Chapter 2

Gabriel frowned when he saw Eliana just standing there, not moving. For a moment, something felt off. But he didn't give it much thought. He simply walked over and handed the pastry box to Linda. "Lemon tart," he said in his low, steady voice. "You said you were craving it last time." Linda's eyes lit up. She was surprised and touched. "I only mentioned it casually. I didn't think you'd actually buy it for me. That's too much trouble." "If it makes you happy, it's no trouble at all," Gabriel said flatly, though a quiet warmth crept into his voice that was hard to miss. Eliana watched the whole scene quietly, her fingers unconsciously digging into her palm. "Dad, we're starving!" Hannah ran over and hugged Gabriel's leg. "Tell Mom to cook something already!" Jamie tugged at his sleeve and added, "Yeah! We're so hungry we could die!" Gabriel glanced at Eliana. Seeing that she still hadn't moved, he said coldly, "No need to cook tonight. We're going out to eat." The kids instantly cheered, grabbing Linda and dragging her toward the door. Linda looked back, speaking gently to Eliana, "Come with us, won't you?" Eliana was about to say no, but Linda had already grabbed her and pulled her along. At Mason's Grill, the server handed them the menu. Linda took it with a smile and asked, "What does everyone want to eat?" "You order. Anything's fine," Gabriel replied. Linda ordered a few dishes. Eliana noticed they were all spicy. Gabriel's stomach couldn't handle heat, and the kids had never been good with spicy food either. She almost laughed to herself, but kept quiet. Once the food arrived, Gabriel and the kids barely ate any of it. Linda asked, a little worried, "What's wrong? Did I order the wrong things?" "No, it's good." Gabriel picked up a piece of spicy chicken wing and forced himself to take a bite. The kids grimaced, but still tried to eat the spicy food. Their faces turned red but they did not dare to say a word. Eliana watched, her heart aching like she'd been stabbed with a needle. She had always taken great care of them, spending years cooking mild, nourishing meals for their sensitive stomachs, always worried they might feel unwell. But now, Linda could order whatever she wanted, and they just ate it with a smile. At that moment, a server brought over a steaming bowl of soup. Suddenly, he slipped. In the blink of an eye, Gabriel yanked Linda into his arms to shield her, while Jamie and Hannah threw themselves in front of her too. "Ah!" Nearly the entire bowl of hot soup splashed down on Eliana's arm, turning her skin red and raw. Linda only got splashed with a few drops, but she still let out a startled scream. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" The server kept apologizing. Gabriel immediately checked Linda's hand. "Did you get burned? I'll take you to the hospital." "I'm fine..." Linda bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears. "But Eliana looks really hurt." The server quickly said, "Her whole arm is blistering. You need to take care of that right away." Only then did Gabriel finally look over at Eliana. Her arm was already swollen and red. He frowned and said, "What are you waiting for? Let's all go to the hospital." In the car, Gabriel was so worried about Linda's burn that he started driving faster and faster. Eliana sat silently in the front seat, her arm burning with pain. Suddenly, a screech of brakes tore through the night. The collision jolted Eliana forward, her forehead slamming hard into the windshield. Blood dripped down her cheek, blurring her vision. Through the haze, she saw Gabriel and the kids instinctively wrapping themselves around Linda again. Not long after, they finally reached the hospital. As soon as the doctors rolled out the gurneys, Jamie ran over and shouted, "Check on Linda first! She burned her hand, and her head's hurt too!" Gabriel added, "Take care of her first!" The doctor looked at Eliana, her face covered in blood. "But this lady's forehead needs stitches, and her arm's really burned." "She won't die!" Jamie snapped impatiently. "Linda's crying. She's really hurting!" "Yeah!" Hannah said urgently. "Linda's in pain! Help her first!" Eliana lay on the cold gurney, blood trickling from her forehead. Watching this, she suddenly remembered that winter when Jamie had a raging fever that wouldn't go down. She'd stayed by his side in the hospital for three days and nights. But now, he was in a panic over a tiny burn on Linda's hand. She remembered when Hannah was three years old and got pneumonia. She'd carried her through the snow for two miles to get to the hospital. Now, Hannah was gently blowing on Linda's hand, trying to comfort her. She remembered almost dying in childbirth while giving birth to Jamie, while Gabriel never even picked up the phone. After both kids were born, she spent sleepless nights rocking them to sleep and dragging herself out of bed to make bottles, even when her stitches were still bleeding. She loved Jamie and Hannah with all her heart, but this was how they treated her. A sharp pain hit her chest, and her vision went black. Just before she lost consciousness completely, Eliana heard the doctor shout, "Quick! This patient's blood pressure is dangerously low. Get the crash cart in here now!"