I quickly got out of bed and rushed to the hospital.
Elliott was still in the middle of emergency treatment. Outside the operating room, a few members of the Wallace family stood scattered around, their expressions tense and anxious.
I looked around and noticed that Mallory was not there. Ashton stood alone in a corner with his head bowed, exuding an air of isolation. I walked over and gently touched his hand. He lifted his head in surprise, then turned his hand over to clasp mine tightly. His grip grew firmer as time passed.
After what felt like an eternity, the light above the emergency room switched off.
The doctor said something, and Leighton immediately broke into sobs. The others around her began crying quietly as well.
Ashton and I stood off in a distant corner, watching the scene unfold. My mind felt utterly blank, like it had been hollowed out.
The funeral followed soon after.
Everyone was overcome with grief, except for Ashton, whose face remained emotionless throughout. I knew his temperament well–his calm exterior only masked the immense pain he was enduring inside.
Mallory attended the funeral only briefly due to her health and left shortly after.
During a break, I pulled Ashton aside to a secluded spot. At that moment, he seemed like an obedient child, allowing me to guide him without protest.
I looked at him earnestly. “Ashton, there’s no one else here now. You can let it out. The Wallace family needs you to hold everything together. Mr. Wallace Senior wouldn’t want to see you like this.”
He let out a bitter laugh. “What’s the point of letting it out? It’s all my fault. I pushed for the divorce-”
“Ashton!” I interrupted firmly. “Life and death are inevitable. Mr. Wallace Senior was getting old.”
He stared at me, his eyes suddenly reddening. I then gently hugged him, trying to soothe his trembling body.
After the funeral, Ashton offered to drive me home. He had switched to a different car, one with a refreshing lemon scent instead of Mallory’s overwhelming perfume.
As we got out of the car and walked along the pavement, a bicycle suddenly came speeding toward me from the
side.
Ashton reacted quickly, pulling me out of the way. The abrupt movement threw me off balance, and I instinctively protected my stomach as I stumbled.
Ashton caught me around the waist just in time.
I felt more shaken than if the bicycle had actually hit me. Panicked, I pulled away from him and stepped back a couple of paces.
Ashton frowned at my overly intense reaction, and the confusion on his face was evident.
Worried he might notice something unusual about my waist, I forced a smile. “Thank you.‘
His hand slowly dropped to his side, and his expression was unreadable. “It’s nothing.”
After helping settle Elliott’s affairs, I returned to Zionsville Life resumed as it had been before, though now, I occasionally checked the news from Regensburg.
