Chapter 8: A father who never come

Maxwell's POV

Emily had finally fallen asleep after crying herself to exhaustion, yet Sophia remained beside her bed, gently stroking her hair while the monitors hummed softly inside the private ward.

I stood near the window, reading tomorrow's transplant report, but my attention drifted long before I reached the last page.

My phone vibrated inside my pocket.

I pulled it out absentmindedly, expecting another message from the medical team, but my fingers froze when I saw the sender.

Lily.

A slight frown crossed my face.

The little girl had never messaged me before.

Something tightened inside my chest as I opened it.

Daddy, I'm in the hospital again. Mommy says I'll get better soon, but I really miss you. Can you come and see me?

I stared at the message longer than I expected.

Hospital?

Without warning, the image of Lily reaching for me inside the emergency room flashed across my mind. Her tiny hands had stretched toward me while she called me Daddy, yet I had walked away without looking back.

For reasons I couldn't explain, remembering that moment left an uncomfortable weight inside my chest.

Before thinking any further, I picked up my jacket.

Maybe I should go.

Lily rarely asked me for anything, and if she had gathered enough courage to send that message herself, then perhaps she truly wanted me there.

My hand had already reached the door when it suddenly opened.

Sophia walked inside carrying a cup of warm water, her face pale from several sleepless nights.

Seeing my jacket, she stopped.

"Are you leaving?" she asked softly.

I looked down at the phone still resting in my hand.

"Lily has been admitted to the hospital."

Concern immediately filled Sophia's face.

"Is she alright?"

"I'm not sure."

Before either of us spoke again, Emily stirred beneath her blanket before opening frightened eyes.

"Mom..."

Sophia hurried back to the bedside.

"I'm here, sweetheart."

Emily reached for her hand immediately.

"Please don't leave me."

I watched the little girl cling desperately to her mother before walking closer.

She looked at me with frightened eyes.

"Uncle Maxwell... will tomorrow hurt?"

"It won't last long," I answered gently. "The doctors will take good care of you."

Emily nodded, but she refused to let go of Sophia's hand.

"I'm scared."

Sophia looked at me helplessly before forcing a tired smile.

"She's been like this all evening," she said quietly. "Every time I leave the room, she starts crying again."

I lowered my eyes toward Lily's message once more.

She was waiting.

Emily was frightened.

For the first time, I didn't know where I should be.

Amelia had always been strong.

No matter what happened inside the Anderson family, she always handled everything herself without asking anyone for help.

If Lily were truly in danger...

Amelia would have called me herself.

Sophia gently stroked Emily's hair before speaking again.

"I know Lily needs you," she said softly, "but Emily's transplant is tomorrow morning, and she's terrified. I honestly don't know how to calm her if you leave tonight."

I remained silent.

My thumb hovered over Lily's message for several seconds before I finally typed a reply.

Be a good girl. Daddy will come tomorrow.

After sending it, I slipped my phone back into my pocket.

"I'll visit her first thing tomorrow morning," I said quietly.

Then I pulled a chair beside Emily's bed and stayed.

At that moment, I truly believed I had made the right decision.

Amelia's POV

The doctors finally allowed Lily back into her room after bringing her fever under control, but they insisted she remain under close observation until morning because her body was still far too weak to leave the hospital.

I gently tucked the blanket around her tiny body before sitting beside the bed and brushing the damp hair away from her forehead.

"You scared Mommy tonight," I whispered, forcing a smile that hid the fear still gripping my heart.

"I'm sorry," Lily replied softly, her little voice still weak. "I didn't mean to get sick again."

I leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"This isn't your fault, sweetheart."

Her fingers slowly searched beneath the blanket until they found my hand.

"Did Daddy answer my message?"

My heart clenched painfully.

"He hasn't come yet," I answered carefully, refusing to lie to her.

She nodded without speaking.

Every few minutes, her bright eyes drifted toward the hospital door whenever footsteps echoed through the corridor.

Each time, disappointment quietly replaced the hope on her little face.

After nearly an hour, my phone vibrated.

Lily immediately sat up despite the IV attached to her arm.

"Is it Daddy?"

She reached for the phone before I could stop her.

The excitement on her face disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.

She silently read the message twice.

«Be a good girl. Daddy will come tomorrow.»

For several long moments, Lily simply stared at those words.

Then she slowly handed the phone back to me.

"Maybe Daddy is really busy," she said with a small smile that looked far too mature for a five-year-old child. "Tomorrow is okay too."

Those simple words shattered something inside me.

She wasn't disappointed anymore.

She was making excuses for him.

I wanted to tell her she didn't have to understand adults who continued breaking their promises, but the words refused to leave my mouth.

Instead, I gently stroked her hair.

"Try to get some sleep."

She obediently lay back against the pillow without asking another question.

Not once did she ask why her father always chose tomorrow.

Not once did she ask why he never came today.

She simply accepted it.

That hurt far more than tears ever could.

The room grew quiet after she closed her eyes, yet I noticed she wasn't sleeping.

Her little gaze remained fixed on the hospital door.

Every sound in the hallway made her blink with renewed hope before disappointment quietly settled over her face again.

She was still waiting.

Even after reading his message...

She was still waiting.

I looked away because I could no longer bear watching my daughter hope for someone who had already made his choice.

The door opened softly several minutes later.

Israelite stepped inside carrying two cups of hot coffee.

"I thought you might need this," he said quietly before placing one beside me.

"Thank you," I replied sincerely.

He glanced toward Lily before lowering his voice.

"Did her father come?"

I looked at the untouched phone resting beside the bed.

"No."

Israelite didn't ask another question.

Perhaps he already understood everything from the silence alone.

He quietly pulled a chair closer and sat beside us without expecting conversation.

His presence filled the room with a quiet comfort that Maxwell had never managed to give us.

I looked at my sleeping daughter and silently made a promise.

No matter how many times Maxwell disappointed us...

I would never allow Lily to believe she wasn't worth choosing.

Outside the room, the night gradually grew darker.

Inside, my little girl finally drifted into an uneasy sleep while her tiny fingers still rested beside the phone, as though she feared missing the sound of another message.

She never realized there wouldn't be one.

Lily turned in her sleep before whispering softly,

"Daddy..."

A faint smile appeared on her tiny face.

"I knew... you'd come." I looked toward the doorway.