Ch. 851..860
Chapter 851 Be Late
“I think we should still head upstairs, Great-grandaunt. You should lie down more!” Worry was scribbled on Zachary’s face. Oliver and Jesse nodded. “You’ll feel better if you lie down. Let’s go upstairs.”
“Go on upstairs, Great-grandaunt. We won’t play anymore. Once you get better, we’ll bring you down here again and have fun together! We can even tour around Dellmoor!” Gavin advised.
Tim, too, nodded. “You should listen to them, Great-grandaunt. Let’s head upstairs and rest.” “All right, all right. Let’s head upstairs!” With a smile, Mary nodded, not wanting to let the children worry.
Turning to Arissa, she said, “Let’s go, Issa!” With a nod, Arissa smiled and led Mary back to her ward. “Come on, kids!” All six children followed behind.
“Slow down, Mommy. Don’t push it too fast or Great-grandaunt will feel uncomfortable!” one of them suggested. “Okay!” Arissa replied with a smile before slowing her speed down.
“I’m feeling fine. The operation was successful. My stomach doesn’t hurt anymore now.” Upon smiling, Mary comforted the children. “You guys don’t have to be so apprehensive. Don’t you see I’m doing well right now?”
The children still stared at her with concern. “In that case, if you’re feeling uncomfortable, Great-grandaunt, you must quickly let us know! You can let Mommy or Mr. Bailey know too!”
The old woman was pleased to hear the concern in the children’s voices. “Okay.”
After they all returned to her ward, the children helped her lie on the bed.
“Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere, Grandaunt?” Arissa asked caringly as she tucked Mary in.
“I’m feeling fine. You and the kids don’t have to worry about me. I feel recharged after taking a stroll downstairs!” The old woman smiled and waved her hand, non-verbally asking Arissa to rest, too.
The children surrounded the bed and stared at Mary.
“Rest well, Great-grandaunt!” Gavin said.
She nodded. “You all should rest too!”
As they spoke, Shaun dropped by and gave Mary a checkup. “Is it okay if I give you an injection right now, Mdm. Mary?”
“Sure! Go ahead.” Mary nodded cooperatively.
When he saw Arissa and the children staring at the old woman worryingly, he smiled. “You all should sit at the side. Mdm. Mary is doing fine. It’s beneficial for the patient’s recovery if they spend time taking strolls from time to time.”
Arissa grinned. “I understand that, but I still can’t help but worry.”
Shaun nodded, grabbed the needle, and gave the old woman an injection.
As for the children, they used the kettle inside the ward to boil her an egg. They then rubbed the egg on the needle bruise on the back of Mary’s other hand.
The kind gesture made the elderly woman feel very touched. The smile on her wrinkled face remained for a long time.
Seeing how diligent the children were, Arissa watched from the side and let them do their thing.
It was then Benjamin called.
She answered, “Hello?”
“Have you gone to pick up the children?” he asked.
“Yes. We’re at Grandaunt’s place right now.” With a grin, she watched as the children kept Mary company.
“Okay. I still have work I need to take care of here, so I’ll be there late!” Benjamin informed.
“No need to rush. If they get hungry, I’ll buy something for them to eat. When I picked them up, I asked them if they’d eaten, and they told me they ate some snacks in school during the afternoon, so they aren’t hungry yet.”
“All right, then. Don’t just take care of the children. If you’re hungry, you should eat something too. I’ll be there once I wrap up my matters.”
“Got it. You should get back to work. I’m hanging up now!” Arissa smiled.
“Okay.”
After the call ended, she washed some fruits and asked the children to eat them.
She also brought food that Mary could eat and fed the old woman while sitting next to the bed.
Chapter 852 Meal With Benjamin
“I can eat by myself. You should eat with the children first!” Mary said. With a grin, Arissa replied, “We’ll be taking them out for a meal soon, Grandaunt. I have plenty of time to spend with them, so now I’m spending some with you.”
The old woman was delighted to hear that. She asked with a smile, “Are you having a meal with Benjamin?”
“Mhm. So, we went to pick up the marriage certificate today, right? When Mr. Watts and the others heard about that, they asked him to treat them to a meal. So we’ve decided to eat together outside.” Arissa informed Mary about it in advance because they wouldn’t have time to accompany her later.
Mary nodded with a smile. “One should invite friends out for a meal to share good news like that. You don’t have to worry about me and just enjoy yourselves. Later, Edwin will bring me food, and there are still other people in the hospital to look after me, so relax.”
Arissa nodded and ate some fruits with Mary while waiting for Benjamin to arrive. Before the man came, Darius arrived with William.
The old man brought many supplements and also Mary’s dinner, which the help in Old Manor prepared. “Old Mr. Graham…” Arissa greeted him. When the elderly man shot a glare at her, she quickly changed how she addressed him. “Dad!”
“Don’t make a mistake when addressing me in the future, all right?” He smiled brightly. Arissa nodded and took the food container in Darius’ hand. “Why did you bring so much stuff with you?”
“It’s not that much. All of these are nourishing to the body. Since Mdm. Mary just had an operation, she needs to recuperate.” Then, he asked William to put the items down in a tidy manner.
Mary greeted the visitors, “It’s not necessary to bring so many things with you when you’re visiting me. I can’t eat that much, anyway. Bring these things back with you when you’re leaving later!”
“There aren’t actually that many things inside of these packages. They just look big on the outside.” With a smirk, Darius approached the bed. “Are you feeling better?”
“Much better, thank you! You two should sit!”
“All right. You should rest. We’ll make ourselves at home.” Darius proceeded to exchange pleasantries with her.
“Come here and eat some fruits, Grandpa!” the children called out to him.
That prompted the old man to approach the kids and hug them one by one. “Remember to not make too much noise, all right? Otherwise, you’ll disturb your great-grandaunt’s rest!”
“We know!” The children nodded obediently.
Darius caressed their heads affectionately.
After Arissa placed Mary’s dinner on the nightstand, the latter reminded the former, “You should tell Edwin that there’s no need for him to deliver food to me anymore.”
“We talked to Edwin when we were coming by earlier. He probably wouldn’t be delivering food to you,” William informed.
“I think I should still give him a call and tell him that he doesn’t need to prepare dinner today.” With a grin, Arissa quickly gave Edwin a call. “We’re going out for dinner tonight, so there’s no need for you to prepare dinner, Edwin!”
Turning his head in Arissa’s direction, Darius asked, “You lot aren’t having dinner at home?”
“We’re eating outside tonight, Grandpa!” Jasper uttered.
“We aren’t returning home to eat since Daddy’s treating us.” Gavin glanced at the old man.
With a raised eyebrow, Darius asked curiously, “Your daddy’s treating you all?”
“That’s right!” Gavin nodded.
“He’s treating Mr. Watts and the others, too!” Zachary added.
Upon approaching Darius, Arissa said, “Benjamin’s treating Mr. Watts and the others to a meal. We’ll be joining them instead of having dinner back home. You should come with us, Dad!”
With a smirk, Darius rejected, “I won’t be joining you lot. An old man like me shouldn’t ruin you youngsters’ gathering.”
“You won’t! Everyone there is going to be someone you already know.” Arissa smiled.
She knew everyone who would be having dinner together with them later, so that meant Darius was familiar with them, too.
“No, no. We’ll have our meal back home. You all should go! Besides, if we’re around, you youngsters won’t feel comfortable chatting with each other.”
Chapter 853 Wife
Darius genuinely didn’t feel like joining Arissa and the others. “We’ll stay here for a while before heading home. Dinner will be waiting for us when we get back! Initially, I wanted to invite you all back to Old Manor for a meal, but since you all have decided to eat outside, then go ahead! No need to mind me.”
Arissa looked at him apologetically. “We’ll join you for dinner tomorrow, Dad!”
A chuckle escaped his mouth as he stared at her. “I’ll be waiting, then!”
“I’ll let Benjamin know about it later!”
Darius nodded.
While the children played with their grandfather, Arissa approached Mary with the intent of feeding her dinner.
“I’ll eat dinner a little later, Issa. I hadn’t digested the meal I had during the afternoon yet!” Mary smiled as she gestured for Arissa to spend time with Darius.
“In that case, feel free to eat it when you’re hungry!” Arissa tucked her under the blanket, caressed the back of her hand where she received the injection, and went to accompany Darius.
When Shaun returned to the room to refill the IV drip, he greeted Darius, “You’re here, Old Mr. Graham?”
“I just arrived!” the old man replied.
Seeing that the doctor was busy, he turned around and drank his coffee.
“Get some sleep if you’re feeling tired, Mdm. Mary,” Shaun reminded. “When you wake up, it’ll be the perfect time for you to eat!”
“I’m still not tired yet.” Grinning, Mary spoke as she watched the children talking to Darius.
Shaun nodded.
“Come here, Shaun!” Darius exclaimed.
With a smile, Arissa gestured for Shaun to come over. “Come and drink coffee with us, Mr. Bailey!”
Upon joining them, Shaun drank some coffee with Darius. “Have some more coffee, Old Mr. Graham!”
The old man chuckled. “It’s been a long while since we drank coffee together, Shaun. Say, if you keep busying about in the hospital, when are you going to find a wife?”
The edges of Shaun’s lips twitched. Now that Benjamin’s married, Old Mr. Graham is turning his attention to me?
“I’m simply too busy, Old Mr. Graham. I don’t have time to look for a partner. Do you think everyone’s like Benjamin? People don’t just suddenly have six children. I’m not as lucky as him!” He laughed.
That made Arissa feel awkward.
Darius shot a glare at Shaun before grinning. “I suppose he is quite lucky. If he didn’t come across Issa, he wouldn’t have that many children!”
“That’s why I need time to look for a partner.” A smirk surfaced on Shaun’s face.
“Your grandfather must be anxious!”
The edges of Shaun’s mouth twitched before he joked, “If you don’t bring it up in front of my grandfather, he won’t panic about it, Old Mr. Graham.”
“Your grandfather is super jealous of me!” Darius laughed.
The children stared at them unblinkingly.
Oliver joined the conversation. “When are you going to find a wife, Mr. Bailey?”
Glancing at the young boy, Shaun exclaimed, “Kids shouldn’t talk nonsense!”
Oliver stuck his tongue out.
It was then a female nurse called out for Shaun at the entrance, “Dr. Bailey?”
“What’s the matter?” Shaun turned to the door.
“Our director is looking for you!” The nurse pointed in a direction.
After thanking her, Shaun bade Darius goodbye and left. He couldn’t wait to leave the ward because they were pestering him about getting a wife.
“I’ll treat you to a meal another day!” He spoke to the female nurse.
A joyous blush appeared on the nurse’s face. “Okay!”
She was over the moon that the handsome doctor was treating her to a meal.
Inside the ward, Darius commented, “Hmph! He sure runs fast.”
Amused, Arissa smiled and asked the old man to eat some snacks.
“You all should eat too!” He stared at her and her children.
The first person he gave two snacks to was Jesse. “Come over here, Jesse!”
“Thank you, Grandpa!” Jesse thanked him with a tender voice.
When she smiled, dimples appeared on her cheeks, which made her look very adorable.
She took a bite of the snack in her left hand and then another bite of the snack in her right hand. From her expression, anyone could tell she was enjoying herself.
The sight made Darius and William happy.
“Come, there are snacks for everyone!” The old man continued to distribute snacks to her other siblings.
Each of them got two pieces of snack.
“You should eat too, Issa! William, give Mdm. Mary some, too.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Arissa accepted with a smile.
Chapter 854 If You Go
Benjamin got off work early and left Graham Group.
“These documents need to be signed by you, Mr. Graham!” Ethen rushed toward Benjamin with a stack of documents in his arms.
“I need to head over to the hospital now.” After putting on his jacket, Benjamin walked out.
Ethen chased after him. “What about these—”
Upon taking out a pen, Benjamin signed his name at the bottom of the documents.
Ethen quickly flipped open all the documents for him to sign.
“If you don’t have anything going on, how about you join us for dinner later?” Benjamin asked.
Ethen’s eyes glimmered. “Where? I’ll join you guys after I finish dealing with stuff!”
“At Drawbridge Dining!” Benjamin left after putting down his signatures.
Ethen was delighted to hear that. “Safe travels, Mr. Graham! Do I need to get the car ready for you?”
“It’s okay.” Benjamin planned to drive his own car.
After that, Ethen swiftly returned to work and dealt with the documents.
When Benjamin arrived at the hospital, he still went upstairs to visit Mary.
The moment he saw Darius, he greeted, “Dad!”
“You’re off work?” The old man studied his son.
“Daddy!”
“Mr. Graham!”
The children exclaimed giddily.
The edges of Benjamin’s lips curved upward as he patted the children’s heads before heading to Mary’s bed. “Are you feeling better, Mdm. Mary?”
“I am! Don’t worry.” Mary nodded with a smile. “Are you here to take Issa to dinner? If that’s the case, you lot should leave soon. I’ll be fine here.”
In response, Benjamin turned to Arissa.
The woman glanced at the man in an elegant suit. “I told Grandaunt about it.”
“You all should leave right away for dinner! We’ll keep Mdm. Mary company. Just take the children and leave. They’re hungry!” Darius urged.
With a nod, Benjamin replied, “Soon.”
“We’re not hungry yet, Grandpa!” Gavin glanced at Darius.
The old man stared at the boy with a grin. “You may not be hungry right now, but you might be when you arrive at the restaurant.”
“Have you eaten yet, Mdm. Mary?” Benjamin asked with concern.
Upon shaking her head, Mary replied, “Not yet. I ate not too long ago during the afternoon, so I’m thinking of eating a little later!”
“It’s still a little too early right now. We’ll head to the restaurant in a bit,” Benjamin told Arissa.
“What? As I said, you all should leave right away. You’ll get stuck in traffic if you don’t go now!” Darius’ glare landed on his son.
“We won’t.” Benjamin glanced back at his dad. “Don’t you think it’s time for you to head home and eat dinner?”
In response, Darius grumbled, “You’re not going to ask me if I want to join you?”
“I think it’s better if you have your meal back home. If you go, I think everyone will feel quite awkward. Kingsley and the others would be there, too.”
“Hmph! I was just mentioning it. I didn’t really want to tag along. Dinner has already been prepared back home for me, anyway!”
Arissa chuckled as she listened to the conversation. “How about you head home for your meal now, Dad?”
“Don’t rush me! We’ll go back after you all leave!” The old man remained seated.
Turning to the children, Benjamin asked, “Are you all hungry?”
They all shook their heads. “Nope! We ate a lot of snacks earlier.”
“Then we’ll head there a bit later.”
Thus, Benjamin temporarily bade the children goodbye before he went looking for Shaun.
“Why are you here so early?” It surprised Shaun to see him. I thought he was going to show up a little later.
“How’s Mdm. Mary’s condition?” Benjamin asked.
“She’s recovering well and feeling great. We even brought her downstairs for a stroll during the afternoon. No need to worry about her!” Shaun proceeded to tell him about the treatment planned for Mary.
With a nod, Benjamin thanked him, “Thank you for your hard work!”
Once again, Shaun was surprised. Wow, Benjamin is thanking me for my hard work? How rare.
“Mdm. Mary is lucky to have met you all!” He said that because Benjamin and his family had been treating Mary as though they were closer to her than family.
Benjamin swept his gaze past him and corrected, “Tim is lucky to have met her.”
Chapter 855 Mommy Will Not
“Are you hungry, Great-grandaunt?” Tim lay on the bed and fixed his gaze on Mary.
The old woman patted the boy’s head. “I’m not very hungry yet. What’s the matter?” His skin seems to have become a little fairer after coming here.
Upon smiling, he answered, “I want to feed you!” “I don’t need you to feed me. I can eat perfectly fine by myself.” Mary smiled, delighted by the boy’s kind offer.
Zachary approached her too and stood next to his brother. Then, he advised, “If you want to eat, let Tim feed you, Great-grandaunt. He misses you so much!”
Staring at the boys, she said, “I suppose I can eat now.”
In order to make the boys happy, she made the decision to eat now.
Both Zachary and Tim were overjoyed. They quickly placed the food and a bowl of soup in front of her.
“Do you want to eat first or drink the soup first, Great-grandaunt?”
“Let’s start with the soup first!” Mary smiled.
When the rest of the children saw that, they hopped over as well. “We want to feed Great-grandaunt too!”
Mary looked at the children affectionately and merrily.
“Be careful, Sweethearts! Don’t accidentally burn yourself!” Without delay, Arissa rushed over to them and set up a small table at the end of the bed.
William helped out too. “Be careful, Tim. It’s hot! Let me handle it, Mrs. Graham.”
When he finished speaking, he brought over the bowl of soup and put it on the side. “It’s still pretty hot.”
Arissa and the children stood at the side.
“Just wait for a while. The soup is still hot, so be careful not to let it spill on you and get burned!” she reminded.
“Mommy, we want to feed Great-grandaunt!” All six of the children were hoping they could do it.
With a grin, Arissa glanced at them. “I’ll let you all do it, no worries. I won’t fight with you all for the chance to do it!”
The children promptly grinned happily.
When William and Mary saw that, they couldn’t help but smile, too. The kids were simply too adorable.
William proceeded to stir the soup, which was different from the one he had made during the morning.
“It smells so nice!” Jesse took a whiff of the aroma.
The others couldn’t help but sniff the fragrance in the air, too.
William, Arissa, and Mary were amused.
“I’ll just have one bowl. They can have the rest!” The old woman gazed at the children lovingly.
With a grin, Arissa said, “This is for you, Grandaunt. You don’t have to mind them.”
“It’s fine! Let them have some.” Mary gestured for William to serve the children the soup.
“We can finish the rest once you’re full, Great-grandaunt! We still want to feed you!” said Oliver gleefully.
Even though the soup smelled tasty, he knew it was for Mary and wanted her to have it all to herself.
The old woman chuckled. “All right, I’ll drink first!”
After measuring the temperature of the soup and determining it to be warm, Arissa let Tim feed Mary. “All right, Tim. Go ahead!”
“Okay!” The boy accepted the bowl, took a spoonful of soup, and blew at it to cool it down before feeding it to Mary. “Take it easy, Great-grandaunt!”
“Okay!” In response, Mary lowered her head and drank it.
“Is it good, Great-grandaunt?” Jasper lay on the bed and grinned at her.
“It is!” With a nod, she smiled. “While Tim is feeding me, you all should drink some too! There’s no need to wait for me to finish because I can only finish a bowl of it!”
Glancing at her, Zachary replied softly, “We’ll wait for Tim to finish before drinking it together, Great-grandaunt!”
Oliver and Jesse nodded too. “We’ll wait for Tim!”
A chuckle was heard from Gavin. “Be careful when you drink the soup, Great-grandaunt! We’ll drink together later.”
Mary nodded with contention.
Sitting at the side with nothing else to do, Arissa watched the children take turns feeding Mary.
William and Darius, who were sitting in the corner drinking coffee, gestured for her to come over.
Chapter 856 Second Pregnancy
“Yes, Dad?” Arissa stood and approached Darius. With a nod, the old man said, “Just leave them be for now. Have some coffee!” “Okay!” She then poured coffee for Darius.
“This isn’t good enough, you know that, right, Issa? Once we get back home, you need to pour coffee for me again!” Darius joked around.
“No problem!” She laughed before placing fruits and snacks in front of him. “Have some snacks, Dad! Don’t just drink coffee.”
The more Darius stared at the sensible Arissa, the more he felt satisfied. “Were you the one who brought up the topic of getting the marriage certificate or him?”
A tinge of awkwardness was heard in Arissa’s voice. “It’s him!”
He nodded with relief. “Did he mention any conditions when he brought it up?”
That question stunned her because she didn’t understand what he was trying to ask. Therefore, she just told him how Benjamin proposed to her last night.
Darius let out a hearty laugh. “I didn’t expect that brat to do such a thing! Maybe you should reject him and make him panic.”
Arissa and William chuckled too, though the latter did so in secret.
“Daddy will get angry if you give Mommy ideas like that, Grandpa!” Gavin reminded.
Staring at the boy, Darius said, “Hmph! I’m not afraid of him getting angry.”
After returning to the ward, Benjamin saw the children feeding Mary, and his wife chatting with his father.
Subsequently, he sat next to Arissa and asked, “What are you all talking about?”
Darius glanced at him with a grin. “We were talking about how you proposed to Issa!”
Raising his eyebrow, Benjamin turned his head to her. “What did you tell him?”
She pursed her lips. “I didn’t say anything to Dad yet.”
He fixed his eyes on her and was staring at her so intently that it made her face blush slightly with embarrassment.
Turning back to Darius, Benjamin asked, “Have you found a good date?”
Darius’ eyes glimmered smugly. “I thought you would never ask.”
Patiently, Benjamin waited for his father’s answer.
“I’m thinking your wedding should take place on the sixth day of the next month. I was told that’s a good date to hold a wedding!”
Arissa was stunned before she checked her phone. There are less than twenty days left until the wedding.
Suddenly, she began to panic. “Isn’t this kind of rushing it?”
“What rush? Your children are already this old! And both of you have gotten your marriage certificates. If you two wait any longer, your second pregnancy will happen first,” Darius scolded.
Awkwardness crept into her heart. Her face blushed again when she thought about what had happened two days ago. I didn’t use any protection, and neither did Benjamin, I believe. I’m not going to get pregnant, am I? I’ve been taking medicines to take care of my body, so it probably won’t happen. Additionally, the doctor said it wouldn’t be easy for me to get pregnant again after I was injured after giving birth to the six children.
Benjamin glanced at her and then at his father. “Do you think we have enough time?”
With a resolute tone, Darius said, “Yes. Even if the wedding is held tomorrow, I can make it happen for you two! You two don’t need to worry about it. I’ll handle it!”
William smiled. “You two should know that after Old Mr. Graham went back this morning, he had already ordered people to start the preparation for the wedding. All you need to do is to attend it, Mr. Graham, Mrs. Graham!”
No words left Arissa’s mouth as she smiled because she wasn’t mentally prepared for it yet.
On the other hand, Benjamin was fine with it. As long as Dad and the others think there’s enough time to set things up, I’m okay with it.
“What about the preparation for Tim and the other’s trip to pay respect to their ancestors?” he asked.
The old man glanced at him. “The preparation is done. Just remember to show up on time when the day comes.”
With a nod, Benjamin made a mental note.
After Mary finished her meal, Darius returned home with William.
Chapter 857 Third Wheels
Arissa said to Mary, “Grandaunt, let me wipe your body down. I doubt I’d have the time to do it later since we’re heading out to eat. I’m not sure I’ll have the time to come over tonight either.”
Mary smiled and rejected, “That won’t be necessary. The caregiver’s here. Besides, I’m more than capable of wiping my body myself, so don’t worry about it.”
“Have you been sleeping well at night? Did you have any trouble falling asleep?” Arissa was still worried and was contemplating coming over to accompany the elderly woman at night.
Well aware of her concerns, Mary smiled and replied, “I’m sleeping just fine, so just stay home and keep the kids company. You don’t need to worry about me, not when the caregiver and Kingsley basically keep watch over me around the clock. Not to mention Dr. Bailey would come over and pay me a visit sometimes too.”
Arissa nodded. “You must give me a call if you need anything else, okay? And if you find yourself having a hard time falling asleep, just call us, and we’ll chat with you to keep you company.”
“Okay.” Mary nodded.
The kids also came over to give her a few reminders.
Mary was touched. “Go and have your meal. You’ll need some time to get there, and I reckon it’ll be rather late when the food reaches your table.”
Arissa nodded. “Got it.”
Benjamin got to his feet and bade Mary goodbye before taking the kids and Arissa for dinner.
Just before he left, he even instructed the caregiver to take good care of Mary.
“Great-grandaunt, we’ll be off to have our dinner now. Get some rest and call us if you miss us!” Jasper called out.
Gavin chimed in, “Great-grandaunt, once we’re done with our meal, we’ll pay you a visit if it’s still early!”
Mary was overjoyed to hear that, but she said, “No need. Go back home and rest once you’re done eating, okay? You still need to go to school tomorrow, after all.”
Zachary smiled. “It won’t take us much time to visit you, Great-grandaunt.”
Tim added, “Take good care of yourself, Great-grandaunt. We’ll miss you!”
“Great-grandaunt, we’ll video call you later!” Oliver said.
Jesse piped up, “If there is any delicious food later, I’ll pack some for you, Great-grandaunt!”
Seeing how filial the kids were being, Mary was so happy that she was beaming from ear to ear.
Arissa smiled. While leading the kids outside, she turned around and reminded the elderly woman, “We’ll be leaving now, Grandaunt. Get some rest and remember to call us if you miss us!”
Mary nodded. “I will. It’s late now, so hurry up and go have your dinner.”
Arissa inclined her head in agreement before bringing the kids out with Benjamin in tow.
Shaun trailed behind them, and before he left, he said, “I’ll be back later once I’m done with dinner, Mdm. Mary!”
Mary chuckled. “Okay!”
Once everyone filed out of the ward, silence filled the space once again.
Mary sighed, and the smile that was hanging on her lips just moments ago faltered. She couldn’t get used to the sudden stillness.
“Mdm. Mary, would you like to lie down, or would you like to have a walk? I can bring you down for a stroll if that’s what you’d like.”
The caregiver was newly appointed, and she was also one of the nurses in the hospital. Because of that, she was very professional and patient with the patients.
Mary smiled and replied, “Go ahead and have your meal. Just help me switch on the television before you leave. I feel like watching some shows.”
“Sure. Give me a moment.” The caregiver hurried away to turn the television on for her. After switching to a channel that was playing Mary’s favorite show, she stayed behind to accompany her.
Meanwhile, after Benjamin, Arissa, Shaun, and the six kids reached downstairs, Shaun took the kids with him. “Come on, follow me. There won’t be enough space for you all in your daddy’s car.”
The kids looked up at him with doubtful expressions. “What do you mean? Of course there’s enough space for all of us!”
Instead of replying to them, Shaun led them to his car before lifting them inside one by one.
Before the kids even realized it, they were already buckled up inside the car.
Shaun reminded them, “We’ll sit in one car and give your mommy and daddy some alone time together, okay? If you keep third wheeling them, they won’t be able to bond with each other.”
Jesse was unhappy when she heard that. She pouted and said, “Mr. Bailey, are you calling us burdens?”
Chapter 858 Could Not Help But Fawn Over Him
Afraid that the kids would misunderstand him, Shaun hurriedly explained, “I don’t mean it like that. It’s just that if you guys are around, your mommy will focus all her attention on you. She won’t have the time to bond with your daddy.”
Jasper pursed his lips and scoffed. “Why must it be Mommy who’s doing the bonding? Why can’t it be Daddy who initiates it? It sounds unfair to me!”
Shaun’s eyes lit up, and he grinned at the little boy. “Oh? you’re finally calling him ‘Daddy,’ huh?”
Jasper grunted. “I’m just calling him that so that you won’t misunderstand what I’m trying to say.”
Shaun chuckled and pinched the little boy’s cheek. “There’s no harm in calling him your daddy, you know? He’s not here to hear it, anyway.”
The kids laughed at that.
When Benjamin saw that Arissa’s attention was all on the kids, he tousled her hair and said, “Come on, let’s get in the car.”
Arissa turned her head to look at him and nodded.
Opening the door to the passenger seat, he motioned for her to get in.
After getting in, Arissa asked, “You’re driving?”
“Yes.” Benjamin leaned over and helped buckle her seatbelt.
Feeling the man’s broad chest against her, Arissa couldn’t help the fuzzy feeling from spreading within her, and she smiled sweetly at him.
Benjamin noticed her beaming at him when he was straightening, and his eyes darkened with desire. He proceeded to lean in and kiss the corner of her lips.
Arissa stared at him, stunned.
A hint of amusement flashed across Benjamin’s eyes, and he pinched her cheek affectionately before getting out of the car and closing the door.
Staring at the man’s tall figure, Arissa could feel her heart pounding furiously. She touched the corner of her lips, feeling beyond contented at the moment.
The first thing Benjamin saw when he got into the driver’s seat was Arissa sitting there, grinning with a dazed look. He couldn’t help but smile at that.
She really likes to smile, huh?
After closing the door, he purposely leaned over. “What are you smiling at?”
Arissa blinked and turned to look at the handsome face that was a hairbreadth from hers before laughing dryly. “I just like to smile, that’s all.”
Her response elicited a slight chuckle from Benjamin.
She huffed, “I’m not like you, always going around with a deadpan expression, looking like people owe you money.”
Benjamin’s smile faltered when he heard that. “I’m just not that good at showing my feelings!”
Arissa’s lips twitched, and she teased, “Your explanation’s so lame. There’s no way no one knows when you’re happy or angry, especially when you’re angry. Your whole being would radiate coldness to the point where you won’t even need to turn on the air conditioner in the hot summer weather.”
Benjamin frowned. “It’s not that serious, is it?”
“Of course it is! Nobody would dare make a peep whenever you have that deadpan expression on. One glare from you is enough to scare someone sh*tless!”
Although Arissa was mocking him, Benjamin felt rather comfortable just listening to her sweet voice.
“What about you, then? Were you frightened by me?”
Arissa took a peek at Benjamin and saw how he started the car before turning the steering wheel and driving out.
Her heart raced, and she couldn’t help but think how cool he looked.
Noticing that she didn’t reply to his question, Benjamin shot her a glance.
When he saw her looking at him with an awestruck expression, he smirked.
“What are you looking at?”
“Huh?” Arissa snapped back to her senses and turned her head away, looking out the window.
The next moment, Benjamin’s deep, magnetic voice rang out. “You haven’t answered my question, you know?”
Arissa’s heart pounded against her ribcage, threatening to break through it.
It took her a moment to recall his earlier question.
“Well, I… um… I have to admit that I’m scared sometimes. After all, your anger comes swiftly and suddenly. It’s hard not to feel frightened by that.”
Benjamin fell silent. Is it really that serious?
Ever since he was young, he received a strict, military-style education. Because of that, he never realized the domineering aura radiating from him or how frightening it was for other people who felt it.
Besides, he reckoned he wouldn’t be able to lead his subordinates if he was all smiles all the time.
After mulling over it, Benjamin said, “I’ll take care not to frighten you next time.”
A sweet sensation spread within Arissa when she heard that.
Chapter 859 Distance
Arissa looked at Benjamin and nodded. “You need to take care of your mood when you’re in front of the children as well.” “Got it,” Benjamin answered.
Arissa smiled and snuck another glance at him. Seeing how obedient he was being, she reminded him, “Remember to also smile more whenever you’re in Dad’s presence.”
Benjamin shot a look at her and snorted softly. “You just married into the Graham family not too long ago, and you’re already speaking up for him?”
Arissa pursed her lips. “I’m not speaking up for Dad; I’m just saying this for your own good. After all, when you’re happy, Dad’s happy. And when he’s happy, you’ll be happy. Isn’t that right?”
Benjamin grunted. “Who says that I’ll be happy if he’s happy?”
Arissa was rendered speechless. It took her a while to say, “Do you want to see him unhappy, then?”
Benjamin did not reply to that.
“Benjamin Graham, you are now the father to six children! You need to set a good example for them. If you’re close to your dad, the kids will be close to you too. They’re at an age where they’re easily influenced, you know?”
Benjamin glanced at the rearview mirror to look at Arissa. “Do you think Gavin and I are not close?”
Arissa turned her body sideways to look at the man. “Don’t you think so? Gavin’s never been one to talk much, and he doesn’t like to interact with others too. That’s why you thought he was close to you. Although he’s indeed close to you, you’re not the first choice for him to bare his heart out whenever something happens, am I right?”
She continued, “Do you know why that is? It’s because you’re too strict with him. There are times when he’s afraid that it was him who’s done something wrong, and there are times when he simply doesn’t want to cause you any trouble.”
Listening to her words, Benjamin recalled how he had interacted with Gavin. Now that I think about it, I never got along with the kids as well as Arissa does.
“I’ll take note of this.”
Arissa narrowed her eyes. “Take note of what?”
Benjamin raised his brow. “Didn’t you ask me to be more mindful of how I’ll influence the kids?”
Arissa chuckled and said, “I was asking you to get along with Dad. Stop treating him like he’s your superior and you, his subordinate.”
Benjamin pursed his lips. “Dad’s been in the military for a long time. He’s used to giving out orders to other people. It’s quite hard for me to interact with him like how you do.”
Arrisa advised, “What’s so hard about it? Dad’s very affectionate toward me, and I’m sure he would act the same toward you if you weren’t so stern all the time.”
Benjamin knitted his brows. “You don’t need to worry about this.”
Seeing that he no longer wanted to continue with the conversation, Arissa sighed inwardly and shut her mouth. She was afraid that his appetite would be affected if she kept harping on.
Silence ensued, and Benjamin couldn’t get used to it.
He glanced at the rearview mirror and saw her propping her chin up in her hand as she gazed out the window.
“Just tell me what you would like me to do.”
Arissa’s eyes gleamed, and she whipped her head around to look at him. “Does that mean you’ll agree to everything I say?”
Benjamin replied, “Yes.” If I don’t say yes to her, she’ll probably keep sulking.
Arissa beamed from ear to ear. “Well, I’m not asking you to do anything too hard. All you have to do is show some concern for Dad whenever you meet him and smile more. We’ll take it one step at a time. There’s no rush.”
Seeing how happy she was, Benjamin felt his mood brighten as well.
“All right. I’ll take note of this.”
Hearing that, Arissa smiled.
She felt touched knowing that he was willing to take the first step in changing himself for her.
“Benjamin, from now on, just smile whenever you’re feeling happy. The kids will get close to you in time. You’ll retain your position as the all-powerful CEO in the office, but once you’re home, you have to step down from being a CEO to a father. You can’t be too strict with the kids, and you have to play with them for them to get closer to you.”
The corner of Benjamin’s lips lifted slightly, and he reminded her, “I have a word of advice for you as well, Arissa. You can’t spoil the kids too much. There are still some boundaries and rules that must be upheld. Take Jesse for example. You spoil him so much that he sticks to you more compared to the other five children. If this goes on, he won’t have a sense of responsibility when he grows up.”
Arissa chuckled under her breath when she heard that.
Chapter 860 The Actual Identity Of Jesse
Frowning, Benjamin glared at Arissa through the rearview mirror. “Why are you laughing when I’m talking to you?” Arissa hurriedly stifled her laughter and turned to look at the man. “Actually, Benjamin, Jesse is—”
Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by the ringing of a phone. It was Benjamin’s phone. With his eyes pinned on the traffic ahead, Benjamin ordered lowly, “Help me see who’s calling.”
Arissa glanced at him. Seeing that he had to drive, she twisted her body around and picked up the phone at the center console. “It’s a call from Mr. Watts,” she reported after taking a glimpse at the caller ID.
“Decline the call!” Benjamin showed no hesitance at all. At that, amusement crept over Arissa. “Perhaps he wants to ask you for the restaurant’s location.”
“Would he not know the location when he was the one who made the reservations?” Snorting, Benjamin placed his entire focus on driving since the traffic was rather heavy right then.
As he refused to take the call, Arissa could only decline it and set the phone back down. No sooner had she done so than Kingsley called again.
Benjamin happened to stop at a traffic light, so he snagged the phone and answered the call, bringing it to his ear. “What is it?” “Boss, Aaron wants to join us for dinner!” Kingsley’s voice drifted over the line.
Arissa stole a peek at Benjamin, noticing that he stilled for a moment before murmuring, “Got it.” “When are you all coming? I’ve been here for a while now, but I still see no signs of any of you. How lackadaisical! Don’t tell me you’re going back on your word to foot the bill?” Kingsley griped loudly.
“We’ll be arriving in a moment!” After replying, Benjamin hung up the phone. Arissa furtively glanced at him before casting her eyes out the window. “I wonder whether Mr. Bailey and the kids are following behind us.”
She could still see the car earlier, but it had disappeared then. Benjamin swept his gaze over her. “They’re in the second car behind us.” Turning, Arissa looked out the rear windshield. Alas, she still couldn’t see anything.
“Sit properly.” Benjamin lifted his hand and stroked her hair. The smooth sensation was incredibly enjoyable.
Arissa turned back and sat properly. Upon noticing that there were still quite a number of cars ahead, she shifted her gaze to the man. “Is traffic building up?”
“Yeah, slightly.” Benjamin studied the navigation map. Keeping a hand on the steering wheel, he twisted his body sideways just a fraction and stared at her intently. “Are you hungry?”
Arissa fixed her eyes on the handsome and elegant man, slipping into a slight trance. “Nope. I ate something earlier at Grandaunt’s.” “Okay,” Benjamin murmured in a whisper, appearing languid and devilish.
Arissa felt her ears tingling. His voice is truly melodious, deep, and magnetizing. Just him speaking is enough to make me blush and cause my heart to skip a beat.
When Benjamin glimpsed the shyness on her face, his gaze darkened. He was gripped by the urge to lean forward and kiss her. At that precise moment, the cars ahead started moving.
Thus, he had no choice but to put his desire away and concentrate on driving. There wasn’t any more traffic from that section of the road until the restaurant, so it only took a few minutes before they arrived. Noticing that it was a place they had been before, Arissa chuckled. “We dined here previously!”
“Yup!” After parking, Benjamin climbed out of the vehicle first. He swiftly rounded the car and opened the passenger door for Arissa.
“Be careful,” he urged. Murmuring an acknowledgment, Arissa bent down and alighted from the car. She turned her gaze to the quaint restaurant. Well, I’m pretty fond of this place. The food here is great, too.
Darting her eyes around, she saw that Shaun and the children’s car had also arrived alongside the bodyguards’ car. The two of them stood at the entrance and waited for the children.
“This way, please, Mr. Graham!” “A moment, please.” Inclining his head slightly, Benjamin wrapped an arm around Arissa and waited for the children.
In no time, the six children got out of the car. The instant the doorman spotted an additional child, his eyes almost popped out of his head. Huh? How many kids exactly does Mr. Graham have?
At the sight of the sextuplets’ exquisite features, he went green with envy. “Mommy!” All six children trotted toward Arissa.