From the moment the doctor announced the baby's arrival, Dorothyâs eyes were brimming with
tears. Everett gently wiped them away several times before finally warning her that if she didnât stop
crying, heâd take her home. That seemed to do the trick, at least for the moment.
Jeffrey and Karen exchanged a flurry of words until the doctor came to check on her. Only then did
Jeffrey step away from the bedside, allowing Dorothy to lean in.
âKaren, youâre such a trooper! Congratulations, youâre officially a trio now.â she said.
âYeah⦠childbirth is brutal, Dorothy⦠I donât think I can go through this againâ¦â
Dorothy offered a wry smile, âJeffrey just said the same thing.â
âThatâs right! Once all this is over, Iâm getting a vasectomy!â Jeffrey chimed in, only to receive a
sharp look from Karen.
There he goes again, speaking his mind with elders around.
Their conversation continued, with Kenneth standing quietly in a corner of the room and watching
the familyâs joyful reunion.
Suddenly, he felt someone approaching him.
Looking up, he saw Everett.
âWere you the one with Dorothy when she went into the delivery room?â he asked.
âYes,â Kenneth nodded, his response void of any boastfulness, simply answering Everettâs direct
question.
âIt was quite critical then, wasnât it?â
âDorothyâs situation was far more dire.â Kennethâs eyes narrowed slightly as he recalled the tense
moments, âThe doctor had to come out to call the family several times, issuing multiple critical
condition notices. I could see the blood on the doctorâs clothes. That was Dorothyâs blood.â
The fear he experienced then was indescribable. He wanted to collapse just like Jeffrey did
moments ago. But he couldnât afford to.
Outside the delivery room, it was just him and Karen. If he faltered, Karen would be utterly helpless.
Just hearing Kennethâs account was enough for Everett to picture those harrowing moments.
What was he doing at that time?
After a long silence, Everett asked softly, âGot a cigarette?â
âYou want to smoke?â Kenneth asked instinctively before immediately realizing the redundancy of
his question. He patted his pocket and handed one over.
Everett took it, then stepped out of the room with Kenneth following.
âTheyâll be talking for a while longer. Iâd just be in the way there.â Kenneth explained, uncertain if
Everett was listening.
The two of them, one after the other, made their way to the hospitalâs outdoor corridor. Everett lit the
cigarette and then passed it back to Kenneth.
Hesitantly, Kenneth accepted it, âIs⦠Dorothy facing some trouble again?â
Kenneth noticed something was off with Everett.
Without a response, Kenneth felt more certain of his suspicion.
âWhatâs wrong? Tell me!â he exclaimed.
âDo you think things would be different now if I had never agreed to the divorce years ago?â Everett
took a drag, his eyes downcast, and his voice was slightly hoarse.
In a moment of impulsiveness, he had agreed to the divorce and let Dorothy go. That decision
made him miss the births of his children and left Dorothy to endure hardships alone.
Now, by holding onto his pride, he wasnât there to protect her, allowing Quincy to scheme against
her. Though it was due to her momentary lapse in judgment, ultimately, if he had been there, Quincy
wouldnât have targeted her. He knew that Dorothyâs trust in Quincy and her guard down enough to
drink what was offered were all because Quincy had once saved him.
Comments(0)
Join the discussion — sign in to leave a comment
Sign In to CommentNo comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!