“Joan, you too. You should resolve whatever it is you need to before coming back to watch over Leslie.”
In the luxurious ward, Leslie was sleeping soundly in his bed, covered by a soft and fluffy blanket. By the bed, there was a bouquet of roses that filled the room with its fragrance. Joan was greeted by the tender scene the moment she returned to the ward.
Her adorable son was an angel to her and the biggest source of happiness in her life. She was willing to do whatever it takes to give him the life that he wanted. After what had just happened, she wondered how long her so-called happiness could still last and whether the love in her was still strong enough to hold.
Leslie was largely fine. After a few days of rest, he was back to his usual self.
Sitting by the bed, Dustin let out a faint smile. Despite the scars on his face, they didn’t diminish his style in any way.
As he placed Leslie’s hand in his, his large, weathered hands contrasted against the child’s which were small and tender. If someone had barged in and didn’t know better, he would have assumed that Dustin was the child’s father.
“Recently, our hospital has built a child care center in the east of the city, and it is extremely well equipped. If you are satisfied with it, you can consider leaving Leslie there. It’s more convenient if there are professionals looking after him. This way, you can focus on your school work and continue working at Opulent Designs.
Joan hesitated at the suggestion. “Can’t I leave them with his grandparents? Wouldn’t that do? To a certain extent, he is part of their family. By letting him stay with them, he would also grow up to be close to them.”
Dustin sighed. “Joan, don’t be naive. Given what has happened, do you think it’s going to be easy for you to see your son next time?”
Joan agreed with him in her silence. Soon, she headed to Finnick’s home and admitted to them that she and Larry’s relationship was getting worse. Before they made up, she hoped to negotiate with Larry’s parents so that they could each take a step back.
Joan promised to not take Leslie away for no reason. But as the child’s mom, they had to respect her desire to place Leslie at the child care center. After all, there would be professionals there to watch over and educate him.
“I know from today onwards, if Leslie continues to stay with you, it will become increasingly difficult for me to see him. Therefore, I am proposing this not only to provide him a better learning environment but to also ensure that I can see him whenever I want.”
Joan had her point. Therefore, Finnick and Vivian had no choice but to agree to the somewhat cruel arrangement for Leslie.
At the Sunny Child Care Center.
A baby was curled up in the midst of his soft and fluffy bundle. He then stretched his limbs just like a newborn cat while his eyes glistened like the reflection of clean spring water.
As the gentle breeze blew past the window, the wind chime rang along with it.
Crack.
As the door gently opened, a man dressed in a suit with matching leather shoes entered the room. His arrival was greeted by the crisp ring of the doorbell, as if it was playing a song along with the wind.
Sitting beside the baby, he watched it wave its hands and grunt excitedly. The tender sight simply caused his heart to melt.
Placing both his arms underneath the child’s armpits, his face was filled with joy. When the child saw him smiling, it instinctively smiled in return. After being lifted into the air, it seemed to enjoy the feeling as its legs kicked around in excitement.
“Leslie, it’s Daddy. Can you call Daddy?”
Knock… Knock…
“Come in.”
“Joan? It’s a surprise to see you here.”
Holding a first aid kit, Joan replied with an apologetic tone. “With regards to what happened at the hospital the last time, I would like to apologize on behalf of Larry. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”
“What are you talking about, Joan. Both of you are two different individuals. Hence, there’s no need to apologize on his behalf. To be honest, I understand entirely what he is going through. Therefore, I can empathize with his impulsive actions and won’t hold it against him.”
