¶Chapter Song-Yellow¶
¶By-Lofi fruits music, Orange stick, Avocuddle¶

"Daddy, can I sleep in your arms?" Cora's sweet request pulled Arthur back from his thoughts.

He turned around to have a look at her bed, where Hailey fell asleep, leaning on the bed from her chair only.

Arthur smiled to look at Cora, her eyes were red with drowsiness. Hailey had tried her best to make her sleep. Hardly half n hour ago, He thought she slept. When Hailey stopped her lullaby considering her daughter slept.

Arthur opened her case file for studying at the window side.

"Naughty, how are you still up?" He picked her to make her lay in his arms only, "Your Mother might have thought you slept."

"Mom always thinks she can make me sleep. But I make sure she sleeps soundly." Cora replied clutching his shirt firmly.

"Oh, I can see you take care of your mother a lot." Arthur pampered her head, sitting in his chair just opposite the side of the bed to Hailey.

"Yes, I'm a good girl." She yawned, digging her head in his side. "Now I can sleep. My daddy...here..."

Arthur felt emotional at the trust Cora was showing in him. His eyes turned toward Hailey itself, he felt shocked to find her awake, gazing at them.

"I..." He was about to say something when Hailey gestured to him to stay quiet.

She pulled the blanket from the bed. Reached to his chair, sat on her knees to cover Cora in his arms.

"She believes it makes her responsible child. However, I want her to feel proud of herself so I always act asleep." A faint smile ran through her lips, "My baby grew up faster than her age." She sat back in her chair in front of him, across the bed.

"Thus she never knew what you do as night job?" Arthur said absentmindedly.

"Yeah, sort of. I mean she knows that her mother works extra hours but not exactly where." She bit her lips, "but not anymore. I'm not going back to that job." She exhaled.

"I don't want anyone to confuse me with a harlot."

For a moment Arthur felt ashamed of his previous views, though it was in a rage, he cleared his throat, "look, I did not mean to hurt sentiments. I meant.."

"I know, I have responsibility. Becoming a single mother was never my wish but certainly, it was the choice I would never repent of." She smiled proudly looking at Cora in his arms, "I have to thank you for reminding me. That I need to be careful about what I do. As it might affect my Cora. I never thought of such assault, or Adam, coming back from nowhere." She took a deep breath as if calming down her raging thoughts.

"The reason I initiated it right now is, I'm a feminist kind of person and I believe the woman who sells her body to fill some empty mouths back at her home or just to remain alive, deserves no hatred." She concluded.

Arthur felt more ashamed of his words as her statement was making sense.

"I guess, you haven't taken your medicine, as I said earlier, you are discharged but not healed completely." Arthur tried to divert the talk to which Hailey smiled as she got his intention.

"Ahm... About my words. I guess I have already apologized for it. Though my sole purpose behind this was to make you realize that your priority must be Cora." He concluded.

"Just that?" Hailey poked him a bit more, "I felt like I was receiving the words you might have stored for someone else."

"I can see where are you heading." Arthur smiled a bit as he was expecting inquiry regarding the behavior of Mrs. Jones.

"I know it's personal but ahm..." Hailey cleared her throat, straightening her back, "Why do you listen to Your Ex-wife?"

Arthur looked at her with surprise as he wasn't expecting it.

"Luke told me about Lily and asked me to hide it too."

"Right! Luke and his big mouth!" Arthur exhaled relaxing.

"I thought you might get furious at my question."

"I should but after knowing and seeing the way you are handling your Ex. I'm withdrawing inspiration from you only." He accepted, pampering the head of sleeping Cora on his chest by now.

"From me? I would never care about my Ex and her husband, even I'll make sure he gets to know what kind of thing he married." Hailey replied with a devilish grin.

Arthur didn't even look up at her. His eyes were fixed at Cora. As if observing her innocence, as if she was anchoring him.

"You still love her." Hailey passed the judgment.

"I love him, he was a father to so many orphans like me. He is a father to me, he inspired me, supported me, believed in my dreams and ability. I can't break him for her." Arthur concluded everything in one go.

His eyes shone with a gleam of mist.

For a moment Hailey sat still, gazing at him. The gravity and pain in his voice weren't less than the void and hurt in his eyes.

"I'm not trying to save her or her marriage. I'm just making sure, her greed and fidelity toward me don't hurt Mr. Jones. He did nothing wrong. Even, he married a divorced young woman, whose husband deserted her." He smiled sadly.

"What is more hurtful? She deserted you or she is the wife of a person who is a father figure for you?"

"Right now, None of it." Arthur looked up at Hailey, "Her words hurt me at that time but today she was annoying me only. Thanks for getting me rid of it." He smiled lightly.

"Dr. Arthur smiling and thanking me! Should I pinch myself? As it can't be real. Am I dreaming or what?" Hailey chuckled a bit.

"No, you are not but you should as you are discharged but not..."

"Healed, I know, I know. Now you are sounding like Dr. Arthur Miller that means I'm not dreaming." Hailey got up to take her medicine and sat on the bed, taking support of the back wall, "if you want to rest, give her in my lap. You might be tired too."

"No...ahm, I'm good like this." He felt odd to hear word of concern from her.

Yet he tried to collect all his guts to speak up, "I...I appreciate you."

"Sorry what?" Hailey inquired yawning as he said it very softly.

"I mean, I appreciate your guts, the way you faced Adam this morning was brave. The way you brought up Cora independently is appreciable." He needed to say it as her decisions and words, though rash was showing her bravery and ability to stand by her decisions.

Arthur always suffered from self-doubt.

"Credit goes to my mom. She taught me to believe and stand by the decisions we make" the medicine she had was showing its effect. She was struggling to keep her eyes open and sentence straight, "though I failed to save her but I won't fail to save my daughter."

Arthur looked at her with empathy as she continued with half-close eyes, "credit for today's courage goes to you. You talk trash in anger but calm mind, you talk inspiring shit."

Arthur chuckled a bit at her words as with her last word she slept calmly.

For hours Arthur kept gazing at the ceiling of the room.

Rest, did he need rest?
He always felt tired in life but never felt the need for rest.

He wondered if he knew, how it feels like to be at rest.

Does it feel like he was feeling at the moment?

Nothing haunting his psyche. No grudge against anyone. Nothing to wish for.

It felt so good to feel the moment, as if nothing has ever bothered him.

He pampered Cora's head with a graceful smile as he knew this feeling was because of her. Those tiny hands were clinging to his shirt but in reality, holding together his shattered existence.

"I'm grateful for these moments." He whispered trying to save the moment for the rest of his life. He had decided to request Dr. Jones to do the surgery in the coming two days as he wasn't ready to take any risk with her.

And the day was enough to prove that Adam and Lily could be the reason to deteriorate her health.

He dropped his head backward for the support of the chair, adjusting a bit more. His eyes fell on Hailey, sleeping calmly, sitting with the support of the wall at the back of the bed.

'How calm she looks like this.' He wondered, how she retains her sanity with so many things going wrong around. She still regrets about her mother's death, her Ex was the embodiment of toxicity, he was knocking back in her life and that woman literally wagged a war of words with Lily for no reason.

Certainly, she deserved happiness, safety, and everything a girl might wish for.

He stood up to take a step toward her. Gazing at her tired, pale face. She was looking much older than her age. Obviously, the last few days were rough for her. Or maybe the last few years.

His eyes were glued to her face when he noticed movement in her eyelids. She was waking up he stood fascinated as if under some spell. She opened her eyes to find him standing in front.

For a moment they kept looking into each other eyes blankly. Like something was happening without their awareness, something out of their control.

Arthur took a step back but before he could take another Hailey stood up and reached to hold his hand, "don't leave us now." Her words, her voice, it was something magical.

Arthur couldn't process anything he just stepped ahead, and placed a warm kiss on her forehead, "I can't!"