Her sharpness and keenness remained as strong as ever.
Confronting Lucinda, who seemed on the brink of losing her composure, Nathan placed his hands reassuringly on her shoulders to steady her.
He spoke gently.
âThe babies havenât vanished or been in any accident.
Thereâs no need to be frightened.
â
âYou know it? Did you hide the little ones?â Lucinda inquired.
She stared at Nathan with wide-eyed disbelief, her breath coming in short gasps.
âNathan, did you arrange for the babies to have their own private time so we could be truly alone? What on earth are you after?â
Nathan continued to offer comforting words, his hand gently stroking Lucindaâs back to ease her anxiety.
He explained, âMy grandfather wanted to see Colby and Destinee.
Heâs getting on in years, and his mobility isnât what it used to be.
The Payne familyâs estate is extensive, and itâs quite a trek for my grandfather to go from his villa to N&L Fairy Land.
So, I arranged for Colby and Destinee to spend a few days with my grandfather with Zenia to fulfill his deep desire to be with his great-grandchildren.
â
âDonât fret, Lucinda,â Nathan reassured her, âIâve added extra security personnel to watch over my grandfatherâs villa.
Colby and Destinee will be safe and sound, so thereâs no need to worry.
â
As Nathan laid out the specifics, Lucinda began to regain her calm.
It was only natural for an elder to yearn for their great-grandchildren, Lucinda realized she couldnât simply insist on bringing the children back, and besides, it wasnât such an issue after all.
Yet, she couldnât shake the feeling that something wasnât quite right.
She inquired, âIs it genuinely because Grandpa longs for Colby and Destinee that you arranged for them
and Zenia to be with him?â
Nathan reassured her with a ki*s on the forehead.
âYes, they will be back soon.
Donât worry.
â
Since Nathan had explained the situation, Lucinda chose not to say anything further.
âWell, letâs get back to cooking.
Iâm starting to feel hungry,â she suggested.
The two of them got to work in the kitchen together, wrapping up the remaining dishes and setting them on the table.
The candlelit dinner was delightful.
After their meal, they cozied on the sofa, cuddling together as they enjoyed a movie.
Nathan discreetly kept an eye on Lucindaâs well-being throughout the evening.
As he noticed no signs of illness, he silently let out a sigh of relief.
As Aldric suggested, it was likely fatigue that triggered the onset.
Moving forward, Nathan promised himself to look after Lucinda and ensure she didnât overexert herself.
This way, he hoped to decrease the frequency of her episodes.
In the middle of the movie, Lucinda drifted to sleep, leaning gently against Nathanâs shoulder.
Nathan had pulled an all-nighter and risen early that morning.
After taking care of everything, he found himself weary too.
He turned off the TV and gently carried Lucinda to bed.
He tenderly cleaned her face, washed her feet, and changed her into pajamas.
Recently, Lucinda had been sleeping soundly, not stirring even as he attended to her.