CHAPTER 88 – AT THE HOSPITAL
Mackenzie had both her children dressed in thick black coats – a small preparation for the cold outside – by the time the security details arrived at her front door.
It had been warm for a few days, but the weather that afternoon could almost be described as freezing. Calista wore around her neck, a red and black printed muffler, the red matching the color of the frame of her glasses. Cameron loved the dark blue color, so his muffler was dark blue.
Tucked under Calista’s right arm was a painting, specially done by her, of the sun and the garden they had met. She was certain her grandfather was going to love it.
The security details helped put Cameron and Calista in the back seat of the car with Mackenzie. The driver turned on the car’s heater before he started the engine. They started the journey to the hospital.
The car came to a halt at the hospital’s exit door.
Chase had stationed himself at the hospital’s exit, making sure it was well guarded. His most trusted guards, yet youngest guards, Jax and Freeman roamed around the exit, watching out for any reporters who might have gotten lucky enough to get past Chase.
Mackenzie caught sight of the armed guards beside him. Both were not less than six feet and four inches tall. The first wore his long hair in a ponytail at the back of his head, while the second had a baseball cap on, short strands of his blonde hair freed themselves at the back.
Once her eyes found Chase, it was impossible for her to look away. Clad in a black long sleeved shirt that clung to his muscles like second skin, and bright white suit pants, he was as handsome as ever with strands of his disheveled raven colored hair falling to the sides of his eyes.
He was walking towards her, his keen gaze fixed on her hazel eyes. She swallowed hard, knowing that seeing him would always put her on an edge, yet relax her at the same time. It was a mix of emotions she had still not gotten used to.
“Mummy, daddy is here!” Calista called out, peeping from her window. Cameron joined his sister and rested on his knees, he stretched his hand out of the window, calling out to Chase.
He smiled as he waved at the kids.
Mackenzie looked away from him and focused on freeing Cameron from the seatbelt she had carefully strapped him in. The door beside her opened, and Chase did same for Calista, who threw her arms around her father before he could utter a word.
“Daddy!” She screamed at the top of her lungs.
“We missed you so much, daddy! I thought I was never going to see you again,” by the time Chase has freed her from her seatbelt, she was already stapped around his waist.
“Where did you go? You shouldn’t have left us.”
Chase’s heart melted in his chest. His eyes found Mackenzie’s sad smile, and he chuckled, tapping Calista’s small back gently.
“Hold on, princess. One question at a time, okay? I would answer every one of them.” He pressed a kiss on top of her head, and she giggled, tightening her grip around his neck.
“I’ll always be with you, princess. I’m never going anywhere, ever again. Any day you wake up, and before you go to sleep, I’ll be there.”
Mackenzie watched him in silence, holding Cameron in her arms. Chase was doing so well with the children. She was amazed by how much he loved them, how much they meant to him.
Calista blushed as he spoke, and Cameron tried to jump from Mackenzie’s arms. Laughing, she set his feet on the ground and watched as he ran to meet Chase.
“I’m here too, Daddy!”
Cameron called out, throwing his arms into the air. Chase held on to his right hand and picked the boy from the ground with one swing.
“Big boy!”
He nibbled on Cameron’s right ear, and the boy giggled, smiling from ear to ear.
“I hear your sister was crying this morning. You know you should have told her daddy would always come back, right?”
Cameron nodded, a proud smile formed on his face as he spoke.
“I saw you leave last night, daddy. And I heard you say you were going to come back, so I didn’t cry.”
“Why didn’t you tell me then?” Calista whined, pouting amd frowning at him with her hands crossed underneath her chest.
“I’m sorry, Calista. I forgot.” Cameron apologized. Calista shook her head and looked away from him.
At that moment, Chase smiled and his eyes wandered off from the children to their mother. He was right on time, because she had her eyes on him too.
She looked so beautiful.
Her sky blue jeans highlighted the black color of her turtle neck top that was tucked into the waistline. Her coat was a matching blue color with her shirt. Her full waves of hair flowed freely down her shoulders, and her lips shimmered with the pale pink lipgloss she had used.
“Shall we?” Chase managed to speak, leading Mackenzie and the children into the hospital building. Jax and Freeman followed them behind.
They took an elevator up to Richard’s ward. He had instructed the hospital staff not to let anyone use that particular elevator until he had received his visitors – Mackenzie and the kids.
He needed them to be as safe as possible.
They found their way to Richard’s exquisite ward, the room he liked to call “heaven”, seeing as he could see the clouds from every angle of his room, courtesy of his glass walls.
The children’s eyes lit up with so much excitement once they saw him. Richard managed a weak smile at them. Calista screamed at the top of her voice and tried to run to him, but Mackenzie held her back and helped her out of her coat. Cameron was next after her.
“Grandpa!” Brother and sister yelled simultaneously as they hurried to his side with their little legs. Mackenzie, amused by the sight, struggled to hold her laughter.
Calista had held her paintibg throughout the journey, even till that very moment. With pride, she held it up for Richard to see clearly.All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.
“Look at what I made for you, Grandpa! A picture of the place we met for the first time, remember?”
Richard looked over the painting, amazed by her skill. He took it from her hand and hugged it tight, causing Calista to blush. However, her blush soon faded from her face, leaving behind a grim worried look.
“What happened to you, grandpa? I saw you on the news, they said you were sick. Are you sick?”
“But they said he isn’t sick anymore on the TV Calista, remember?” Cameron chipped in.
Richard watched the both of them exchange a few more words before he laughed, tapping both their heads gently.
“I’m getting better, Cali. I am not very sick anymore.”
She batted her lashes at him, before speaking.
“So you’re going to be fine soon?”
“You bet!” Richard replied, enthusiastic.
“And when I’m better and on my feet, we would go home together, you’ll see. I’ll show you our home.”
She corked her right brow at him for a split second, before her smile spread to both her ears. Cameron wasn’t left behind in the celebration.
“You’ll come live in our house? But where would you stay, grandpa? Aunty Charlotte and Aunt Felicity already have the other rooms. Cameron and I share a room with mummy,”
Richard’s gaze rose to meet Chase’s dim ones. Mackenzie stood beside him, silently wishing the ground would open up and swallow her.
“Oh! I have an idea!” Calista screamed, raising her right hand to the sky as she jumped. Richard looked down at her again.
“What would that be, princess?”
“Well, daddy could stay in Cameron’s bed with him, and you could stay in mine, with me!”
Richard shook his head, laughing. He was starting to feel better now that the kids were with him. Laughter was really the best medicine after all.
“Isn’t your bed a tad bit too small for me?”
“It really isn’t, grandpa. Mummy sleeps in my bed too sometimes.” Calista replied. The confidence and the carriage she held whenever she spoke was one that Richard had to commend. She had her father’s charisma.
“Come on, Cali. You know better than to disturb grandpa. He has just come out of a very stressful treatment, and he needs his rest.” Mackenzie finally spoke up as she started her walk to where her children sat beside their grandfather.
Richard, whom she had tried to save, only pulled the children closer to himself.
“You don’t have to worry about me, Mackenzie. I had missed them so much.” He dished each of them kisses all over their cheeks.
Calista, still laughing, reached for her painting on his body and held it up for him.
“You can put it above your bed, grandpa. It’ll make you feel better all the time. Whenever you miss Cameron and I, you can just look at it, and we’ll be with you.” She continued.
Richard sought to laugh, but he was too weak to do so. She was a little girl with such a deep soul, how could he not love her? How could anyone not love her?
Chase and Mackenzie exchanged glances while Cameron and Calista took turns to kiss Richard’s cheeks.
From where she stood, Mackenzie felt warm, yet a rough hand clasp around her right wrist. Her senses were ignited immediately, the fire that lit up under her skin was not one she could easily ignore.
Swallowing hard, she turned sharply to meet Chase’s blue eyes boring into hers.
“They’ll be fine, Kenzie. He’s had more than enough rest this past few days. Come on, let’s go get them some hot chocolate.” He looked away from her, giving her ample time to catch her breath.
“Wouldn’t you like that, kids?”
There was no reply from the two munchkins. They were both so busy playing with their grandpa’s face and hair.
“Calista really likes hot chocolate from the little I remember.”
Mackenzie shook her head and laughed, she found Chase’s eyes again, but did nothing to look away this time.
“Very well then. I guess hot chocolate wouldn’t hurt after all.” Mackenzie replied. Chase let go of her hand as he turned his back to usher her out of the room.