Chapter 44: Chapter 44
“It's going to be okay, Charlie, I promise. Morgan whispered into Charlie's hair as they both sat in the emergency waiting room at the nearest veterinary hospital, even though he knew he couldn't guarantee that to Charlie.
Nothing about the situation made much sense: Sawyer had been fine that morning, when Charlie had left for class and now, suddenly, he needed to be seen in the ER. He wasn't a veterinarian, but disease could be just as unpredictable in animals as it was in humans. But still... Something told him that something was wrong.
“This is all my fault…” Charlie sobbed against his chest, causing her thoughts to immediately turn to just her, “If only I hadn't been so inattentive the last few days and wasted so much time complaining that he didn't like me. me so much I wanted to, I could have sensed that something was wrong... I could...
“No, Charlie…” he whispered, trying to calm her down. “None of this is your fault. He was fine when you left this morning, and I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary when I stopped by the house this afternoon before picking you up. It certainly wasn't something we could have avoided, so please don't blame yourself. “ he asked, feeling his heart break a little more with each new tear that ran down her face “ Sawyer will be fine, I guarantee it.
“But what if he doesn't stay...? “ she whimpered, not seeming to want to know the answer to that question “What if he...?
“Don't think like that…” he kissed her forehead as he started to try to wipe her tears away.
“ I was so happy when you gave it to me, because I thought I could finally go back to being surrounded by animals, like I used to live before my grandfather died... And now this... “ she murmured, while her whole body swayed because of the sobs “I... I don't want to lose anyone else.
" I know.
“I just wish I had more time with him…” she cried, heartbroken “So I could show him how much I loved him. It doesn't even matter if he likes me by not...
" I know how you feel..." Morgan sighed, putting a deeper truth into that sentence than he intended " And that's why I know it's going to be okay. You and Sawyer still have a lot of time together, Charlie. Soon, all of this will be nothing more than a scare.
Resting her face comfortably against her shoulder, Morgan let her cry as long as she needed to, as time passed and still no one came to tell them about their cat. Finally, after a multitude of gasps and sobs that gradually subsided, Charlie seemed to calm down a bit, or at least enough to raise his head and start trying to wipe his face swollen from so much crying.
“Damn it, I ruined your shirt…” she apologized, her voice low and husky, realizing that the fabric over his shoulder was completely damp “I'm sorry…
" Does not matter. “ he dismissed the subject, placing a kiss on her forehead, which was a little warmer than usual “ Feeling better?
“ Not better, but a little calmer, yes. " Charlie said, rubbing his eyes hard " I'm sorry, you must be thinking I'm ridiculous... I know other people must think it's exaggerated to cry that much just for a cat I've had for less than two weeks.. .
“Other people may think so, but not me. “ Morgan disagreed, vehemently “I know you, Charlie. I know you loved him with all your heart the moment you first saw him. And the only ones who should be ashamed of themselves for judging a love like that, are those who don't have a heart big enough to carry as much affection as you do. “ he assured, making her smile “He is your kitty and a part of you. Don't apologize for being scared of losing someone you love, it doesn't matter if they have two legs or four legs.
“Thank you…” Charlie sniffled, resting her face against his chest once more “To be honest, I also don't care if anyone else thinks this is all overkill. Growing up, the only ones who were around me, giving me affection and being happy when they saw me, other than my grandfather, were animals. In fact, even more than him. Grandpa loved the countryside and the family farm, but not even a private man like him could afford to abandon the family business altogether. More times than I can remember, I was home without him and no other kids to play with... But I didn't feel lonely. “ she smiled, seeming completely absorbed in her memories “ Because the horses, the chickens, the pigs, the ducks, the cows, the dogs and the birds... They were always with me, keeping me company. And I loved the feeling of knowing they loved me with all their hearts. Even if they weren't able to tell me this with words... I just saw the love in their eyes every day. “ Charlie said, excited.
“You wouldn't have become who you are today if it weren't for them. " Morgan concluded, knowing that, for that reason, he should be grateful to each of those little animals he would never meet, since he knew that most of them were dead or had been given to the farmer friends of Charlie's grandfather, where they could live the last years of her life in peace, after Aiden Foster's farm was sold after his death and became his granddaughter's inheritance, along with several other of his properties.
" Exactly. “ she readily agreed, as if there was no greater truth on the face of the earth “ That's why they mean so much to me. All my life, they were the only beings who seemed to really know me and who I also fully understood. I mean, until I met you. “ she smiled sweetly as she looked at him, blushing “ That's why I dreamed of being a veterinarian since I was a child. I always felt that I should repay all the love they gave me by taking care of them in some way... And, to be quite honest, also because I always knew that it would be heaven to live surrounded by animals for the rest of my life. “ She laughed softly, embarrassed “ It's kind of my comfort zone.
“I understand perfectly. “ he tightened his arms around her “ This is how I feel about my work as an investor. Well, at least the comfort zone part. “ he sighed, feeling comfortable and even compelled to open up equally to her, as he always did when he was with Charlie “ Having this job was never my dream let alone my definition of heaven. But, over time, it became the only thing I knew how to do in my life, so it became a little easier. After all, I always knew that I was born to do this. It's in my blood.
“Did your father say that? she asked after a moment of silence, looking through her lashes hesitantly, probably knowing that his relationship with his father was a sensitive topic.
Or perhaps the best definition is that it was a cold topic. Static, rigid and unchanging, like a stone.
“He never had to say, to tell you the truth. Everyone just knew that, as his son, one day I would take over the business, like my father did my grandfather and my grandfather my great-grandfather…” he shrugged, lost in his recollections “It's what all Sullivans do. have done for generations. It was just natural. I mean... My mom always said I could be whatever I wanted. “ he found himself smiling, albeit wistfully “ But one silent look from my father and I knew he didn't think the same.
“But I'm sure he wouldn't have minded that much if you'd chosen to do something else. “Charlie argued, though she didn't seem quite sure what she was saying. “I mean, from what little you've told me about him, he wasn't a father like Anthony, was he?
“No, it wasn't that bad…” he chuckled, humorlessly “The thing was… My father was terrible at showing feelings. People, myself included, often wondered if he really felt anything. But that didn't apply when it came to my mother. She was the sunshine of his life and he made a point of showing it to everyone at all times. If I managed to have a little closeness with him as a boy, it was because my mother insisted that he participate as much as possible in all areas of my life. And it also translated all the grunts and silent looks he gave me whenever I hugged him or told him I loved him, which helped a lot. “ he said, with a smile equally filled with sadness, love and longing.
“I would have loved to meet her. Charlie commented, making him smile, especially since she had told him that before, but it still sounded like the absolute truth.
“And she would have loved to meet you. “He reaffirmed, without any doubt, “She would cook all day for you and even teach you how to make cupcakes with peanut butter filling, like she did for me.
“ The secret cupcake recipe? “ Charlie raised an eyebrow “Gee, that would be a big responsibility for me… Knowing the most important thing the Sullivans have ever created… Although, it's not like I'm really going to be able to cook this right, even if there were the possibility of you teaching me how to do this together…” she sneered at herself, extremely skeptical.
" It's not that hard. “ he laughed “ When Sawyer gets better, I promise I'll teach it to you and it will be delicious.
“ If you do it alone, I'm sure you'll stay, yes. “ she scoffed, looking down at his hands “You're the only one of us who has fairy hands. And no false modesty. You know you have a gift when it comes to cooking.
“I got it from my mother. “ he was proud to say it, although he felt a little embarrassed “ Although, what I can do is nowhere near what she used to be able to do. People who ate her food just never forgot. She used to tell me that's how she met my father. " Morgan said, lost in his memories " She used to work at her aunt's restaurant and, one day, my father's car ended up breaking down in front. As grumpy as he was that day, my great-aunt persuaded him to order at least one plate of food while he waited for the tow truck to arrive, and by the time he had eaten, he was simply determined to say hello to the cook. My mother was used to this kind of thing, but, she told me, the minute they saw each other... She just knew he was the man of her life. And strangely, she knew he felt the same, even though my dad didn't have many facial expressions, even back then. “ he laughed, being followed by her.
"That sounds so romantic…" Charlie sighed, although there was a hint of sadness in her voice that he thought was a consequence of the whole situation.