The Ex–Wife’s Redemption: A Love Reborn
Chapter 21
Billy’s small hand warm in mine. My eyes immediately registered something unusual – Henry stood alone by his grandfather’s bedside, Isabella nowhere to be seen. The absence of his constant shadow was jarring, like finding a painting hung slightly askew.
–
A basket of bright red apples sat on the bedside table, their polished surfaces catching the late afternoon light. I pushed aside the urge to analyze what Isabella’s absence might mean whether she and Henry had quarreled after our encounter in Thomas’s office, or if he’d simply left her briefly to attend to his grandfather. None of it mattered anymore. Henry Harding would no longer be part of my future.
“How are you feeling, Grandpa? Are you better?” I asked, deliberately avoiding Henry’s piercing gaze.
William’s weathered face brightened despite his obvious exhaustion. Much better now that you’re here, Sophia. These doctors fuss too much, I just need some fresh air and my family around me.”
“The doctors are right to be cautious,” I said softly, moving to adjust his pillows. “Your heart needs time to recover. Have you been taking the medication as prescribed?”
“Bah! Too many pills.” William waved his hand dismissively, but I caught the flash of pain that crossed his face with the movement. “They make me feel foggy.”
“Please, Grandpa,” I pressed gently, “for Billy’s sake. He needs his great–grandfather to get strong again.”
William’s expression softened at the mention of Billy. He joked, “Speaking of my favorite great–grandson – where is the little
rascal?”
“Great–grandpa! Dad!” Billy’s excited voice filled the room as he bounced forward, his earlier exhaustion forgotten. But Henry merely nodded, his tall frame rigid in his perfectly tailored suit, hands clasped behind his back.
I watched the light dim in my son’s eyes at his father’s cold response Billy’s small shoulders slumped as he ducked his head, probably wondering what he’d done wrong to deserve such indifference. The sight made my heart ache.
William struggled to sit up straighter in his hospital bed, his weathered hand beckoning to Billy. “Come here, my boy,” he said, running his fingers through Billy’s golden hair. Then, with surprising sharpness, he glared at Henry. “Your father’s an idiot – blind and stupid. Spend more time with your mother instead.”
Billy’s face lit up as he launched into an enthusiastic catalog of my supposed abilities. “Mommy can do every g!” he declared proudly. “She cooks the best pancakes, and she knows how to climb trees to get fruit! She can use the lawnmower and trim plants and make paper snowflakes!”
William chuckled. “Is that so?”
“Yes! And she knows how to give shots when I’m sick, just like a real doctor!” Billy continued, warming to his theme. “Mommy has superpowers, she even fought off bad guys!”
The room suddenly went very still. William’s hand froze mid–pat on Billy’s head. “What bad guys?”
“The ones in the car,” Billy explained, oblivious to the tension. “It was raining, and we were walking home from school. This big black car came out of nowhere and tried to hit us! But Mommy grabbed me and jumped behind a tree. When they tried again, she threw rocks at their car until they went away!”
William’s face turned an alarming shade of red. His fist came down hard on the bedside table, sending the apple basket rattling. “WHAT?” he thundered, followed immediately by a violent coughing fit.
Grandpa, please calm down,” I moved quickly to his side, pressing specific acupressure points to help him breathe. “It happened months ago. Billy and I are fine.”
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Chapter 21
“Fine?” William wheezed between coughs. “Someone tried to run over my great–grandson, and you tell me it’s fine? He turned his fury on Henry. “Henry, find out who did this! If you can’t solve this, you don’t deserve the Harding name!”
Henry’s lip curled slightly. “She seems perfectly fine to me. Anyone would think Sophia was your real granddaughter, the way you
carry on.”
William’s response was to snatch an apple from the basket and hurl at Henry’s head. Henry dodged it easily, but something flickered in his eyes a memory, perhaps, of another night when I’d looked at him with empty eyes, as if seeing straight through him to someone else entirely.
–
“I mean it, Henry!” William’s voice carried the weight of generations of Harding authority. “If you can’t get to the bottom of this, don’t bother coming back to the Estate!”
“Grandpa, please,” I interjected, trying to defuse the situation. “What matters is that we’re safe. Billy, sweetheart, remember what I said about not letting Great–grandpa get too excited? He needs to rest.”
But William wasn’t finished. Each word fell like a hammer: “Find. Out. Who. Did. This.”
“Billy, sweetheart,” I kept my voice gentle but firm, “would you stay here and keep Great–grandpa company for a little while? Make sure he doesn’t get too excited.”
Billy’s face lit up with the responsibility. “Of course, Mommy! I’ll take good care of him!”
I knelt down to his level, straightening his little sweater. “Remember what we talked about – if Great–grandpa starts coughing or looks tired, press the nurse call button right away. And no jumping on the bed, even if he says it’s okay.”
“I know, Mom,” Billy nodded seriously. “I’ll read him my new book about spiders. That always helps me feel better when I’m sick.”
William’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Come here, young man. Tell me all about these spiders of yours.”
I watched Billy climb carefully onto the chair beside William’s bed, already pulling Charlotte’s Web from his backpack. The sight of them together, heads bent over the book, made my heart ache with love and worry. With a final glance at their shared golden heads, I stepped into the hallway.
Henry stood by the floor–to–ceiling windows, a cigar between his fingers despite the hospital’s no–smoking policy. The setting sun cast long shadows across the corridor as he turned at the sound of my approaching footsteps, his grey eyes unreadable in the fading light.
“Henry,” I began, but the rest of my words died in my throat as his gaze locked with mine, carrying the weight of everything we’d never said to each other.
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