The Heart Left Behind

Chapter 33 Lorraine crouched and said gently , Hi , Jonas .

I brought you a little gift .

Jonas eyes lit up , but he politely looked at me first .

Daddy , can I accept it ? I nodded .

Of course .

What do you say ? Thank you , Ms.

Sommerton ! Jonas chirped excitedly .

Dinner went wonderfully .

Ian was genuinely interested in investment and kept asking me questions , while Lorraine and Jonas chatted happily as she showed him new ways to play with Blossom .

After dinner , Lorraine insisted on helping with the dishes .

I tried to decline , but she insisted , so I washed the dishes while she dried them beside me .

Lorraine said softly , Thank you for having us .

Its been a long time since Ive experienced such a warm family atmosphere .

I glanced at her , noticing a complex emotion in her eyes .

I hesitated before asking , What about your family … Lorraine smiled , though it held a hint of sadness.

My parents divorced when I was very young .

It was just lan and me growing up .

Seeing you and Jonas together is beautiful , and I really envy it .

Not knowing what to say , I could only mumble , Im sorry .

Lorraine shook her head .

Theres nothing to be sorry about .

Everyone has their own path in life .

I just … She paused a moment before adding , I just hope that someday , I can have a loving family like this too .

I looked at her profile , feeling a sudden wave of sympathy .

I wanted to comfort her but could not find the right words .

Just then , Jonas came running in .

Daddy , Ms.

Sommerton , what are you talking about ? Can I join ? Lorraine immediately brightened .

Of course ! We were just talking about how delicious dinner was .

Jonas declared proudly , Daddy and I made it together ! Watching my sons innocent expression , I felt a warmth spread through my chest .

I realized that no matter how difficult life got , love could create a warm home .

Chapter33 After Lorraine and Ian left , I sat on the couch , lost in thought .

While I did not know what the future held , I knew I would always do my best to create a loving home for Jonas .

Nonetheless , life had other plans .

Just when everything seemed to be going well , an unexpected phone call disrupted our peace .

Hello , Cole ? Yvonnes voice was filled with worry .

Xaviers in trouble ! My heart skipped a beat as I sat up straight .

What happened ? Xavier got into another fight , and hes in the hospital .

Please come quickly , Yvonne replied , clearly distressed .

After a brief silence , I replied , Fine , Ill be there I hung up and glanced at Jonas , who was sound asleep .

I hesitated for a second but decided to wake him .

I shook him gently and said , Jonas , wake up .

I need to go somewhere .

Will you come with me ? Jonas opened his eyes groggily .

Daddy ? Whats wrong ? Something happened to Xavier .

We need to go to the hospital , I explained simply .

Twenty minutes later , we arrived at the hospital and found Yvonne and Jared in the emergency department .

As soon as she saw me , Yvonne hurried over .

Hows Xavier ? Wheres he hurt ? I asked .

Yvonne hesitated and stumbled over her words .

Growing impatient , I brushed past her and pushed open the door to the hospital ward .

What I saw inside left me both exasperated and amused Xavier was casually playing on his phone in bed , with nothing but a bandaged pinky finger .

Still skeptical , I walked over to ask the doctor about his condition .

The doctor glanced at me and said , Hes fine just a minor scrape on his pinky .

Once you handle the paperwork , hes good to go .

I felt too exasperated to even argue with Yvonne about her overreaction , so I just paid the medical bill and left with Jonas .

After that incident , Yvonne called numerous times , but I did not answer any of her calls , only responding with brief text messages .

Chapter 34