Chapter 804 Regardless
Hearing this, Saskia finally let out a long sigh of relief.
She'd been holding it together to arrange Azalea's funeral. When someone passed away, all the familiar things faded, even the painful memories. What stuck around were the cherished moments.
But the more you clung to those memories, the deeper the ache got.
Nathaniel supported Saskia and said, "If you need to cry, just let it out. Everyone knows how much you're hurting with Azalea gone."
Saskia shook her head.
She'd cried enough. Now it was time to pull herself together, finish the funeral properly, and let Azalea rest in peace.
The funeral dragged on, but not many people showed up.
Azalea didn't know many folks when she was alive.
"Where's George? Why isn't he here?" Saskia suddenly realized halfway through.
George wasn't there.
Azalea had always thought about him. How could he not come to her funeral?
Saskia got anxious. "Nathaniel, can you contact him? If he comes now, he can still make it."
Nathaniel replied, "Saskia, don't worry."
Saskia shouted, "How can I not worry!"
Nathaniel was surprised by Saskia's outburst but could only respond bitterly, "He probably won't come."
Saskia's mental state seemed to be deteriorating.
She was stunned, staring blankly at the people busy with the burial, not knowing whether to be angry or sad for Azalea.
Even now, her beloved George didn't want to come and see her one last time.
Saskia felt a surge of anger. "No, I have to find him."
Nathaniel held her back and said, "It won't help. We don't know what happened between them or what their relationship was."
He added, "Maybe it wasn't what we thought it was."
Saskia was taken aback, and then her expression quickly faded, losing all strength.
"You're right," she murmured.
She walked back to the gravesite, silent.
Her lonely figure was heartbreaking to watch.
Nathaniel couldn't bear to see it and walked up to take her hand. "At least she reached out to you last. That shows you held a place in her heart. She would be glad that you're the one honoring her memory."
Saskia leaned against him, her body shaking with sobs. "I don't have a sister anymore."
After the funeral, Saskia returned home, devastated.
There were still some of Azalea's belongings to sort through.
But Saskia didn't have the energy.
Nathaniel suggested she go home and rest. Benjamin was being looked after by Jade at the hospital, so there was nothing to worry about.
Saskia thought about the phone call earlier. Jade's tone was normal, so she felt reassured.
She locked herself in her house, not letting anyone stay with her.
Except for Nathaniel.
She didn't want to see him either, but he refused to leave.
She closed the door.
Nathaniel held it open with one hand.
She ignored him, and Nathaniel followed her.
Saskia quickly became frustrated. "What do you want? I'm not in the mood to talk."
"I know you're not," Nathaniel said. "I'm not here to talk. I just want to be with you. Just think of me as something extra in the room. You don't have to pay attention to me."
With Nathaniel saying that, Saskia couldn't argue.
She allowed him to stay.
That night, she developed a high fever, and it was fortunate to have Nathaniel there to take care of her.
Rain tapped against the window.
Saskia groggily opened her eyes from the bed, her head too heavy to lift, her body weak, her limbs aching. She wanted to speak, but her throat was so dry it felt like it was on fire."Nathaniel..." Before she could call out, the door opened.
Nathaniel walked in with a glass of water and some medicine. In the dim light, his usually stern face looked gentle.
"You're sick. Drink some water and take your medicine," he said.
Saskia tried to remember what had happened before she fell ill, but her mind was a blur. She gave up trying to recall.
She sipped the water to moisten her throat, her face looking a bit better.
She took the medicine.
Soon, she lay back down.
Saskia didn't want to. She wanted to go to the hospital to see Benjamin.
But Nathaniel firmly pressed her back into bed. "Rest and get better. Don't worry about Benjamin. He's fine."
Seeing Nathaniel's unwavering stance, Saskia pursed her lips and realized she had to yield.
She took a deep breath and lay back, staring at the ceiling.
She didn't think about anything.
But she felt as if Azalea was still there beside her.
Azalea's death was so sudden that it still felt unreal.
Saskia asked, "Do you think Azalea hasn't really left?"
Nathaniel paused, looking at her gently. "The departed are just in another place, waiting to reunite."
Saskia silently repeated those words, tears streaming down her face.
Not wanting Nathaniel to see her vulnerability, she turned away, tasting the bitterness of her tears alone.
Nathaniel didn't push her.
He was just there quietly by her side.
That night, they silently kept each other company.
At the hospital, Benjamin lay on the bed, gloomily staring at the door. "Mom didn't come. Why didn't she come to see me, Mrs. Egan? Where's my mom?" he said.
Jade knew why Saskia hadn't come.
Nathaniel had texted her, explaining everything.
Jade comforted Benjamin, "Your mom just has something important to do. She'll come to see you as soon as she's done."
"More important than me?" Benjamin was too young to understand, only expressing his confusion with innocent words.
Jade looked at Benjamin's curious face, feeling even more tender towards him, unable to say anything that would disappoint him.
So she chose to change the subject. "Is that your favorite puzzle?"
She looked at the table.
Children's attention was easily diverted.
As she said that, Benjamin stopped fixating on Saskia's absence and eagerly grabbed the puzzle. "Yes, Mrs. Egan, this is my favorite puzzle!" he said.
He added, "Mom gave it to me."
Jade asked, "Can you teach me how to do it, Benjamin?"
Benjamin agreed enthusiastically.
He was bored in the hospital, so having someone to play with made him very happy. He immediately started teaching Jade how to do the puzzle.
The puzzle was a bit complex, and most people couldn't complete it quickly.
But Benjamin put it together quickly and proudly showed it to Jade. "Look, Mrs. Egan."
Jade praised him generously, "You're amazing, Benjamin."
Benjamin beamed, then took it apart and taught her step by step.
Jade, as an adult, wasn't interested in children's toys; she did it to comfort Benjamin.
Seeing him so happy made Jade happy, too.
In the end, Benjamin placed the puzzle on the floor, his smile fading a bit. He murmured, "Only Mom used to play with me like this."
Jade's heart ached.
She pulled Benjamin onto her lap and said, "I'll play with you from now on, okay?"
"Promise me, Mrs. Egan." Benjamin held out his hand for a high-five.
Jade high-fived him.
Benjamin smiled innocently, unaware that Jade was his grandmother.
Jade had wanted to tell him.
But she thought better of it and kept it to herself.
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