Ch. 501..510
Chapter 501 Arissa Makes Breakfast
When Ethen realized it was getting late, he informed Benjamin of the fact.
“Mr. Graham, it’s pretty late now. You should shower and get some rest. We’ll take care of Mdm. Mary.”
Benjamin threw Ethen a glance and nodded.
When Ethen was on his way out, Shaun grabbed his hand. “I want to return to Dellmoor.”
Ethen was dumbfounded.
“Mr. Graham is just too much. Doesn’t he know how great a doctor I am? How can he not trust my judgment? In that case, why did he even call me here?” Shaun fumed.
Tickled by Shaun’s reaction, Ethen teased him, “Mr. Bailey, hasn’t Mr. Graham been doubting your medical credentials all this while? So, why don’t you calm down and figure out how to treat Mdm. Mary instead? By proving yourself to him, Mr. Graham won’t ever doubt you again.”
“I’ve always been very successful, all right?”
Rolling his eyes at Ethen, Shaun headed toward Mary’s room and took her blood pressure.
In the meantime, Benjamin stayed with his son for a while before dropping Arissa a message and taking a shower.
Once he came out of the bathroom, he checked in on Mary to see how she was.
When he saw Ethen watching over her in the room, he instructed, “You should get some rest. Let the nurse and bodyguards take over.”
“Understood, Mr. Graham.”
Ethen was touched by the fact that Benjamin had shown him concern.
After staying for a while longer, Benjamin returned to the room next door to sleep with his son.
Watching Tim in deep sleep, Benjamin frowned slightly before laying down beside him and putting his arm around his feeble-looking son to sleep.
He had not caught a single wink after more than thirty hours. Throughout that entire time, he was looking for his son while worrying about Arissa.
After the entire shebang, he could finally relax and drifted into sleep the moment his eyes closed.
The next day, Arissa woke up at four. When she saw the kitchenette in the suite, she instructed the suite’s butler to bring her some ingredients. Subsequently, she began to busy herself.
When Gavin woke up and saw Arissa in the kitchen, he rushed to her side at once.
“Mommy!”
When she saw that he was awake, Arissa lips curled.
She asked softly, “Sweetheart, why are you up so early? You should go back to sleep.”
“Mommy, it’s only five in the morning. What are you doing up so early?”
Gavin rubbed his eyes. What time did Mommy wake up?
“I was already awake. So, I decided to make something delicious!” Arissa replied with a smile.
After wiping her hands clean, she led him out. “You should go back to sleep.”
Gavin threw her a glance. “Mommy, I don’t want to sleep anymore. Instead, I want to cook with you.”
Arissa narrowed her gaze at him. “Aren’t you sleepy?”
He shook his head with a grin. “Not anymore. I want to learn how to cook from you!”
Arissa beamed. “Fine. In that case, you should go wash your face first.”
“Mmm-hmm!” Filled with delight, Gavin ran off to do as he was told.
Arissa smiled to herself before returning to the kitchen to cook oatmeal porridge. Halfway through the process, she proceeded to make buns.
Having brushed his teeth and washed his face at lightning speed, Gavin hurried back to help.
“Mommy, what should I do?”
Arissa gave him a look. “Help me shape the buns first.”
She put the dough she had prepared in front of him.
Sitting by the dining table, Gavin focused on his task. “Mommy, just like that?”
“That’s right!”
Once the oatmeal porridge was done, Arissa joined her son in shaping the buns.
While both of them were busy in the kitchen, Zachary woke up to use the bathroom.
When he caught a glimpse of Arissa and Gavin cooking in the kitchen, he hurried up to them.
“Both of you are up early!”
Arissa grinned at him. “You too!”
Zachary nodded.
“Mommy woke up even earlier!”
Gavin asked Zachary, “Do you want to help us shape the buns?”
“Sure!” Zachary agreed before running off to wash his face.
With another pair of hands, their task was made a lot easier.
Subsequently, Arissa taught both of them how to shape the buns.
By the time it was six, breakfast was ready.
Chapter 502 Do As You Will
“Can you check if the three other sleepyheads are awake?” Arissa instructed the two boys.
“Sure!”
After Zachary and Gavin grunted in acknowledgment, they went to check if their other three siblings were up.
Jesse was usually the one who liked to sleep in the most. But that morning, she got up and washed her face quicker than her other two brothers when she heard that they were going to the hospital to visit Tim.
After serving six bowls of oatmeal porridge, Arissa packed a few more before calling the children for breakfast.
“Come and have your breakfast quickly. After that, we’ll be heading to the hospital.”
“Mmm-hmm!”
The five children took their seats obediently and started digging in.
Given the scrumptious breakfast spread she had prepared, Arissa was delighted to see the children enjoy every bit of it.
“Mommy, you should finish up quickly too!”
Gavin was curious when he saw her standing there and watching them eat instead.
“You guys can go ahead. I’m waiting for the butler to bring up some breakfast. He should be arriving anytime now.”
Arissa peeked outside to take a look.
“Mommy, you can eat while you wait!” Zachary called out.
“Mmm-hmm!” Arissa took her seat and began to serve the children.
“Slow down, there’s no need to hurry!”
Giggling at the same time, the children teased her, “Mommy, just a second ago, you were telling us to hurry up!”
“Why do you have to pick on me?” Arissa retorted with a smile.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Oliver got to his feet. “I’ll get it!”
Arissa beamed as she allowed him to do so.
It was the butler delivering breakfast. One portion was packed to go while the other was served on a platter that contained a smorgasbord of exquisite-looking food.
“Mrs. Graham, kids, please enjoy!” the butler greeted with a bow before leaving.
After Arissa was briefly astounded, she put the packed portion aside before continuing breakfast with the children.
“Mommy, this is delicious! You should try one!”
Jesse handed Arissa one of the hors d’oeuvres.
“Thank you, sweetheart!” Arissa received it.
At the same time, Jasper and Oliver served her some too. “Mommy, you should have more. You deserve them!”
Arissa curled her lips. “All right.”
At the sight of the children enjoying their food, she was filled with bliss.
“Mommy, did you sleep well last night?”
Arissa nodded in response to Oliver’s glance. “Yes, I slept through the entire night. How about you?”
She swept her gaze across every single one of the children.
“We slept very well too. What time did Gavin and Zachary wake up?”
Smiling with his eyes, Jasper shot Gavin and Zachary a glance.
“By the time I woke up at five-thirty, Mommy and Gavin were already up.”
Jasper and Oliver gaped in shock.
“I woke up at five, while Mommy was up even earlier. Probably around four something,” Gavin explained to his brothers.
Jesse felt embarrassed. “You didn’t wake us. If not, we could’ve helped with preparing breakfast.”
Breaking into a smile, Arissa stroked Jesse’s head. “You? Are you sure you won’t sleep in?”
Jesse looked down with an awkward pout, causing her brothers to burst into laughter.
“Sweethearts, Mommy will need to take care of Mdm. Mary and Tim after this. Hence, I’ll have less time for you lot. But, don’t feel disappointed because I love all of you!”
Worried that they would feel neglected, Arissa mentally prepared the children.
“Mommy, we understand. You should go ahead and do what you need to. Besides, we’ll be at the hospital with you too. Won’t you still be there for us?”
Zachary wasn’t bothered by it, for he clearly understood the circumstances.
Gavin added, “Mommy, since we have just found our brother, you should spend more time with him. We understand and won’t hold it against him.”
Oliver agreed, “Mommy, there’s no need to be worried. You should just focus on taking care of Tim. I won’t be jealous.”
Chapter 503 Not Avoiding Her Hand
Jasper interrupted, “I won’t be jealous too, just like how you spent more time with Gavin back then.”
Not to be left out, Jesse declared, “Mommy, I feel the same as they do. Now that I’m big enough, I can help you take care of Mdm. Mary and Tim!”
Arissa’s heart warmed upon hearing the chorus of support from the children.
She tousled their heads affectionately. “I can’t wish for more wonderful children. Remember to play with Tim more!”
“Mmm-hmm, Mommy, we will!”
Given that Gavin was the eldest, he promised to take the lead. “Mommy, is Tim really the second child, and I’m the eldest?”
Looking at her son, Arissa thought about what Danna said and felt that Tim was the second child.
“Mmm-hmm, Tim is second-in-line. Congratulations Gavin, you have another younger brother!” Arissa said softly to Gavin, who broke into a vibrant smile.
“Mommy, I’ll take care of him, so don’t you worry!”
Arissa, too, was delighted by his response. “Mmm-hmm, I’m proud of you for knowing how to care for your younger siblings.”
When Gavin blushed after being praised, all his other siblings couldn’t resist laughing, causing his cheeks to redden further.
“Haha! Gavin is embarrassed!”
Everyone guffawed till their stomachs ached.
When Arissa saw how awkward her son looked, she cleared her throat to signal to the rest to tone down.
“Finish your food quickly. If we are late, Tim and the others will have to go hungry.”
The five children complied immediately.
After breakfast, Arissa got everyone changed before taking them to the hospital with the packed food in hand.
It wasn’t until she was on her way there that she saw Benjamin’s message: I’ve explained everything to him.
Arissa dug her fingers into her pants. Does Tim believe it?
She replied: How did he take it?
Benjamin: We’ll discuss it when you get here.
Arissa’s eye glistened. Did he just wake up, or was he up the whole night?
By the time they arrived at the hospital, it was only seven.
Arissa quickly led the children upstairs.
In the meantime, Benjamin and Tim were already awake, while Ethen hadn’t returned after being sent out to buy breakfast.
Mary, too, had just gotten out of bed, and Tim was helping her wash her face.
“Daddy!”
Leading his brothers, Gavin was the first to rush into the ward, while Arissa came up from behind with Jesse in tow.
“Good morning, Mr. Graham!”
“Good morning, Tim! Good morning, Mdm. Mary!” the children greeted warmly.
“Good morning!” Mary acknowledged with a smile. “I didn’t expect you to be here so early!”
“Mdm. Mary, we came by early because Mommy has prepared breakfast for both you and Tim,” Gavin explained.
Benjamin informed Gavin, “Mdm. Mary needs to go for a checkup, so she can’t have breakfast yet.”
“In that case, Tim can start first.”
The other four children put the food down.
As Arissa led Jesse into the room, she said to Mary, “Mdm. Mary, you can have breakfast once you finish your medical examination.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Mary nodded as she ushered them to sit.
“Mdm. Mary, did you sleep well last night?” Arissa expressed her concern.
“Yes, very well in fact,” Mary replied with a smile, for that was the best sleep she had in ages.
Arissa’s mind was put at ease when she saw how spirited Mary looked.
She then said to Benjamin, “I brought you some breakfast, you can have it together with Tim.”
Benjamin cocked a brow, as he was surprised that he had a portion too. “Sure.”
“Tim, come over here for breakfast,” Arissa called out.
Turning around to meet Arissa’s gentle gaze, Tim replied softly, “I’ll eat together with Grandma later.”
“Tim, I don’t even know when my examination will finish. You should just eat together with your daddy,” Mary urged him.
“Come.” Arissa reached out to pull him over.
When she saw that he didn’t avoid her hand, she was elated.
“Tim, come over. Mommy made all this just for you!” Zachary invited Tim, while Jesse went forward to pull his hand.
“Tim, Mommy woke up at four to prepare breakfast for you. It’s very delicious, so you have to eat it while it’s hot!”
Tim raised his gaze at Arissa.
Mommy cooked something for me?
Chapter 504 Being Fed By Mommy
Meanwhile, Benjamin’s eyes glistened as he looked in Arissa’s direction. Did she wake up at four? That means she only got a few hours of sleep!
Arissa beamed at Tim. “I made them after I woke up! Also, some of them were prepared by the hotel. Therefore, you can choose to eat whatever you fancy.”
She led Tim to the sofa and sat him down.
“Let’s try some oatmeal porridge first, how about that?”
As she glanced at Tim with anticipation, the latter looked at her before shifting his attention to Mary.
“Go on, I’ll be eating later,” Mary urged with a wave of her hand.
“Thank you, Ms. York!” Tim remarked before lowering his gaze again.
Delighted that he wasn’t as distant as he was the day before, Arissa gently stroked his head.
After pouring a bowl of oatmeal porridge, she began to cool it down by blowing it.
After mixing it with a spoon, Arissa blew further before attempting to feed Tim some.
“Ms. York, I can eat by myself.”
When Tim wanted to take the bowl, Arissa avoided his hands and glanced at him with anticipation. “Let me feed you.”
Danny pursed his lips before taking some.
“Is it good?”
Staring at Tim, Arissa was worried that he didn’t like it.
Tim nodded in response as his heart was moved by the gesture.
So, this is how it feels like to be fed by Mommy.
Arissa smiled in delight. “Careful, it’s hot!”
When Benjamin saw how engrossed she was with their son, he cleared his throat to get her attention.
Only then did she turn around and notice him.
“What’s wrong with you? Do you have a sore throat?”
Cognizant that he did it on purpose, the five children glared at him with contempt.
As for Tim, he looked at Benjamin naively, thinking that the latter was sick.
“Mr. Graham, are you feeling under the weather?”
Did Mr. Graham catch a cold because I kicked away the blanket last night?
Meanwhile, Benjamin felt as if he was on cloud nine when Tim expressed concern for him.
Hence, he tousled the latter’s hair. “No, I’m not.”
After Arissa ascertained that he wasn’t sick, she retracted her gaze and continued feeding her son oatmeal porridge.
“You should quickly have your breakfast too.”
After hearing Arissa’s words, Benjamin grunted before sitting down for breakfast.
At the same time, Gavin hurried to Mary’s side as she was worried that she would be bored.
“Mdm. Mary, when is your checkup supposed to be?”
“Seven thirty,” Mary replied cordially.
Knitting his brows, Gavin mumbled, “Can’t it be any earlier?”
He then turned toward Benjamin. “Daddy, can’t you get Mr. Bailey to bring it forward?”
The earlier Mdm. Mary completes her examination, the sooner she can eat.
Benjamin shot his eldest son a glance. “Mdm. Mary has just woken up and needs some time before the checkup.”
Gavin understood at once.
Subsequently, Zachary and the others went up to chat with Mary to distract her from the aroma, for they were worried that it would make her hungry.
“Let’s go and eat next door.” Benjamin suggested to Arissa.
Briefly stunned, Arissa quickly realized he was right.
“Sure.”
She lowered her head and asked Tim, “Sweetheart, shall we eat in the next room?”
Tim looked at her and nodded.
“Benjamin, pack up and bring the food over,” Arissa instructed.
Subsequently, Arissa held her bowl in one hand and led Tim over with the other.
After being ordered around, Benjamin furrowed his brows. However, when he saw that all the food was prepared for him and Tim, he had no choice but to bring them all over.
“Mdm. Mary, I’ll be taking Tim next door to have breakfast,” Arissa informed.
“You should just eat here. Don’t worry about it.”
Mary was touched when she saw how considerate they were to her.
“It’s better if we go over. Benjamin doesn’t like others watching him eat.”
After Arissa explained to Mary, the latter broke into a smile, while Benjamin was stumped.
“Gavin, pour a glass of water for Mdm. Mary,” Benjamin instructed his son before bringing their breakfast next door.
In the meantime, Arissa continued to feed Tim oatmeal porridge attentively. Moreover, she would constantly clean the corners of his mouth while doing so.
“Sweetheart, one more.”
Given that she had added more ingredients to the food, it tasted a lot more tantalizing.
At that moment, Benjamin threw his gaze at both mother and son.
“What time did you sleep last night?”
He arranged the food on the table.
Chapter 505 Tim Burns His Lips
“Around midnight. I slept right after supper,” Arissa answered as her gaze remained fixed on her son.
Benjamin frowned at her. “Since you woke up at four, how is that enough sleep?”
Arissa gave Benjamin the side-eye and didn’t comment. Once she was done feeding him oatmeal porridge, she showed him the other items from breakfast.
“Sweetheart, look at all this food. Go on and eat whatever you fancy! These are for you and Daddy, for I have kept a separate portion warm for Mdm. Mary,” Arissa explained in a gentle tone.
Greeted by the scrumptious spread on the table, Tim gulped as he was spoilt for choice.
Sensing his shyness, Arissa handed him a bun with a smile.
“Here, try this bun first.”
“Tim, Mommy made the buns herself. They’re very yummy!”
Jesse came over and leaned herself against the back of his chair. Beaming at Tim, she looked extremely adorable with the gap between her teeth.
With a twitch of his lips, Tim handed one to Jesse. “You can have it.”
Jesse shook her head in delight. “We had breakfast before we came. You should quickly dig in, it’s really good.”
Jesse’s cutesy voice sounded especially mellifluous.
After giving her a look and shifting his gaze toward Arissa, Tim lowered his head and took a bite.
“Careful, it’s hot!”
Before Arissa could finish, Tim stuck out his tongue after scalding himself.
“Let me see!” Arissa’s heart ached.
Knitting her brows, she gestured for Tim to show her his tongue.
However, he covered his mouth and blushed.
“It’s nothing.”
Detecting his embarrassment, she tousled his hair.
“Sweetheart, open up so that I can see if it’s serious. Aaahhh…” she urged.
Meanwhile, Benjamin poured a glass of ice water and handed it over. “Get him to hold it in his mouth.”
After receiving it, she gave Tim a drink. “Don’t swallow, just hold it.”
Tim lowered his head and complied.
At the same time, Jesse frowned at what happened. “Tim’s mouth must be hurting, as the bun was still steaming.”
Given its piping hot contents, it was easy for one to be scalded.
“I should have warned you about it,” Arissa remarked remorsefully.
Tim gave her a look but didn’t blame her.
“Sweetheart, spit out the water and hold another mouthful.”
Arissa brought the trash bin over for Tim. Once he released the water in his mouth, she fed him another round.
Tim finally felt a lot better after repeating the process a few times.
“How is it?”
Arissa had no choice but to ask as she couldn’t see his tongue.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Just when Tim was going to continue eating his bun, Arissa stopped him. “Let me blow it for you. As long as your mouth still hurts, you should have something else first. You can leave the bun for later.”
Arissa looked carefully at her son, worried that he would burn himself again.
“I’ll have the bun still!”
Lowering his head, he blew on the bun to cool it further before digging in.
Watching her son eating quietly, a blissful expression descended upon Arissa’s face.
Once he was done with the bun, she served him something else.
“Sweetheart, this croissant from the hotel is exceptionally tasty. Try it!”
“Mmm-hmm, Tim, they’re really good. I had two of them in the morning.”
Jesse flashed two fingers in a cutesy manner.
Glancing in her direction, Tim asked softly, “Do you want more?”
Despite shaking her head, she couldn’t stop herself from salivating.
Arissa was amused by their exchange. Her heart was warmed further when she saw Tim stuffing one at Jesse still.
When Benjamin noticed that Arissa’s attention was solely focused on the kids, he furrowed his brows. “Let him eat himself.”
Arissa quickly realized he was upset when she saw the look on his face.
“Why?”
Benjamin swept his gaze in her direction and reminded her, “You’re just making him too shy to eat.”
When Arissa returned her attention to Tim, she saw him glance at them before going back to his food.
As a result, she stroked his hair affectionately. “Sweetheart, take your time. I’ll be going back to the other room to chat with Mdm. Mary.”
Chapter 506 Absolute Sweethearts
Arissa wished to accompany her son, but she knew he felt a little uncomfortable when she was around.
Thus, she decided to stay away for a bit or she might have the urge to feed him more food.
“Thank you, Ms. York!” Tim piped up gratefully.
“You’re welcome!”
Arissa fondly stroked Tim’s head before addressing Benjamin, “Sit with him while he takes his breakfast. I’m going to visit Mdm. Mary.”
Benjamin mumbled an acknowledgment of her words.
Meanwhile, Jesse declared, “I’ll sit with them while they eat breakfast, Mommy.”
As she spoke, she ran toward Tim and sat beside him, shooting him an eager stare.
Arissa smiled and said, “Don’t keep staring at your Tim, Jesse!”
“Oh!” Jesse looked away briefly before returning her stare to Tim.
Benjamin stared at the adorable girl and waved her over, calling out, “Jesse! Come and sit beside me.”
She glanced at her father before replying, “I like Tim. I want to sit with him.”
Her rejection rendered Benjamin speechless.
Meanwhile, Arissa stared at them one last time before she turned and left. She headed to the neighboring ward to check in on Mary.
Zachary, Oliver, Gavin, and Jasper greeted her at the same time, “Mommy!”
Arissa chastised, “Don’t be so loud. You’ll disturb Mdm. Mary. She’s not feeling well.”
“Nonsense! They’re not noisy at all. I feel much better with the children around. They liven up the room!” Mary immediately defended the children.
Smiling, Arissa replied, “You should get some rest, Mdm. Mary.”
Then, she poured the elderly woman a glass of water and added, “Keep yourself hydrated! You’re going for an ultrasound first.”
Mary nodded and drank the water.
Arissa then turned her attention to her children and asked, “Sweethearts, have you all seen Mr. Bailey?”
“Mr. Bailey just left!” Gavin continued, “Mommy, are you looking for him?”
She nodded and explained, “I’ll look for him and see if we can bring the check-up forward.”
“I’ll get him, Mommy!” Zachary offered and ran out the door.
He shouted, “Mr. Bailey! My mommy’s looking for you!”
Arissa was tickled by her son’s actions. Soon enough, Shaun strolled into Mary’s ward.
“Mrs. Graham! Are you looking for me?”
Unamused but too lazy to correct the way he addressed her, Arissa asked, “Can Mdm. Mary go for her ultrasound scan now?”
“Yes. We can bring the test forward. I’ll make the arrangements.”
After replying to Arissa, Shaun approached Mary and asked, “Do you need to use the restroom, Grandma? We’ll begin with the ultrasound scan shortly.”
“Yes, I think I’ll need a trip to the restroom.”
Mary had not gone to the restroom since waking up that morning. The doctor had informed her last night that the staff needed to inspect her urine and feces from then on.
“All right! We’ll go now.”
Shaun supported Mary as she got out of bed, and Arissa stepped forward to help out.
Her four sons steadied the wheelchair for Mary.
Arissa cautioned, “Be careful, Mdm. Mary!”
She and Shaun gently placed the elderly woman in the wheelchair.
Arissa wheeled Mary out of the ward just as the latter reminded, “My crutches!”
Gavin rushed forward with the crutches and said, “Here they are, Mdm. Mary!”
Arissa turned toward her four sons and corrected, “All of you should address Mdm. Mary as Grandma.”
Then, she asked, ”Why don’t you all stay in the ward instead of following us?”
“We want to go too!” Zachary piped up.
Oliver and Jasper both nodded in agreement and said, “We’ll follow Grandma!”
Arissa smiled and shook her head wordlessly at her children’s behavior. She turned and wheeled Mary out of the ward after Shaun.
“Mommy, should we tell Tim?” Gavin lifted his head and asked Arissa.
She shook her head and replied, “No. He’s still eating breakfast.”
Her eldest son nodded and smiled. “Okay, let’s not disturb Tim while he’s having breakfast.”
Just then, Shaun turned around and offered, “Why don’t I help Mdm. Mary alone?”
Arissa shook her head and insisted, “It’s fine. It’s not hard labor!”
Their sincerity warmed Mary’s heart.
She asked, “Why did you come over so early in the morning? You should sleep more, Issa. Aren’t you tired?”
Arissa explained, “I fell asleep once I got home. When I woke up to use the bathroom, I felt refreshed and couldn’t fall back asleep. Hence, I decided to prepare some breakfast and visit the hospital earlier.”
“We can’t eat much. You could’ve bought something along the way. It must’ve been exhausting for you to cook for us in the morning!” Mary exclaimed.
Chapter 507 Collecting Samples
Arissa merely replied to Mary, “It’s not tiring, Mdm. Mary. I have to prepare breakfast for Gavin and the rest anyway, so it was no trouble to make a little extra! Gavin and Zachary helped out too. Don’t worry about it!”
Mary smiled at the young woman’s efforts to reassure her.
Once they arrived at the examination room, Arissa accompanied Mary inside.
Mary advised, “Why don’t you wait outside, Issa? The doctor and nurse will tend to me.”
“It’s fine. I don’t have anything else to do, so I’ll sit with you.”
Arissa promptly refuted Mary’s arguments and assisted the old woman onto the hospital bed under the doctor’s instructions.
She eventually sat with Mary throughout the entire examination while Gavin, Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper waited outside.
Outside, Shaun reminded the four boys, “Be good boys while you wait here. I’m going to check on Mdm. Mary.”
He did not trust the doctor in this hospital to do a careful enough job of examining Mary.
Gavin quickly piped up, “Don’t worry, Mr. Bailey. Hurry on inside!”
He promised he would look after his younger brothers.
Shaun glanced at them before telling a bodyguard to keep an eye on the boys. Then, he entered the examination room.
Once he was inside, he coaxed, “Please relax, Mdm. Mary.”
He also checked the ultrasonogram.
At the same time, Shaun caught the doctor’s attention and pointed at the ultrasonogram, “Move the wand a bit. Look over here!”
Arissa grew nervous as she observed Shaun frowning and appearing more serious.
She would have asked if something was horribly wrong if Mary was not in the room.
The examination was completed ten minutes later. Arissa cleaned the ultrasound gel off Mary’s abdomen and helped her to her feet.
She also asked, “Can Mdm. Mary use the restroom now, Mr. Bailey?”
“Right, remember to collect samples of her urine and feces,” reminded Shaun.
Arissa grabbed Mary’s crutches and assisted the woman as she walked.
Meanwhile, Mary knitted her brows and asked Shaun, “Were there any major issues during the examination?”
Calmly, Shaun answered, “Everything’s fine. There might be some inflammation, but it’s not a big deal.”
That earned him a disbelieving stare from Mary, which prompted Shaun to insist, “Everything’s really fine. It’s just some inflammation. We’ll need to do some more tests to check on everything else.”
With that, Shaun hastily helped Mary to hobble out of the room.
Arissa coaxed her, “Don’t worry, Mdm. Mary. Let’s just focus on the tests for now!”
“All right!” Mary nodded in response.
After helping Mary into the restroom, Arissa left to retrieve some sample cups.
Still, she called out worriedly, “Can you support yourself in there, Mdm. Mary?”
“Yes!”
Mary received the sample cups from Arissa and entered a cubicle. “Just wait outside, Issa!”
“I’ll wait here. Once you’re done, pass the sample cups to me under the cubicle door. I’ll hand it to the doctor for further tests.”
At the same time, Arissa explained the usage instructions of the sample cup to Mary.
Horrified by Arissa’s lack of disgust, Mary sputtered, “It’s fine. Really, I’ll do it myself! It’s too dirty.”
Arissa merely smiled and reassured her, “It’s fine. Don’t hold it in for too long, Mdm. Mary. It’s not good for your body.”
Mary eventually relented and collected her urine and feces samples.
“Once you’ve urinated, Mdm. Mary, pass me the urine sample cup first. Be careful not to spill it.”
“I’ll give it to the doctor!” Mary did not want Arissa to dirty her hands touching the sample cup.
Arissa stood her ground. “It’s fine. Quick, pass it out to me, or I’ll stay in the restroom until you do so!”
Alas, Mary lost their argument, and she capped the sample cup tightly before handing it to Arissa.
The younger woman placed it in a basket before calling out, “Have something to clean your hands, Mdm. Mary!”
Then, she passed two pieces of wet wipes under the cubicle door.
“All right, Issa. Off you go now!”
Mary immediately urged her to leave after receiving the wet wipes.
“You have enough tissues inside, right?”
Arissa only left with the urine sample cup after Mary’s confirmation.
She shouted, “Just wait for a bit once you’re done, Mdm. Mary. I’ll be back in a jiff!”
With that, Arissa finally left the restroom.
Shaun was waiting right outside the door and said, “You can hand it to me.”
He was surprised that Arissa did not mind touching the sample cup at all.
Chapter 508 Do You Dislike Me
Arissa asked Shaun softly, “Were you telling the truth about Mdm. Mary’s examination? Is everything really okay?”
“Yes!” Shaun nodded firmly and replied, “Once Mdm. Mary comes out of the restroom, bring her back to the same examination room as before. We have more tests to conduct.”
Arissa nodded. As a woman herself, she immediately knew what tests Shaun was referring to.
However, Gavin, Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper shared looks of confusion.
Jasper was the first to ask, “Mommy, hasn’t Grandma finished her tests? Why does she need to do it again? Will she still need to hold in her pee?”
Oliver tacked on and questioned, “Yeah, Mommy. Aren’t all the tests done?”
Gavin and Zachary stared at her expectantly as well.
Arissa felt awkward about explaining things to them, and she chastised them, “You’re just kids. Don’t ask so many questions!”
“We’re asking because we don’t know!” Jasper mumbled before pouting.
His reaction drew a smile out of Arissa, who declared, “I’m going into the restroom to check on Mdm. Mary.”
“Okay. Don’t worry, Mommy. We won’t run off!” Gavin promised earnestly.
His sense of responsibility relieved Arissa to no end.
She glanced at the four kids one last time before hurrying into the restroom.
“Are you done, Mdm. Mary?”
“Not yet! Just wait for me outside!” Mary added, “I’ll shout for you when I’m done!”
“Sure!” Arissa left the restroom and waited outside with her children.
Back in Tim’s ward, the young boy glanced at Benjamin shyly before muttering, “I’m full now, Mr. Graham. I want to look for Grandma!”
Benjamin stared at Tim and noticed the concern in his expression. Nonetheless, he placed a breakfast platter before the boy and cajoled, “Have some more of these. If you aren’t well-fed, your mommy will nag my ear off later!”
“Eat a little more, Tim. Mommy, my brothers, and even Mr. Bailey are looking after Mdm. Mary. Don’t worry!” Jesse chimed in to coax her brother to eat.
Tim stared at them before eating a small omelet. Then, he claimed he was full and asked to see Mary.
Benjamin mussed the boy’s hair and said, “You need to pay attention when you’re eating!”
His stern expression frightened Tim into silence.
Benjamin sighed softly when Tim obediently ate his breakfast.
Jesse, who hid behind Tim, shot Benjamin several furtive glances.
Her behavior caught her father’s attention, and he arched his brow while asking, “Was I that scary?”
The little girl hastily shook her head, drawing a chuckle out of Benjamin.
He asked, “Why are you hiding?”
Jesse thought to herself, I’m scared of you!
Her silence prompted Benjamin to drop the topic. He did not want to scare the kids further with his questioning.
Just then, Ethen entered the ward with some breakfast in hand. He was surprised to see that Benjamin had almost cleared his plate.
“Mr. Graham, have you and Tim eaten?”
“We’re eating now.” Benjamin glanced at his assistant and ordered coolly, “You can share the breakfast with the other staff!”
“Noted!” Ethen nodded and left, but not before casting a brief look at the two children and Benjamin.
“Ms. York is here? She’s so early!” Ethen’s comment caught Benjamin’s attention, and the latter replied, “She brought breakfast for us.”
The corner of Ethen’s lips twitched with amusement as he asked, “Why didn’t you say so earlier, Mr. Graham?”
I had to travel so far to get breakfast fitting for Mr. Graham’s picky palate.
Benjamin raised a brow and retorted, “I didn’t know she would come with breakfast!”
His response rendered Ethen speechless.
Still, Ethen was smart enough not to continue challenging his boss on the topic, and he wisely strolled over to the bodyguards to share the breakfast.
It was nothing short of a feast, and they gladly enjoyed the meal.
Once Tim had eaten as much as he could, Benjamin allowed the boy to leave.
“You can look for your grandma now.”
Tim immediately sped toward the neighboring room.
Alarmed, Benjamin called out, “Walk slowly! You just ate.”
Thankfully, the young boy slowed his pace, and Jesse ran up to him to hold his hand. “Let’s go together, Tim.”
Unaccustomed to physical closeness, Tim pulled his hand out of Jesse’s grasp.
His sister was devastated and stared at him with red-rimmed eyes.
“Do you dislike me, Tim?”
Her pitiful expression would cause anyone’s heart to ache.
Chapter 509 An Adorable Younger Sister
Tim was taken aback by Jesse’s tears. He hastily explained, “No, no, it’s not that!”
He caught her hand, and Jesse smiled happily at him. She exclaimed, “My brother doesn’t dislike me!”
Tim’s heart softened at her adorable proclamation. At the same time, he reached out to wipe away the tears on Jesse’s lashes.
He used to envy Nathan for having a younger sister, yet now he had one of his own, who was as cute as a doll.
Tim was upset at himself for making his sister cry.
“Don’t cry, okay! I like you a lot!” he flushed slightly as he cajoled Jesse.
Jesse’s eyes sparkled with joy, and she squealed, “Hehe, my brother likes me! Did you hear that, Mr. Graham? He likes me!”
She could not resist sharing her excitement with Benjamin.
“Yes, I did!” came Benjamin’s reply.
He was relieved that the two children had made up.
It’s obviously more effective for the children to approach Tim instead of we adults.
Meanwhile, Jesse wrapped her arms around Tim’s neck and said, “I like you too, Tim. I like you very, very, very much!”
She planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek, causing her brother to blush further.
“Let’s look for Grandma, Tim!”
Jesse now clung to Tim’s arm and began walking outside.
“Okay!” Tim replied sweetly before trailing his sister.
The neighboring ward was, however, empty when the two children arrived.
“Grandma!” Tim yelped in concern.
Jesse wondered out loud, “Where is she?”
Her gaze roved over the empty room as she comforted him, “Don’t worry, Tim. Maybe Mommy brought Grandma elsewhere for some tests!”
“You’re right.” After calming himself down, Tim realized it was highly likely that Arissa had accompanied Mary to an examination.
Jesse turned to stare at Tim and piped up, “Why don’t we ask Mr. Graham?”
“Okay!”
Tim led her back to his ward to find Benjamin. A question niggled at his mind, and he asked, “Why do you call your daddy Mr. Graham?”
Jesse shot him a mysterious smile and returned, “Do you want to know why, Tim?”
He nodded curiously.
Jesse giggled and said, “We call him Mr. Graham because we haven’t acknowledged him as our daddy!”
Her explanation merely confused Tim.
Noticing his expression, Jesse added cutely, “Let’s look for Mdm. Mary. I’ll tell you more about it later!”
Then, she ran into the ward and spoke to Benjamin. “Mommy and my brothers are missing, Mr. Graham. So is Grandma!”
Tim chimed in, “Did they go for some tests?”
Benjamin got to his feet and stroked Tim’s hair. “I’ll call your mommy and ask her about it.”
He quickly dialed Arissa’s number, and she picked up after the phone rang for some time.
“What’s going on?”
Her gentle voice drifted through the receiver. Benjamin asked, “Did you bring Mdm. Mary away for some tests?”
“I did. She’s doing an ultrasound at the gynecology department.”
“Which floor is that?” Benjamin shot Tim a reassuring glance while he awaited Arissa’s reply.
“It’s near the consultation rooms on the fourth floor!”
“Okay. We’ll be there in a bit.” He hung up after that.
Benjamin addressed the kids, “Mdm. Mary is doing some check-ups. I’ll bring you to see her.”
As he walked out of the ward, he scooped both children into his arms.
Tim uttered softly, “Mr. Graham, I can head over there myself. Just let me know where she is. You should have your breakfast.”
Benjamin lowered his head and glanced at Tim. “I’m full!”
The young boy met his stare before settling in the crook of Benjamin’s strong arm. Tim felt safe in his hold.
Meanwhile, Jesse chimed in, “You haven’t finished your breakfast, Mr. Graham!”
She spoke as softly as she could, still frightened after Benjamin’s rather stern expression earlier.
Benjamin dismissed their words by replying, “Your mommy prepared too much food. I can’t finish everything.”
Then, he set off with the kids in search of Arissa, who sat outside Mary’s examination room with the other four children.
Arissa walked forward to greet Benjamin and the children when they arrived.
She asked, “Have you all taken breakfast?”
Benjamin nodded and explained, “Tim’s looking for Mdm. Mary, so I brought him here.”
Chapter 510 Her Hug Is Different
Arissa nodded as she ruffled Tim’s head.
“Don’t worry, Sweetheart. Your grandma is just getting some checks done.”
Tim nodded obediently.
“Thank you for accompanying Grandma.”
“You’re welcome.”
Arissa answered with a smile, “Mary is your family, which means she’s also my family. Let’s accompany her together.”
She gently caressed Tim’s face lovingly.
Tim blinked his eyes as warmth spread through him.
“I’ll carry you, okay?”
Arissa saw Benjamin had been carrying Tim and wanted to carry him for a change. I didn’t get to carry him at all.
Tim lowered his head as a response, and Arissa’s heart sank with it.
However, Tim nodded his approval a few minutes later.
Arissa’s mood brightened again with excitement.
She immediately retrieved Tim from Benjamin’s embrace with glee.
“Sweetheart, I’ve been wanting to carry you for a while now.”
Throwing any concern out the window, Arissa planted a few kisses on Tim’s cheeks.
“Sweetheart, I finally get to carry you.”
Tim shrank into her embrace as he was not used to anyone being so close to him, especially his long-lost family.
However, Arissa’s kisses didn’t repulse him; instead, they made him feel warm.
“Control yourself. Don’t scare him.”
Benjamin was carrying Jesse when he reminded Arissa.
Arissa shot Benjamin a glance, then continued pecking Tim’s face.
With a few kisses on the left cheek and another few on the right, everyone could see how much Arissa adored Tim.
Gavin, Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper laughed, watching their mom’s antics.
“Mommy, you’re going to scare him,” Zachary reminded Arissa to restrain herself.
“Tim is braver than that, am I right?” Arissa asked Tim as she caressed his face.
Her gaze was trained on Tim’s blushing cheeks.
He’s too dark. I need to make him fairer.
Tim ducked his head with shyness and stayed stiff. Their concern and Arissa’s adoration moved him.
Ms. York’s embrace is different from Mr. Graham’s. She smells nice and warm.
The warmth Tim felt spread all over his body, feeling the closeness intensified.
Arissa adoringly pinched Tim’s cheeks. “Have you eaten, Sweetheart?”
Tim nodded shyly. “Yes, I have.”
Arissa flashed him a gentle smile. “That’s good.”
She continued to carry him and studied him with glee in her eyes, unwilling to part with him.
“Ms. York, can you put me down?”
Tim was worried he would be too heavy and Arissa’s arms would hurt from carrying him.
“Ah, Oh!”
Arissa snapped out of her action and begrudgingly let Tim down.
“Mr. Graham, I want to go down too.”
Benjamin bent down and let Jesse get down on the ground at her request.
Jesse instantly ran toward Tim, grabbed his hand, and showed him off to her four brothers.
“Tim told me he liked me earlier when I was up there.”
“Really?”
Jasper was surprised and drew closer to them. Looking at Tim, he asked, “Do you like me, Tim?”
Tim focused his gaze on Jasper and nodded.
Jasper’s eyes went wide with delight as he turned to the rest of his siblings to brag excitedly.
“Did you guys see that? Tim said he liked me too.”
He turned to Arissa. “Mommy, Tim likes me too!”
“Yeah, I saw that.”
The corners of Arissa’s lips were tugged into a smile as she watched the kids getting along just fine.
“Tim, do you like me then?”
Not wanting to be left out, Oliver reached for Tim’s hand and asked.
Tim admitted softly, “I like all of you.”
Gavin’s and Zachary’s smiles grew wide at Tim’s revelation.
“We like you too, Tim!”
At that time, Mary came out.
“Mdm. Mary!”
Arissa immediately rushed to Mary’s side to help her onto the wheelchair.
“Sit tight, Mary. We need to go have your blood drawn.”
All the other checkups were done and having her blood drawn was the last on the list.
Arissa pushed Mary over to the next examination room.
“Let me take her, and you take the kids.”
Benjamin went up to Arissa and took over the wheelchair.
Arissa smiled when she saw Benjamin stooping down to do that kind of task.
“Okay, here you go.”