Behind Closed Doors

Chapter 60

Joe walked into the hospital ward and looked at Mark lying on the bed. He looked fast asleep. Joe sat by the bed and looked at the covered scar from the transplant. He sighed, took out his knife and the fruits he had bought, and began to peel them.

"D-dad," he heard, and he looked at his son, barely awake.

"Son, I'm back. I got what the doctors recommended. I'll cut them into small pieces so you can eat without having to chew so much," he said, looking at his son's half-closed eyes.

"Have you been able to get across to her?" Mark groaned, whispering.

Joe paused, the knife halfway into the fruit.

"Who?" he feigned ignorance.

"Don't act like you don't know," Mark said. "My wife."

Joe let out a heavy sigh and looked away from him. "You have two."

There was an uneasy silence between them, but Mark continued to stare at his father.

"You have forgotten that you married Brittany," Joe said, still looking away from him. He finally turned to maintain eye contact with Mark.

His eyes broke him.

He had never in his life seen his son like this. He could not tell if it was sadness, the pain from the surgery, or both.
How could he tell him what he had just experienced with Emily?

"No. I have not been able to get across to her," he said with a straight face.

Mark remained silent, staring at him with his mouth slightly open, his color pale.

"You're in a bad condition. Why don't you focus on caring for yourself and leave that woman alone? She probably doesn't care or even know you had surgery. Focus on yourself for once," Joe said, sounding defensive.

"I told her," he whispered.

"You told her what?"

"That I was having surgery."

"Why?" Joe asked, now looking angry. "Why did you think she would care? Why are you going out of your way to chase one woman when you can have thousands? You're young, rich, handsome, fit. Just let her go. She's not worth it. She's just another woman."

"A feeling in my heart, when she's near me," Mark stuttered. "A feeling no other woman can replace."

Joe looked terrified at his son. His eyes shook, as if he wanted to cry.

"Is that how you felt with Betty?" Mark asked. "Why you didn't let her go after all she did to you?"

Joe looked away from him and down at the floor.

"You should speak with more respect about your mother."
Mark turned his head back to the ceiling and closed his eyes.

****
Emily walked into the café, and Lucas ran ahead of her toward where he had spotted Andre.

"Lucas, no running," she said, hurrying after him.

"You came!" Lucas said excitedly as he climbed onto the seat beside Andre.

"My boy, it's been so long," Andre said, ruffling the boy's hair. "How have you been?"

"Not like before," Lucas replied.

Emily smiled at both of them. Warmth filled her heart. They had such a strong connection. That only made sense, because Andre had been there since Lucas first came into this world. She gently took her seat opposite them and watched them play, almost like father and son.

Like father and son.
Like father and...

She quickly snapped out of it and gasped quietly, but it caught Andre's attention as Lucas tried to punch him with his small hands.