Chapter 398 - 401: Feeling Unworthy

Day was breaking.

Mrs. Sutton was up early to cook. In addition to breakfast, she was also busy simmering a nourishing broth for her son-in-law.

When Wren woke, she quickly washed her face, skipped makeup, and ate breakfast before taking the nourishing broth to the hospital.

She pushed open the door to the hospital room. Adrian Lancaster was already awake.

He was leaning quietly against the headboard, his gaze fixed on the world outside the window, his expression serene.

Hearing the familiar footsteps, Adrian immediately turned his head. A flicker of light crossed his eyes the moment he saw Wren.

But the joy lasted only an instant before it was masked by a tense reserve. Even his breathing grew softer.

Wren walked over with a radiant smile, placing the thermal container on the bedside table.

"Did you sleep well last night?"

Adrian gave a tentative "mhm," his eyes unable to resist looking at her. "It was alright. You?"

"Same. It was alright."

Wren’s expression was gentle and her voice soft. As she spoke, she expertly opened the container and ladled out a bowl of the broth.

The savory aroma filled the air, whetting one’s appetite.

Then, she leaned over to adjust the pillow behind Adrian, helping him get more comfortable.

"My mom made this broth first thing this morning. It smells wonderful. Have a taste."

Wren picked up the spoon, filled it with broth, and blew on it gently. Once she was sure it wasn’t too hot, she brought it to Adrian’s lips.

As her hand drew near, Adrian instinctively pulled back.

"..."

He quickly took the spoon from Wren, his expression and movements stiff.

"Honey, I can manage on my own. You don’t have to trouble yourself."

Adrian’s words were polite yet distant, his tone one of careful consideration for her.

Such excessive considerateness was unnatural for a married couple.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want Wren to take care of him; he was just afraid that his reliance on her would become a burden.

He had hurt her in the past and owed her so much. He felt he had no right to accept her kindness with a clear conscience.

Wren froze for a moment, her movements faltering.

But she didn’t press the issue or ask Adrian why he was suddenly acting so formal.

A warm smile still on her face, she nudged the bowl closer to him.

"Alright. Take your time. I can get you more if you want."

Wren didn’t comment on Adrian’s unease, simply sitting quietly beside him to keep him company.

She didn’t rush him or force him to confront his troubles. She just used her calm, gentle presence to slowly lower his defenses.

Adrian lowered his head and sipped his broth quietly, watching Wren’s every move from the corner of his eye.

At one point, Wren stood up to grab something from a shelf near the door.

It was only a few steps, but the moment she turned her back, Adrian’s grip on the spoon tightened, and the bowl trembled slightly.

He instinctively looked up, his gaze glued to her retreating back.

In the instant she stood and turned away, a panic he didn’t even realize was there flickered in his eyes.

He was terrified Wren would walk out, ignore him, and abandon him all alone in the hospital.

But he didn’t dare call out to stop her. All he could do was watch in silence.

Only when Wren returned to his bedside did the tension and anxiety in Adrian’s eyes finally fade.

He quickly composed himself, pretending as if nothing had happened, and went back to sipping his broth without a word.

Wren saw it all.

"..."

It had only been a day, but Adrian seemed like a different person.

Sensitive, anxious, insecure...

Last night on the phone, she had been completely honest with him about her feelings.

It was true she had been hurt in the past, but she had moved on and was no longer dwelling on it.

She meant it when she said she loved him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

’So why does he still feel so insecure?’

Adrian drank every last drop of broth in the bowl.

In truth, the nurse had already helped him eat breakfast before Wren arrived.

He hadn’t been hungry at all when she’d offered him the broth, but he drank it obediently anyway.

It wasn’t that he was afraid to refuse, but that he couldn’t bear to reject her kindness and upset her.

Wren took the bowl from Adrian and asked softly, "Would you like some more?"

Adrian was genuinely full. "I’ll have some more later."

"Okay. It’ll stay warm in the thermos."

Wren set the bowl down, grabbed a wet wipe, and gently cleaned the corner of Adrian’s mouth.

"Thank you, honey." A warmth spread through Adrian’s chest.

Wren smiled. "You don’t have to thank me. We’re married. Of course I’ll take care of you."

Adrian fell silent for a moment before he couldn’t stop himself from asking, "In the past... were you always the one taking care of me?"

Wren met his gaze, her eyes clear and bright.

She didn’t deny it.

"I suppose so. But eventually, you learned to take care of me, too. And not just me, but our two children as well."

"Really?" Adrian couldn’t believe his ears. He thought Wren was just trying to make him feel better.

The more she reassured him, the more guilty he felt.

"It’s true. The whole family can vouch for it."

As she spoke, Wren took out her phone, pulled up a video, and handed it to Adrian.

It was filled with clips of Adrian playing with their two children, mixing formula, changing diapers, and rocking them to sleep.

She had recorded a lot of them when he wasn’t looking.

"Watch these videos."

Adrian tapped on one. The video was filled with the sweet, giggling laughter of Owen and Nina, layered with the sound of his own deep, gentle voice.

He couldn’t help but open a few more.

The scenes in the videos were incredibly heartwarming, filled with a palpable sense of happiness.

In one, he was telling them stories or singing nursery rhymes. In another, he was playing games with them. In others, he was pacing around the house with a child in his arms, or busy mixing a bottle of formula...

He was clearly fulfilling his duties as a father.

But...

"Honey, all these videos are of me with the children. There are none of me taking care of you."

Adrian’s comment made Wren laugh. She proactively took his hand in hers.

"When you were taking care of me, you were always too close for me to film. I would have been too embarrassed. But that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. I remember it all."

Adrian: "..."

"When you’ve recovered and the weather warms up, let’s take Owen and Nina on a trip."

Hearing Wren talk hopefully about the future, Adrian’s chest tightened, and his gaze fell.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to believe it; he just couldn’t.

He was afraid she was just saying it to comfort him, afraid that this seemingly stable future wasn’t meant for him at all.

His past failings and the blank slate of his memory made it impossible for Adrian to even dare to accept her hopes for the future.

He felt he didn’t deserve it.

Seeing the light instantly fade from Adrian’s expression, Wren thought, ’He must still be uneasy, unable to let go of what was bothering him last night.’

Still, she didn’t call him out on it, nor did she try to start a heart-to-heart or repeatedly try to convince him.

She just sat there quietly beside him, holding his hand, staying with him.

After a long moment, Adrian finally summoned the courage to squeeze her hand back, lacing their fingers together.

The unease in his heart was gradually soothed by her silent tenderness.

He turned to look at her, his eyes full of deep affection.

’Honey, I love you so, so much. Please don’t ever leave me.’

Sunlight streamed down on them, and in that quiet moment, no words were needed for their hearts to connect.