Dear ex-Wife please be mine again

Chapter 124

As I walked into Ethan’s hospital room, the soft hum of the machines and the antiseptic scent of the place pressed in on me. Ethan was sitting up, trying to look strong, but I could see the strain beneath his small smile. Christiana was beside him, her hand resting lightly on his, her gaze tender and worried all at once. Emma sat on the edge of the bed, her little fingers gripping Ethan’s arm, her face set in that fierce way she got when she was trying to be brave.

Ethan’s gaze met mine, and he gave me a nod, a mix of defiance and relief in his eyes. “Hey, Dad,” he said, his voice small but steady. “Guess they’re not getting rid of me that easy, huh?”

I forced a smile, trying to mask the ache in my chest. “Not a chance,” I replied, my voice as steady as I could make it. “You’re too tough for that.”

Christiana turned toward me, and the worry lines on her face softened a little. She reached out, just barely touching my arm, and the brief contact felt grounding–like a quiet reassurance. In that moment, we were just a family, all of us in this together, united by the relief of seeing Ethan safe, alive, and still very much himself.

Dr. Malik stepped in then, clipboard in hand, giving us all a warm nod. He glanced at Ethan, then addressed the three of us.

“Ethan did very well in the operation,” Dr. Malik began, his tone calm and reassuring. “The appendix was inflamed, but we were able to remove it without complications. He’ll need a few more days of rest here, and then at least a couple of weeks of taking it easy once he’s home.” He looked over at Ethan. “No running around, no rough play, just some good old rest and relaxation.”

Ethan groaned, rolling his eyes a little. “So I have to be all boring?”

“Pretty much,” Dr. Malik replied with a small smile. “I know it’s not easy, but give your body the time it needs, okay?” Christiana gave Ethan a gentle look, her voice soft but firm. “You’ll listen to the doctor, right?”

Ethan nodded, glancing at her, then at Emma, who was watching him with her big, serious eyes. He reached over and ruffled her hair gently. “Don’t worry, kiddo. I’m not going anywhere.”

Emma’s lip trembled a little, but she held herself together, crossing her arms with a small huff. “You better not,” she muttered with all the seriousness a five–year–old could muster. “Or I’ll be mad.”

We all laughed, and Ethan’s eyes softened as he looked at her. “Guess I don’t wanna make

you

mad, huh?”

around him in a gentle hug, careful not to press against his bandaged stomach. He closed his eyes, exhaling, and leaned into the hug, letting himself relax just a little. I could see him gathering strength

okay,” she whispered, her voice soft and a little shaky. “We’re all here

he couldn’t quite look her in the

for us. Here was my son, reassuring us all, even though he was the one who’d gone through something frightening and painful. Pride filled

it gently. “You scared us, you know, I said, my voice low, fighting to keep the emotion in check. “But you did

that small response, I could feel the weight of everything he was holding back, trying

a note on his chart. “He’s doing well,

08:00 Thu,

Chapter 124

nodded, her hand resting lightly on Ethan’s. “We’ll be back tomorrow,

E

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to smile through the obvious exhaustion settling over him. “I’ll be

leaned over and kissed his cheek, whispering, “Goodnight, Ethan.” Then she took my hand, looking up at me

last time to see

Christiana exhaled, the relief evident as she leaned back against the wall for a moment, her shoulders sagging. Without a thought, I reached out, took her hand, and gave it

her small face

down, brushing back a strand of Emma’s hair. “Yes, sweetheart. He’s going to

hospital and into the quiet of the night, a calm settled over me, a sense of peace knowing that, for now, we were

and I ended up in the kitchen, both of us too awake, too wound up to sleep just yet. I