Chapter 88

“Honey, are you okay?” Cameron’s toothache was killing him, but the moment he noticed Kylie’s face go pale and her hand reach out for the wall, he rushed over without thinking.
Kylie shook her head slowly. “I just… I need to sit down for a bit.”
Her heart was racing all of a sudden, and she had no idea why.
Lucinda stood by the side, too scared to say anything. Was it really because of those supplements she’d bought? Had she messed things up by trying to help?
“Dad, Mom, take your medicine first.” Lydia reappeared, still holding the pills and two glasses of water. A few doctors had been gathered around her earlier, asking lots of questions.
Cameron looked at her as if she’d just saved his life, grabbing the water from her hands. “Lydia, your mom doesn’t look good.”
“She’ll be fine once she takes the medicine.”
“Okay.”
Cameron helped Kylie take her pills, then took his own. He watched Lydia with surprise and a kind of awe. “Lydia, your skills are even better than we thought.” He was starting to think she might even be more talented than Garett.
After the medicine, Kylie felt her dizziness fade away. She looked at Lydia, her heart full of pride but also breaking a little.
How old was her daughter, really? So young, yet already so accomplished in medicine. She must have worked so hard, pushed herself so much, and all without ever saying a word. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ.net
Medicine had never been easy for anyone. Kylie remembered how Garett had complained almost every day when he started. But Lydia had become even better than her big brother.
“Lydia, was it hard for you, studying medicine?” Kylie asked, her voice soft and careful.
Lydia paused, surprised. No one ever really asked her that, not since her
grandmother. She remembered how tough it was at the start, but after a while, she’d grown to love it.
“It was alright.”
Kylie’s heart twisted. Lydia didn’t complain, didn’t say a single hard word. She was just so mature.
“Lydia, you really are the pride of our family.”
Cameron nodded, his eyes shining. “Yeah, Lydia. Your mom and I are so proud of you. When Dr. Simpson was praising you earlier, I thought my heart would burst.”
Listening to all this, Lucinda felt a bitterness so sharp it almost hurt. She used to be the little princess of the Norwood family, the one everyone doted on, the one who got all the praise. Ever since Lydia came back, it was like everyone had forgotten her, especially their parents.
Why did Lydia have to come back?
“Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t bought those supplements and made that soup, none of this would’ve happened… I’m so sorry.” Lucinda’s voice broke as she started crying again.
Kylie and Cameron hurried over to comfort her.
“Lucinda, you didn’t know, sweetheart. You just wanted to help. No one blames you, not us, not Grandpa.”
“That’s right, Lucinda. You were thinking of our health. We don’t blame you at all.”
Lydia didn’t bother with Lucinda’s tears. She was already looking at her parents. “Dad, Mom, the doctors are still watching Grandpa in the ICU. Go home and get some rest. I need to head to the office.”
Kylie didn’t want Lydia to push herself so hard. “Lydia, you’ve had a long day. Why don’t you go home and rest? Leave the office for tomorrow.”
Cameron agreed right away. “Yes, Lydia. The company can wait. You need to take care of yourself first.”
Speaking of the company, Lydia turned to Kylie. “Mom, is Parker’s wife your friend?”