Chapter 955 The Greater the Expectation, the Greater the Disappointment
Theodore woke up to find himself alone in the bedroom. He lifted his hand and stared at his empty palm, feeling a similar emptiness in his heart.
Suddenly, the bedroom door creaked open. He quickly propped himself up to see three kids peeking in.
"Is Theodore awake?" Hubert whispered.
"Let's go check," Boris suggested.
"But Mom said Theodore's sick, and we shouldn't bother him," Noomi said, sounding like an adult, though her head was stretched out further than anyone else's.
Theodore waved them in. "Come on in, guys."
Hubert, Boris, and Noomi beamed with joy.
They pushed the door open and rushed inside, crowding around the bed to look at Theodore's pale face and the IV needle in his hand.
Noomi's eyes filled with concern. "Theodore, does it hurt?"
Theodore shook his head. "Nah, it doesn't hurt."
Noomi's lip quivered, and tears started to fall. "Theodore, don't be sick. It makes me so sad."
Theodore reached out to pat her head and wiped away her tears. "Don't be sad. I'll be better soon."
He thought that Hubert, Boris, and Noomi must feel so close to him because of their blood connection.
Just thinking about them being his kids made him feel like he could run a marathon in the cold with a sandbag on his back.
Hubert patted Noomi gently. "We're men. Men aren't that fragile."
"Yeah, we're men!" Boris puffed out his chest and flexed his muscles. "Look how strong we are."
Theodore couldn't help but laugh.
Noomi pushed Boris away disdainfully and leaned closer to Theodore's hand, blowing on it gently. "Theodore, I'll blow on it. It won't hurt anymore."
Theodore felt a warmth in his heart. After a while, the IV bag was empty.
Boris ran downstairs to call the family doctor to remove the needle.
Soon, the family doctor arrived.
He removed the needle from Theodore's hand and checked his temperature with an ear thermometer. Smiling, he said, "Mr. Reynolds, good news, your fever's broken. Make sure to stay warm, smoke less, drink more water, and get plenty of rest over the next few days."
"Thanks," Theodore replied hoarsely.
The family doctor prescribed some vitamin C and then left.
As soon as the doctor left, Hubert, Boris, and Noomi regained their energy.
Theodore, not seeing Phoebe, couldn't help but ask, "Where's your mom?"
"Mom went to work to make money and support the family. Theodore, you need to listen to the doctor and not worry, Mom," Hubert said.
These were the words Phoebe had told them when they were sick, and Hubert mimicked her tone and expression perfectly.
Theodore felt a pang of sadness.
In the past, when he was sick, Phoebe would stay by his side until his fever broke. Now, she was much busier than before.
Superstar Entertainment was in a growth phase, and many decisions required Phoebe's input. The company's future direction depended on her.
All he could do now was wait for her to come back.
Boris noticed his downcast expression and tried to comfort him like he did with Noomi. "Theodore, Mom is very busy and can't be with you. You need to be good. Mom will bring you a lollipop when she comes back."
Theodore couldn't help but laugh at being comforted by a child.
Maybe being sick made people more vulnerable and sentimental.
Thankfully, with Hubert, Boris, and Noomi around, he couldn't let them see him as weak.
He mustered up some energy. "I'm a bit hungry."
Hubert quickly ran to the door. "I'll get you some food. Theodore, wait for me."
Seeing Hubert run out, Boris and Noomi, who had missed their chance to help, exchanged glances.
Noomi climbed onto the bed. "Theodore, I'll tell you a story. Listening to a story will make you less hungry."
Boris waved his short arms and legs. "Then I'll show you some moves. Watching me will make you less hungry."
Theodore hadn't enjoyed such treatment in a long time, and his eyes welled up.
Watching them, he suddenly remembered something important he had forgotten.
He quickly picked up his phone and checked the time.
It was already past four in the afternoon, and it was getting dark outside. The test results should have been out by now.
Why hadn't Lawton called him?
Theodore felt a surge of anxiety. He wanted to call Lawton immediately to ask about the test results.
But seeing Noomi earnestly telling a story and Boris performing energetically, he couldn't bear to disappoint them. He put his phone back down.
Hubert soon returned, followed by Elijah carrying a tray and Evelyn.
Evelyn saw Noomi sitting on the bed and quickly went over to get her down. "Noomi, don't crowd Theodore. Come down."
Noomi pouted. "I'm not crowding Theodore. I'm telling him a story."
"Alright," Evelyn said, looking at Theodore. "The doctor said your fever broke. I made some light porridge for you. Try it."
"Mom, thank you," Theodore said.
"No need to be polite. Eat it while it's hot. I'll take Hubert, Boris, and Noomi out so you can rest after you eat," Evelyn said, handing him the porridge.
Theodore took it and had a spoonful.
Looking up, he saw everyone watching him expectantly. He smiled. "It's very good, but I can't taste much."
Elijah laughed. "There are some pickled vegetables here. They go great with porridge."
Hubert, Boris, and Noomi shuddered at the sight of the pickled vegetables on the tray, as if they were looking at the world's scariest dish.
Theodore put down the spoon and picked up a piece of pickled vegetables with a fork.
The taste on his tongue was indeed appetizing, and he quickly finished half a bowl of porridge.
Evelyn smiled. "You're just like Hubert, Boris, and Noomi. They don't eat pickled vegetables either."
What she said was unintentional, but Theodore took it to heart.
He looked at Hubert, Boris, and Noomi, feeling more and more that they were his spitting image. How had he not noticed before?
"We have similar tastes."
Elijah added, "They are your kids. Hubert, Boris, and Noomi not only have the same tastes as you, but they're also looking more and more like you."
Evelyn thought Elijah's words were a bit much. She looked at Hubert, Boris, and Noomi, then at Theodore, and back at the kids again.
Maybe it was just her imagination, but she did feel that Hubert, Boris, and Noomi were looking more like Theodore.
"People say that kids start to look like the person who raises them. It seems true. Hubert, Boris, and Noomi do look more like Theodore," Evelyn said cautiously.
Theodore was overjoyed, happier than when he landed his first billion-dollar deal.
Evelyn's words felt like official recognition.
He quickly finished the porridge and smiled. "Yes, they are my kids."
Evelyn felt relieved hearing Theodore say that. She was glad he didn't mind Elijah's words, though she didn't take them too seriously herself.
Right now, Theodore and Phoebe were deeply in love, so he would treat Hubert, Boris, and Noomi as his own.
But if he ever grew tired of them, who knew if he would still acknowledge them?
She decided to keep her expectations low to avoid future disappointment.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
