Chapter 686

Penelope took a deep breath and went into the room. Mrs. Stapleton was crying silently. When she saw Penelope enter, she quickly wiped her tears and turned away, as if she didn’t want to speak to her.

“You say you wouldn’t mistake your own son. Do you think Theodore would mistake his own brother?”

Mrs. Stapleton turned her head, her face grim. “What are you trying to say?”

“I have photos of Norton and that homeless man here. You can compare them.”

Penelope placed two photos side-by-side in front of Mrs. Stapleton.

Mrs. Stapleton hesitated for a moment before picking up the photos and studying them closely. “It seems… they really aren’t the same person.”

“They have a slight resemblance, but they’re clearly different people.”

Just as Penelope was about to breathe a sigh of relief that Mrs. Stapleton was nodding, she asked another question. “Is this Norton?”

Penelope was taken aback. “Of course.”

Mrs. Stapleton scrutinized the photo again. “He looked like this? For some reason… it doesn’t look like him to me.”

Penelope pressed her lips together. The photo had been taken six years ago by Timothy on his phone. He had sent it to her, and she’d had it printed.

How could it not look like him?

“I remember his hair was very long.”

“He cut it short later.”

“He loved to wear pink clothes.”

“He didn’t actually like wearing pink.”

“His skin was very fair.”

“It wasn’t so fair after he started playing basketball.”

“I actually prefer him like this, not like a girl like he used to be.”

Penelope took a sharp breath. “He dressed that way for you.”

Mrs. Stapleton laughed. “I never asked him to do that.”

Penelope felt a profound sadness. Mrs. Stapleton had no idea of the depth of Norton’s love for her, a love so vast she couldn’t comprehend even a fraction of it.

Mrs. Stapleton put down the photo of the homeless man. “It seems really was mistaken. But perhaps it’s for the best. At least Norton hasn’t lost both his arms or become a simpleton.”

That night, Penelope stayed at the hospital with Mrs. Stapleton. After Mrs. Stapleton fell asleep, she went into the hallway for some air and saw Theodore. He must have arrived at some point and was now leaning against the walk outside his hear Bowed lows his hair obscuring his face.

She walked over and leaned against the wall next to him.

She said nothing, and neither did he. They stood there in silence for a long time, but in that moment, words weren’t necessary Just feeling each other’s presence was the best form of companionship.

After a long while, Theodore spoke. “Are you free tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go see Norton together.”

“Okay.”

The next afternoon, after Mrs. Stapleton’s IV drip was finished, they took her out.

The car drove towards the outskirts of the city. Mrs. Stapleton didn’t know where they were taking her, but she didn’t ask, not until they stopped outside a cemetery. “Are you planning to have me pick out my own burial plot?”

Theodore turned from the driver’s seat to look at Mrs. Stapleton. “You wanted to see Norton. I’m taking you to see him.”

Mrs. Stapleton glanced at the cemetery outside and laughed uneasily. “You brought me here to see him? He can’t possibly live here, can he?”

“Yes, he does live here.”

Theodore got out of the car and opened the rear door.

Mrs. Stapleton’s smile froze when she heard Theodore say Norton lived here. She

didn’t get out of the car, but looked at Theodore in panic.

“Theo, what do you mean? Why would Norton be here?”

“This is a cemetery. Only the dead are here.”

“Don’t scare me. Take me away from here, now.”