He kept silent for a long while and said nothing.
Irish thought Joseph had fallen asleep since he was lying there still without a movement.
"Hey, Joseph," Irish called him while patting him gently.
"We never met as a child," Joseph replied slowly.
Irish was at a loss as she heard this from Joseph.
Reaching out, she touched the scar in his arms, and when she was looking at it carefully, Joseph opened his eyes abruptly. He clenched her hands and then kissed gently, interrupting her from looking at it.
"You said that this scar was left when you saved someone else's life in your childhood. You saved a girl, right?" Irish asked.
"Do you really believe what I said?"
"Of course. It is unnecessary for you to tell a lie."
He fondled her fingers and then continued in a soft voice, "Don't take it seriously. This scar was left in the mine accidentally."
Shocked, Irish continued to ask, "But how could you joke about something like this?"
"Why not?" Joseph asked in reply.
Irish was speechless. She always thought Joseph was a man who didn't know how to joke with others, and she even remembered he looked serious when he told her about this story that day.
She was unable to tell which sentence was true.
"Are you serious this time? Was this scar really left in the mine?" Irish asked again.
Joseph drew back his arms and replied briefly, "I am serious."
Irish said nothing but just leaned against his chest.
"What's wrong?" Joseph asked softly.
Irish's brow was knotted into a frown.
Seeing this, Joseph couldn't help but laugh. Reaching out, he soothed her frown, waiting for her response. "There was a little boy who always appeared in my dream. He walked in a stone-paved lane with a lantern alone. The long lane was familiar with the one in Light Town. I just squatted at the end of the lane, and then the little boy stepped to me. He took my hands and kept running, but some bad guys still caught us. I remembered the boy's arm was hurt."
She recounted slowly and didn't notice the dignified expression Joseph had. However, when she finished her sentence and looked into Joseph's eyes, he restrained himself. "So, do you think I am the little boy in your dream?" Joseph asked with a smile.
"But what if it is not a dream? What if it really happened?" Irish made her assumption.
After hearing this, his smile almost froze, but he replied calmly, "You think too much."
"Uncle Steven said that I got lost when I was four years old. But I remembered nothing," said Irish.
Joseph heaved a sigh and comforted her, "It is natural that people couldn't remember the things in their childhood."
"But I can remember the things that happened before I was four."
"But are you sure those things really happened when you were four?" Joseph tried to resist her assumption.
Irish couldn't reply to her because she was not sure. People's memories faded as time passed. She was unable to integrate her fragmented memory into a whole picture.
"Simon said that there is a Pandora's box in my head," Irish said slowly after keeping silent for a little while.
However, Joseph shook his head as he heard this and then responded, "Irish, I think it is not as complicated as you think. You just forget once you get lost, and perhaps something horrible happened to you. After all, you were just a little girl then, and you must be frightened of getting lost. And it might have had a bad influence on you."
Hearing his explanation, Irish still couldn't convince herself and felt the little boy had something to do with her.
"You reminded me of the little boy when you strived to protect me in the aquarium," added Irish.
"Don't make a blind conjecture. It may drive you crazy. On the other hand, you are a psychologist, and you should be clear that sometimes people's memory goes wrong," said Joseph.
Irish nodded her head since she also agreed with him.
A moment later, she then continued, "But I hope you were the little boy in my dream. We met in our childhood, and then we got married. It will be a nice story."
An unnamed emotion hit Joseph's heart, but soon he calmed down and replied, "It is also great for us to meet in the bar."
"But in that case, you could not be my childhood sweetheart," Irish said like a spoiled kid.
"Irish, I am jealous. I hope to know you earlier," Joseph replied softly, rubbing her hair gently.
Irish smiled, looking at him, and encircled his neck with her arms, "Indeed, the little boy always reminded me of you. It is weird. Perhaps it is because you always take care of me."
Joseph raised his eyebrows and then said, "But you always said I am too strict with you."
"Although you are not good at taking care of other people's feelings, you are a man who could bring people a sense of security. It seems that there is nothing to worry about as long as you stay with me. And you will arrange everything for me," Irish explained.
"Wow, I am so overwhelmed to hear your compliment."
"I am telling the truth."
"Why are you honey-mouthed today?" Joseph teased her with a smile.
Irish's long hair draped over his hand, and Joseph rubbed her hair gently.
"I think of the little boy as you because you are the one who brings me hope. You are strong since you have gone through many obstacles. Take Jordan as an example, you brought him up, so you are not only his elder brother because you also play the role of a father. I am sure you are experienced in bringing up a child."
Joseph's smile faded away while his slender finger stroked her eyebrows. "Irish, what do you mean?"
Irish was clear that Joseph was sensitive and he was intelligent enough to understand what she said.
"I mean.... I think perhaps we could have a baby," Irish finally responded.
Joseph stopped and then looked into her eyes seriously. "I am not going to allow you to take such a risk before the doctor tells me it is the right time for you to conceive," said Joseph firmly.
"Joseph..." Irish bit her lips and then added, "But I want to have a baby with you."
"But I just want you to be with me," Joseph declined her request. Then, reaching out, he held her face and said word by word, "If I could only choose one, I'd rather give up having a baby."
Shocked, Irish looked at him with her mouth open slightly.
"But..." She hesitated.
"We have to focus on treatment now. Leave other things aside," said Joseph to comfort her.
"But what if I still couldn't have a baby with you after accepting the medical treatment?"
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om