Chapter 202: Chapter 202: Did I do something wrong?
Elara froze, her expression changing. Before she could say anything, Ziva gave a loud snort. "Stop threatening people. You’re just six years old. The only place you’ll run away to is the refrigerator."
Zia suddenly stopped crying and struggling, allowing Ziva to hold her in place. "I thought Elara might be going to see Grandpa," she mumbled pitifully, rubbing her eyes. "I miss him. He disappeared for so long. What if he comes back and forgets my face?"
Elara’s hand tightened around the doorknob.
How did she know she was going to see Grandpa? Kids really did have strange instincts. Nobody had told her anything, yet somehow she had guessed it anyway.
Seeing the little girl slumped on the floor with her face covered in tears, Elara couldn’t help feeling a little uncomfortable. Zia might be noisy, troublesome, and capable of turning a peaceful day into a disaster, but she really did miss Grandpa. She had probably been thinking about him this whole time without saying much.
A sigh escaped her lips. "Fine," she said tiredly. "Go get your shoes."
Zia froze, her eyes widening in surprise. "Really?" she gasped.
"Before I change my mind," Elara added sternly.
Zia instantly slipped out of Ziva’s grip.
"And wait. You can’t come with me wearing... whatever this is." Elara pointed at her outfit. "Let me go dress you properly."
Ziva’s eyes widened as she watched Elara drag Zia toward the room. For several seconds she simply stood there with a dumbstruck expression. Then she shrugged casually.
"I’ve officially lost this battle." She muttered. With that, she turned and walked back into her room.
After Elara finally managed to get Zia into decent clothes, they both headed downstairs and got into the car.
"We’re going to see Grandpa, right?" Zia asked immediately after fastening her seatbelt.
Elara only gave a small nod in reply.
Zia’s face brightened at once. She clapped her hands happily, her cheeks turning red. "Is he back in Crelou, or are we going to where he traveled?"
Elara shook her head tiredly. "Zia, keep quiet or I’ll leave you on the roadside." She warned, but Zia knew that was just an empty threat threat so she continued.
"It’s been at least a hundred years," she mumbled dramatically while leaning back in her seat. "I just hope Grandpa stopped coughing. Every time he coughed, I always have to go bring him a glass of water."
Elara remained silent as she listened to her words absentmindedly.
"And one day, he coughed while I was drinking juice. I got scared and spilled everything on myself." Zia gave a very deep sigh. "I told him to cough more quietly but he said coughing doesn’t have a volume button."
Elara still didn’t mutter a word, but her fingers tightened around the steering wheel...
Soon they arrived at the hospital. After parking the car, Elara stepped out while Zia climbed down beside her.
The little girl looked up at the large white building, the excitement on her face slowly fading away. "Why are we here? Did you bring me here to see the dentist?" she asked quietly as Elara took her hand and led her toward the entrance.
Elara didn’t answer. She simply continued walking. A few minutes later, they reached the corridor leading to Grandpa’s ward. Zia glanced around nervously.
"Or is Grandpa a doctor now?"
Elara remained silent.
Seeing that she wasn’t answering, Zia pursed her lips into a thin line. Then she looked around again, her grip on Elara’s hand slowly tightening. "Is Grandpa sick?" she whispered in a quiet tone.
Elara looked down at her. Her expression softened. "A little," she replied.
Zia immediately went terrifyingly quiet. When they finally entered the ward, she stopped by the entrance, not moving any closer. She simply stood there staring at the scene in front of her. "Is that Grandpa?" she asked softly after a long while. Then she slowly walked forward.
"Is he sleeping?"
She stopped beside Elara and looked down at the figure on the bed. For a long time, she didn’t say anything. Her lips slowly pouted. She looked up at Elara. Then back at Grandpa. Then up at Elara again. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked quietly.
Elara’s chest tightened painfully. She pulled Zia closer against her leg and gently patted her back. "It’s not your fault," she murmured. "It’s never your fault."
Meanwhile, inwardly, she heaved a deep sigh.
This was exactly why she hadn’t wanted to bring Zia. Seeing her sad made her feel uncomfortable. And she already knew what would happen after today. The questions would start. Questions after questions. And sooner or later, she would probably insist on coming every single time she visited the hospital.
Not long after, Zia slipped out of her embrace and started wandering around the room quietly. Elara moved closer to the bed and calmly adjusted Grandpa’s blanket.
"Grandpa... just wake up, at least..." she whispered, her breathing growing heavier. "If you can hear me now, Zia misses you."
* * *
Elara suddenly found her entire life absurd.
She couldn’t even take care of her own grandfather. In her previous life, she had lost him because she failed to protect him. Now, in this life, when she thought she would do everything differently...
Her thoughts stopped there, her chest tightened painfully.
A small hint of regret tugged at her heart sharply, and she couldn’t help but think of a few possibilities.
What if she had spent more time with him?What if she had noticed earlier? Maybe things wouldn’t have become like this.
Her eyes twitched involuntarily. She reached out, intending to hold his hand. But before she could touch him, Zia’s voice suddenly rang out.
"Elara." She called.
Elara slowly turned around and found Zia standing calmly beside the locker. In her hand was an old photograph that looked a little faded from age.
She held it up in front of her curiously. "Who’s this?" she asked.
Elara furrowed her brows in confusion, then she walked up to her...
