Chapter 293
“Last trip? That was our previous outing. Alaric and I haven’t had a proper honeymoon since we got married,” Stellan explained with a soft smile. “So, since Alaric isn’t too busy with work right now, we thought it would be a good time to get away and relax.”
Elisa, who had been unusually quiet up until now, suddenly piped up with enthusiasm, “Aurora’s been on summer break for a while, and our school is about to start vacation. When we get our break, why don’t the five of us go on a honeymoon? I want to go on a trip and have fun too. I haven’t really seen the world.”
“Elisa, you dummy,” Harry teased, rolling his eyes. “A honeymoon is supposed to be a romantic trip for two, creating a world of their own. If the three of us go along, it’s a family trip, not a honeymoon.”
“Yeah, Elisa, just listen to Dad and Mom. Let them have a proper honeymoon. We’ll stay at school,” Caspian quickly added, his voice calm and matter-of-fact.
“When did you two start agreeing on everything?” Elisa asked in disbelief, clearly shocked to see Caspian and Harry so in sync. She couldn’t wrap her head around the sudden harmony between them.
Alaric and Stellan exchanged a glance, both surprised by how easily the boys had accepted the idea without asking any probing questions. Had they figured it out already?
Later that night, there was a knock on the bedroom door. “Come in,” Alaric called out.
It was Caspian and Harry. Stellan raised an eyebrow. “Why aren’t you two asleep at this hour?”
“We had to wait for Elisa to fall asleep before we could ask,” Harry said without hesitation. He looked directly at his parents. “Are you lying? You two aren’t really going on a honeymoon, are you?”
Alaric and Stellan exchanged another glance. Stellan hesitated, but tried to cover up. “Of course we are. What else could it be?”
“Where are you going? Have you booked the tickets? Show us,” Caspian asked, his tone direct and unyielding.
“The tickets aren’t booked yet. We’ll book them soon,” Stellan said quickly, trying to brush it off.
“Mom, you always taught us not to lie,” Harry interrupted. “Just tell us the truth. We’re not as naive as Elisa. We can tell you’re lying.” He paused, then added, “Is it Dad’s illness?”
Caspian’s question was blunt, but it hit the mark. Stellan opened her mouth to speak, but Alaric stopped her with a raised hand.
“Since the kids have figured it out, there’s no point in hiding it anymore,” Alaric said with a sigh. “Alright, you’re right,” Stellan admitted. “It’s Alaric’s illness. We can’t delay it. I need to treat him.”
“Will it be as painful as last time?” Caspian asked quietly, remembering the harrowing experience of seeing his father so weak and sick, feverish, and vomiting. He had never seen Alaric like that before.
“These are just normal drug reactions, nothing serious,” Alaric reassured them, offering a comforting smile. “Don’t worry. Everyone gets sick sometimes. Your mom is an excellent doctor. Don’t you trust her?”
“Exactly,” Stellan added. “Your main focus should be studying. Finals are coming up, Harry. You haven’t been getting perfect scores. Aren’t you worried?”
Harry immediately straightened up, his competitive nature kicked into gear. “Mom, I was just careless. I’ll definitely get a perfect score on the finals.”
“Good. Work hard. I’m looking forward to your good grades. Don’t worry about Alaric; that won’t help. I’ll take good care of him,” Stellan said, ruffling both Caspian and Harry’s hair.
“Got it,” Caspian said with a nod. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll take good care of Elisa and study hard.”
“Good,” Alaric said, looking at the time. “It’s late. Go to bed now.”
“Goodnight, Dad. Goodnight, Mom,” the boys chorused as they left the bedroom.
Once the door was closed, Alaric and Stellan exchanged a relieved smile.
“Thanks, honey, for going through all that to bring our three lovely and sensible children into the world,” Alaric said, his voice filled with gratitude.
Stellan’s heart tightened as she looked at him. “Your health and safety are the greatest gratitude to me,” she said emotionally, her voice soft and tender. “I’ll work hard, and you have to work hard too. I want you to live a long life and stay with me until we’re old.”
“I will,” Alaric said firmly, his voice filled with resolve. “The kids aren’t grown up yet, and I haven’t seen what you look like when you’re old. I don’t dare die.”
“Don’t lie to me, or I’ll hate you,” Stellan teased lightly, wrapping her arms around Alaric’s neck. She kissed him, and this kiss was different from the others—a kiss filled with heart-wrenching pain and fear.
Stellan was scared. She was truly scared of losing Alaric. The thought of being without him was unbearable.
The next day, Stellan took the kids to school. Instead of heading to the Reassuring Clinic, she stayed at the villa to prepare the medical equipment for Alaric’s treatment. Alaric went to the office, determined to make arrangements for the upcoming treatment.
He couldn’t announce that he was taking time off for his treatment, especially with Todd still in Arizona. Instead, Alaric told everyone that he was going abroad for research. The only person he confided in was Cormac.
“Is Galatea confident about this treatment?” Cormac asked, concern evident in his voice.
“You’re a doctor. You know there’s no absolute certainty in treatment,” Alaric replied, his tone optimistic. “But I trust Galatea.”
“I think she’ll do fine,” Cormac said, a reassuring smile on his face. “Are you doing it at the villa? Not the hospital?”
“It’s just injections and managing drug reactions. No need for a hospital,” Alaric said. “But it will be hard on Galatea.”
Hearing Alaric speak about Stellan so affectionately made Cormac feel a strange sense of envy, but also happiness for him.
“You’ve changed a lot since getting married,” Cormac couldn’t help but remark. “Even your tone has changed.”
“Don’t you think I’m easier to get along with now?” Alaric joked.
Cormac was momentarily taken aback, then laughed and admitted, “Yes.”
Before, Alaric had always been commanding, and one wrong word could get Cormac kicked out of his office. Now, they were equals—friends.
“Alright, no more words then,” Alaric said, growing serious again. “I’ll be counting on you during my treatment. Ambrose is in the hospital, seriously injured, and Todd might cause trouble. Be careful.”
“Just go get treated. It’s only a month. Why so many instructions?” Cormac teased, his grin returning. “Don’t worry. Your company will still be here when you get back.”
“Alright,” Alaric said with a smile. “When I recover, I’ll buy you a drink. I’m off.”
With his work arranged, Alaric headed home. Cormac watched him leave, his smile fading as an inexplicable unease settled in his chest. Something about the way Alaric walked away left him with a nagging feeling.