¶Chapter Song~Heading Home¶

¶By~Alan Walker, Ruben¶

"Mom!!"

"Yes, dear,"

"Where's Daddy? Why he didn't come with you?" Cora inquired curiously.

"Because he is a doctor and he has patients to look after. Now, be my good girl, and let's have your dinner." Hailey replied, taking Cora in lap.

Meril enjoyed seeing her friend struggling to find an excuse to keep Arthur away from Cora.
Usually, she would have done it without hesitation but now the efforts were visible on her face.

"Has he forgot that he has a daughter too? I'll not have anything without him!" Cora announced, flopping at her place.

"How is it possible? How my Cora can skip a meal when I'm around?" Arthur's voice grabbed their attention as he walked in with a bright smile.

"Daddy...!!" Cora squealed with joy in Hailey's lap with open arms. Like a little bird trying to please her father to feed her beak, Cora giggled, bouncing in her lap.

"Come here, my little duckling." Arthur picked Cora, kissing her cheek.

Meril loved to see the moment. They looked like a tiny, happy family. But her smile faded as she noticed Hailey's face. Hailey was gazing at Cora and Arthur as if they were ignoring her.

"Now, tell your mother to fill this tiny beak of her duckling so that I can put a medicine in it," Arthur asked Hailey, indirectly to take advantage of the happy mood of Cora to feed her.

Hailey took the clue without wasting a moment, "Right here my Princess." Hailey smiled brightly taking the plate of food in her hand.

For a few minutes, Meril sat quietly, watching them feeding their daughter. She got up and left the room without getting even noticed.

"Hey Mer, are you crying?" Luke's voice stopped her feet as she walked out of the room.

"No, nothing. Just, it's like... Yeah, you can call it tears of happiness." She replied wiping off her eyes.

"Hey, is everything ok?"

"Ok? Things are going great. More than my imagination. Come here, have a look, " she stepped back to open the door and give him a glimpse inside the room. "But the thing is, when things start to turn out better than your expectations, you tend to have fear, of losing it. Like it can go off tracks any moment and your dream Castle will be drawn away like a sandcastle."

Luke looked at her for a moment with a smile, "look I'm not great at it but, " he wiped her eyes, held her shoulders firmly.

"I believe, there is something good in everything bad happens to you. Like, if Cora didn't have health issues we would have never met."

Meril looked at him with surprise.

"I mean, it's not a good thing but look what Cora found after that problem. She met Arthur, a father she might be wishing for. Hailey and Arthur met because of it. Though they might suck as a couple, but they seem brilliant as parents." Luke tried to explain it.

"You were right. You are bad at explaining things. Never try motivational preaching." Meril giggled.

"Yeah, but you got my point. So I'm not that bad at it. All I'm saying is, have faith in God. He might have some plans for them."

They both beamed with positivity but suddenly they noticed some kind of noise from the room.

"Not again!" Luke and Meril scoffed and rushed inside the room.

"What you guys are doing? Fighting in front of a baby!" Luke said scolding Arthur and Hailey as they both were arguing over something again, standing at both sides of her bed.

While Cora was sitting quietly between them. Watching them one by one as they speak.

"We are just discussing." They announced in one voice.

"And may we know what's the point of discussion here? That we could hear from outside." Meril inquired.

"Don't you guys have anything else to do apart from eavesdropping on our talks?" Hailey replied taunting.

"Well, I guess you guys should mind your pitch of voice while 'Discussing' things, " Meril replied air-quoting the word Discussing.

"By the way what you guys were Discussing?"

"I was telling Dr. Miller that he can take rest as I'm fine and able to look after Cora."

"I told her that she got discharge that doesn't mean she doesn't need rest. So she can go and I'll stay."

Arthur opposed to Hailey's suggestion.

"Ok, now that's can't be a point of discussion. Basically, you guys are fighting to stay with Cora." Luke announced, for which he received a death stare from the duo.

Cora chuckled loudly at this gesture of them.

"Yeah, there you are. The remedy for all problems." Meril thought the solution for their arguments, "Cora, you decide who should stay with you? As your Daddy had a long day at work and mom just got discharged today only."

Cora stood up and went to Hailey, encircled her arms around her neck, and said with a kiss on her cheek, " Mom I love you. But you need rest too." Hailey felt astonished at the words of the younger version of herself.

Cora turned to Arthur and did the same with him. Encircling her arms around his neck she said, "Daddy, you might be tired. Take a rest, I'm happy that you both were here with me."

"I'm happy to see my Cora is so caring about her parents but that doesn't mean that you will sleep alone here." Arthur picked her up with a laugh.

"Ok, my smart girl. I got what you want, your mother can sleep here with you. I'll be good at the chair. Now happy?" He tickled her belly which resulted in laughter.

"Yes Daddy, you are the best."

Meril saw Hailey gazing at Cora and Arthur with a smile for the first time. She held her hand lightly to take her aside.

"Yes Mer, why you took me aside?" Hailey inquired softly gazing back at Arthur and Luke busy with Cora.

"I want to ask something."

"Yeah, sure, go ahead."

"Are you fine? The day was so full of unexpected things. Especially, that jerk! You wanted to stay because of him only. Isn't it?" Meril knew her friend well.

"Yes, I can't be away and speculating if my daughter is safe or not. I can't let her know who is Adam. Look at her Mer, she is happy. She has to be in the best state of mind and heart for that surgery. And I won't take any chance with it."

"Neither will he Hail, you can see. She is safe here. Arthur will not let Adam harm Cora by anyhow." Meril assured Hailey.

"Yes, I can see. And now I can understand too. He has gone through the same. I guess worse." Hailey huffed with a sarcastic smile, "well, Mer, can you please find some other job for me? I can't work in that nightclub anymore as I won't leave Cora alone at home now. And that mall attended job will not be sufficient now."

"Yeah, surely. Would you mind assisting me at clinique? Actually I was thinking to ask you about it for a long. You see I need a helping hand." Meril beamed at Hailey.

"I always doubted your degrees but now I pity your choice of recruitment. I have no experience or training and you are asking me to assist you." Hailey smirked at her. "But for one thing I never doubted that you are the best friend one could wish for. Thanks, Mer." She added hugging Meril.