on a prank against me?

"Alright, I believe you weren't playing a trick." I hugged him tightly, stroking his fluffy head. "It's my fault for getting angry without understanding the situation. I'm sorry, baby. Don't cry."

Lucas clung to me, sobbing softly in my arms, clearly very scared.

After comforting Lucas, I took him to wash up and then sent him back to his room. I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, thinking about how scared Lucas had been, and felt even more puzzled.

Lucas used to be the most mischievous, never afraid of my anger because he knew how to charm his way out of trouble. Why was he so scared this time? He couldn't even look me in the eye while washing up.

"Have I become scarier lately?" I wondered, touching my face. "Is that why Lucas is so afraid of me?"

"No, you are not scary at all." Saki appeared out of nowhere, hugging me with a grin. "Mom is the kindest, prettiest, and most amazing mom in the world. You take such good care of Lucas and me. To us, you're the best mom ever."

"Saki, you are so sweet." I picked her up and kissed her cheek, feeling warmth in my heart from her words.

"How about we sleep with Lucas tonight, and I'll tell you both a bedtime story?" I carried Saki toward Lucas's room.

"Hope Lucas doesn't use the 'I'm a big boy and don't sleep with girls' excuse to kick us out again." Saki giggled. "He calls himself a big boy but cries in secret."

"The crying big boy, here we come!" I said loudly enough for Lucas to hear, then rushed into his room with Saki.

This time, he didn't kick us out but lay quietly with Saki, listening to my bedtime story.

The Next Day.

Seraphina's Perspective:

I kissed the foreheads of the still-sleeping Lucas and Saki, then tiptoed out of the room to prepare a hearty breakfast for them.

During this time, I received a phone call that left me both surprised and delighted.

The top hospital where I had interviewed called to say they had an opening and wanted me to come in for a trial!