The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 544 Chris’s Boomerang

Gary and Charles wasted no time to bring Chris, who was in labor, to the nearby hospital's emergency room. They were immediately assisted and attended by the doctor and nurses on duty. Upon seeing that Chris's water already broke, they rushed her to the adjacent delivery room..

More than one hour had excruciatingly passed. Very tensed, Gary and Charles sprung out of their seats as both saw the attending doctor came out of the delivery room. The doctor then happily announced that Chris was lucky for normally and safely giving birth to a healthy baby boy. Charles and Gary breathed a deep sigh of relief and rejoiced. Leila and Charlie followed them to the hospital. On hearing the news, Leila felt somewhat envious of Chris.

The hospital staff already transferred Chris into her ward located at the second floor. Before they went to her ward, Charles said to Leila,"It's very late. Take Charlie back now." Then he turned to Charlie and said in an affectionately voice,"Charlie, it's late and you need to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"Okay," Charlie relied. After a short pause, he added with a hopeful expression, "Dad, I want to learn how to play chess."

"Chess?" Charles sounded somewhat stunned but then voiced his approval and support, "No problem son. I love that you are interested in playing chess. I'll take you to a chess training club tomorrow." "Thanks, Dad!" Charlie replied gladly. Leila was happy to see the growing affinity between Charlie and Charles.

"I'm going back with Charlie now. See you, Charles," Leila said, looking affectionately at Charles. Charlie would already fall asleep now if he were at home, so Leila had to take him back home.

Charles escorted Leila and Charlie to the taxi waiting area outside the hospital lobby. He hailed a cab, opened the door and let Leila and Charlie go inside. He then returned to Chris' ward after the taxi left. After entering the ward, Charles saw Gary nagging Chris. Charles decided to give them some space. He got out of the room, walked to the lobby and sat on the bench. Back in Chris' room, Gary was still on his sermons. "As an expectant mother, you should have been more careful. Sam would surely blame me if anything bad happened to you."

Seemingly annoyed by his grandfather, Chris fired back in a cold tone, "Please mind your own business." Chris turned her face to the left to avoid facing Gary. Obviously, Chris harbored a grudge against his grandfather who slighted her very recent suggestion of replacing Autumn with Leila by forcing Charles to marry the latter.

Gary knew that for the same reason, his granddaughter was still mad at him. He tried to again reason it out with Chris, "We cannot allow, by any means, an undesirable woman like Leila to marry your brother! Chris, you are a mother now. You should know better and be more understanding."

"But..." Chris tried to counter but then reflected for a moment. 'Indeed, it would also be against my will to marry anyone else other than Sam, ' Chris told herself.

Yet still she reasoned out, "Grandpa, Charles' case is different." Chris tried to expound on her rebuffed suggestion about Leila and Charles. She was convinced she did it out of good will. Then, she faced Gary and in a mild tone uttered, "Leila's child, I supposed that... Charlie would be enough to make Charles move on and forget the traumatic loss of Autumn."

Gary sighed and interjected,"But... it turned out that your 'perfect idea' was rather unacceptable." Gary again sighed and continued, "Charles, your brother, is too stubborn to just blindly accept that suggestion." From Chris' voice and facial expressions, Gary sensed the sincerity and goodness of her intentions. As he gazed at her granddaughter's pale face, Gary read the growing regrets and helplessness. To break the solemn atmosphere in the room, he spoke, "I have informed Sam of your condition over the phone. He will fly back tomorrow. You need to take a good rest before meeting him."

"I want to see my son right now," Chris intentionally changed the topic and demanded.

Charles who decided to go back to the room, just entered. He heard what Chris said and was quick to reproach her. He prevented Chris from seeing her son.

Chris was too weak to speak loudly. Perplexed, she inquired, "Why? Why can't I see my son?" Her weak baby boy was kept in an incubator due to the premature delivery.

With a mug of hot milk Charles incidentally bought on his way to his sister's room, he served it to Chris, and then declared, "Your son is well taken care of in an incubator. A nurse will bring him to you as his condition stabilizes."

"But Charles, I am dying to see and hold my baby!" she pleaded earnestly.

A strong pity for his sister filled Charles's heart. To pacify her, he had no recourse but to use his cell phone to shoot photos and videos of his nephew while inside the incubatorafter she flipped through the photos and watched the videos of his son.

"Now, please have a sound sleep my dear sister," Charles requested with empathy. He wanted Chris to take a restful sleep so she could restore her energy.

Chris tacitly succumbed to his brother's request. Charles, upon seeing that Chris was already sleepy, turned to Gary,"Grandpa, I'll stand-by with Chris tonight. I can already take care of her and my nephew. Please go home now and get yourself some rest also."

"Are you sure?" Gary hesitantly answered. Gary was worried about leaving the hospital but Charles strongly insisted. Charles escorted Gary to the hospital lobby and to his car.

After sending Gary off, Charles returned to his sister's room. Chris was awakened by Charles' movements. She gazed at her brother and took advantage of the situation by asking,"Charles, why can't you give Leila a chance to be your new wife?"

Charles found it unnecessary to argue with Chris over the matter. Particularly, it involved his principle. So he kept quiet.

"Anyway, Leila is Charlie's mother. You should give Charlie your due love and attention." Chris continued and tried to remind Charles of his fatherly responsibilities.

As a new mother, Chris was already fully aware of Leila's maternal feelings.

She understood that It was difficult for Leila to raise Charlie by herself.

She believed that Leila's parenting skills should be highly credited for Charlie's excellent attitude and demeanor.

Charles glanced at Chris annoyingly and then firmly blurted, "I will never let Charlie be uneducated and astray, Chris!"

Chris could not help but ask Charles reassuringly,"So you mean... you are willing to accept Leila too?"

Sensitive of his sister's current condition, Charles tried to be cautious and patient as he explained the matter to his recovering sister, "Not to worry my dear sister. I will take the full responsibility over Charlie's future. As for Leila, I don't want to marry her but I will instead extend to her the financial support that she will need."

"Charles...is it... because of Autumn?" Chris finally collected all her courage to straightly ask Charles of her concern about Autumn.

Chris believed that it was expected by Autumn as well, whom Chris was also sympathetic about, that Charles should start a new page in his life after her death.

The thought that Leila was an acceptable woman for Charles lingered in Chris' mind. She believed that her brother was being too unfair for not considering Leila as an excellent replacement of Autumn. "Even if Autumn had been dead for so long, I... I could never take Leila as my new wife. Nobody can replace Autumn's place in my heart." Charles objected roughly and continued,"And as for you, my dear sister... you should better mind your own business and not bother yourself with that nonsensical idea."

Grudgingly, Chris conceded, "Well brother, since you do not want to listen to my advice and hate to be prodded about it, I'll have to let you do whatever it is that you like. If that will make you happy." Then, she continued, "Good luck to you Charles. As for me, I would rather focus on taking care of my baby boy and myself!"

Chris really saw his brother's strong indisposition about marrying Leila. She finally resigned and decided to leave everything to Charles. She felt relieved.

The following day, Sam, who decided to take a day off from his own business, was already at the airport. He took a flight three hours before dawn to see Chris. He hurriedly hailed a cab and reached the hospital at exactly 5:00 a.m. Gary had told him the room number, so he went directly to the second floor and easily found Chris' private room. He carefully pushed the door open. Charles, who fell asleep on the brown leather couch in front of her sister's bed, was startled by the faint, squeaking sound of the room's door hinges. It slightly woke him up and then he got fully awakened by the sight of Sam who showed right after the door opened. Both looked at Chris who was still in deep sleep.

Charles while rubbing his eyes quietly stood up and greeted Sam in a barely audible voice, "Hey Sam." Sam raised his right arm to silently acknowledge Charles. Charles tiptoed to Sam and gently grabbed his left arm, pulled Sam out of the room and then carefully closed the door in an effort not to awaken Chris. He walked side by side with Sam going to the nursery to see his son. On their way, Charles explained the incident to Sam in an apologetic tone, "Sam, first of all, I have to admit that it was my mistake last night.... I... I made Chris so emotionally upset to the extent that it triggered her premature delivery. I'm very sorry but that wasn't my intention. You know that I always pray for the safety of Chris and your baby. My conscience would consume me if something bad happened to both of them and... I would really be so ashamed to face you."

Sam was earlier informed by Gary about the incident. He knew that it was Chris's mistake. He deeply sighed and in a consoling tone said, "Charles, it was all Chris's fault. It was her twisted idea and actions that induced her premature delivery. I am very much indebted to you and Gary for taking good care of her."

"Chris is my dear sister. She deserves my care and affection, Sam. The same way that she deserves Gary's and yours. Since we were kids, she always wanted me to be happy. So many times she tried to fix things for me just to make me smile. She's quite stubborn sometimes but that's how she is and I truly love her for that." Charles replied gently and calmly,"Now that you are here, I will leave Chris and my nephew to you buddy. It's already morning, I have to go back to work. Promise I'll be here tonight."

Sam was in heaven after seeing his son. In his best mood, Sam invited Charles, "Why in a hurry? Please join us in breakfast!" Sam tried his best to persuade Charles for the breakfast he incidentally bought while on his way to the hospital, but Charles graciously declined and took off.