¶Chapter Song-Cup of Coffee¶
¶By-Bearbare¶

"Is she asleep?" Meril inquired in a hushed tone.

Hailey stopped her with a gesture from anything further. She tried once again to tuck Cora in bed.

"Mom, Daddy...." Whimpered Cora.

"Shuu... Sleep baby. You need sleep." A silent tear rolled down her eye.

The day was terrible and exhausting for her. It started with the sudden visit of Adam which she dodged somehow with a lie.

Though the same lie seemed the life savior to her at that time but the gravity of the lie also reminded her of the dark truth of her life.

For those few hours, she had lost her sanity, her stability, and strength. But during the last few hours since She had to tell Cora that Arthur was not her father. That it was just imagination of Cora.

Her clarifications could do nothing to make Cora understand and accept the truth. All she demanded was Arthur, and he was nowhere around to answer her innocent questions.

Hailey had a hard time controlling her once she started to cry demanding her father. For the first time in her life, she had demanded for her father, and Hailey could do nothing but lie for the absence of Arthur.

She tiptoed out of the room holding hand of Meril.

" Hailey is she ok?"

"I wish I could say Yes, but I can't. She heard me calling Dr. Miller as her father. The worse thing is that she still hasn't forgotten it. I could never imagine this could ever be my problem.

My daughter has assumed someone as her father when I have to protect her from the real one."

"Hey, you are her mother and she trusts you. Don't worry. She will be fine, you have handled her well." Meril tried to console Hailey.

"I lied to her again Mer, I lied that Arthur has to go for some critical patient. She was still crying for him. It will start again in the morning. I'm afraid, this time I won't be able to handle it." Hailey exhaled.

"Haven't you told her that Arthur isn't her father?"

"I tried but she isn't ready to listen to me. She said that she heard me say it. She wants to meet him only."

"I guess it won't be possible, as Dr. Miller is not ready to meet Cora. Luke tried to convince him to visit Cora when you were struggling with her. He said, " You are her mother and you don't need him." Meril said as if inquiring about the reason behind his words.

"Finally he got that I'm her mother and he is just her Doctor," Hailey murmured in bitterness, "and what a great timing to realize it!"

"May I know what have you said to him that the man who used to spend his nights looking after Cora, denied meeting her when she is crying like hell for him?"

"I just told him his place and that's out of my world!"

"Stop barking at the wrong tree! Arthur isn't Adam! You can't accuse him for the pains Adam has caused you. You lied because of Adam! You dragged that broken man into your lie! That way into your world." This time anger was audible in Meril's tone.

"That doesn't permit him to steal my daughter Mer!"

"Steal your daughter? Are you out of your mind Hail? That person has lost his world and never complained, yet trying to help you in every possible way."

"That's his job Mer!" Hailey intervene.

"No! Spending sleepless nights for someone else child isn't his job! That's his humanity and attachment to Cora. Thank God she took on your mother, not You!" Maril concluded with anger before walking away thumping her feet.

Hailey stood still with anger at her words.

She didn't want to but she couldn't change the fact that her daughter had been attached to Arthur Miller and her lie had given name to that attachment.

She felt jealous of Arthur that her daughter was crying for him, something that she never did for her.

"What have you thought?" Luke's voice pulled her out of her dark thoughts.

"Sorry? Thought about what?" She said trying to look composed.

"About Cora, here's your cheque. And the buyer said that he will not be able to take possession this month so you need not shift at all. Just take care of the property." Luke replied, handing her the cheque for her apartment.

"Ahm, thanks Luke, I appreciate your help in this hour of need."

"No need to thank, just help me to become your brother-in-law," Luke replied with a blush.

"Yeah, but I have a better option. Be my brother and I'll convince my hot-headed bestie to be my sister-in-law." Hailey replied with a forced grin.

"That's not a bad idea. This way I'll have a niece too. So it's final, you are my sister now, and being your elder, responsible brother. I want to know how's my niece?" Luke said softly.

This was Luke's specialty, to handle critical matters with ease.

"She is stubborn. And now I'm stuck in my lie, Cora believes that your friend is her father. I have no idea how to eliminate her false hope?" Hailey huffed in confusion.

"Well if a lie makes you happy without harming anyone then why break it with a hurtful truth?"

Hailey raised eyebrows with confusion.

"Can you ever tell your daughter who is her biological father? I mean if you think that man can ever be able to take responsibilities of a father?" Luke explained himself.

"Adam can never be a father my Cora deserves."

"That's why you should concentrate on her and not anything else that can be dealt with later. Right now you can choose one way. Either to go on with the lie and keep acting like Arthur is her father which makes her happy. Or, tell her the truth which will lead her to that Adam." Luke said calmly.

"I'll chose to be my daughter's mother and father both. Without any lie. A lie can't be a solution for any problem." She replied with the same calmness.

"Gosh! You sound like Arthur." Luke sniggered.

"Ah! Do I sound rude like him?"

"No, because he isn't rude. He is just quick temperatures and reacts... Without reasoning. Ok, at times he acts rude because like you he has gone through a lot. But let me tell you one thing, the man who has lost his family, his base, he knows the worth of it. That man can never think of snatching anyone's family." Luke said it in a soft tone and left with a sad smile.

Hailey stood still there at the window for some time. As the moon was shining in the sky, the temperature was diving too but Hailey could feel no cold but it felt her soothing. The silence of the night was not scary for her as it was the only relief from the chaos she was in.

The voices of staff at their night shift were getting vague, acknowledging the ascending night.

At last, Hailey decided to move toward her room with an exhausted body and mind.

While crossing Cora's room she thought to check on her. As she had seen Meril leaving after their argument.

What she saw was quite heart-warming and confusing at the same time for her.

Cora was sleeping in her bed while Arthur was sitting next to her bedside chair.

He was looking drained yet properly awake, studying files. Might be of patients like Cora.

"Ahm... Dr. Miller, " she whispered stepping in swiftly.

Arthur stopped his work and sat alert, "I don't consider it the right time or place to have any kind of words." He murmured.

"Here to say Sorry, for my harsh words. And thank you."

"for what?"

"For making me realize that being a mother I have no right to break down and lose my senses, " she said stepping next to him.

"Thanks for being there when I couldn't be. You can take a rest, I'll be here for the night." She added approaching the chair at other side of the bed.

"I don't think you have been discharged yet. Take your medicines and go to bed." Arthur said carelessly, almost ordering.

Hailey felt offended yet managed to keep her calm and left for her room.

As she left and shut the door behind, Arthur left the file he was studying.

He looked at sleeping Cora, he felt a strong urge to pamper her head. But the fear of facing truth held his hand in the air only.

"Won't you pamper my head Daddy?"