Chapter 508 Chapter 508: Can I Trust You?
After thinking for a while, he put down the cup and decided to ask Luke for help. For fear of disturbing the children and Estelle, who were in the bedroom next door, he didn’t open the door and call Luke as he usually did. Instead, he began to look for his phone, wanting to call Luke.
‘Damn it! If only I were not disabled! I’m a total wreck now!’ Cristofer thought with unprecedented self-hatred.
At this moment, someone knocked on the door of the study. Thinking it was Luke coming, Cristofer said without hesitation, “Come in, please. Uncle Luke, could you…”
Before he finished his words, he saw Yvonne coming in with a cup of steaming coffee. With one hand under the heat insulation pad and the other holding the cup handle, she walked to Cristofer, raised her head to look at Cristofer, and said, “Dad, Mom asked me to bring you a cup of coffee.”
Hearing this, Cristofer was surprised. He quickly took the coffee cup from Yvonne’s hands and put it on the desk. The familiar aroma of coffee beans soothed him. Then he asked in a hoarse voice, “It’s your Mom who asked you to bring me the coffee?”
“Yes. Ah, no, no, no.” Yvonne nodded vigorously and then shook her head repeatedly. “It’s not Mommy. It’s... It’s... All right, it’s Mom...” Realizing that she had spilled the beans, she had no choice but to tell the truth. Then she said to Cristofer, “Dad. Don’t tell Mom that I spilled the beans. She said you like drinking Blue Mountain coffee the most, and she made the coffee for you.”
Since Estelle came back, she had been paying close attention to Cristofer. As Cristofer had been staying in the study today, she guessed that he must have a lot of work to do and would probably stay up late to work, so she went to the kitchen to make coffee for him.
“Mom says you forget to eat and drink when you’re busy working, Dad. You should be good and eat your meals regularly,” Yvonne said in a childlike voice. After thinking for a moment, she added, “Mom also mentioned that you don’t like drinking water. You should drink more water. It’s good for your health.”
When Cristofer heard her last sentence, his serious expression softened, and his eyes showed warmth. He imagined the scene of Estelle scolding him in front of Yvonne while making coffee. Then, he smiled gently and said, “I understand. Thank you, Yvonne.”
Seeing him in a good mood, Yvonne moved closer and tugged at his sleeve, saying, “Dad, you should thank Mom.”
“Okay,” Cristofer agreed and affectionately ruffled her hair. However, thoughts of Estelle brought him back to a somber mood. He changed the subject and said, “It’s getting late, and you should go to bed.”
Pouting, Yvonne looked at Cristofer with big, watery eyes and shook her head, not wanting to go to bed.
After being stared at for a while, Cristofer gave in. With a resigned look, he lifted Yvonne, placed her on his lap, and held her in his arms. “Alright, you can stay up a little longer, but you must go to bed in half an hour.”
“Okay! Thank you, Dad! You’re the best!” Yvonne exclaimed with a wide smile. Wrapping her arms around Cristofer's neck, she kissed him on the cheek and asked, “Dad, when will you make up with Mom?”
Cristofer didn’t want to lie to Yvonne, but he also couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth that reconciling with Estelle might never happen. Taking a sip of his coffee, he changed the topic, “Let’s discuss it later, Yvonne. How about we plan something fun for the weekend? The weather will be nice, and you can ask Grandpa Luke to take you to the park to fly a kite or have a picnic in the yard if you prefer staying home.”
“Dad, I want you and Mom to take us out for fun,” Yvonne said sweetly, hoping to bring Cristofer and Estelle back together soon. “Dad, Mom really cares about you.”
Not wanting to disappoint Yvonne, Cristofer nodded and said, “I know.”
When Yvonne heard his words, her eyes welled up with tears. She rubbed her eyes and said, “Then why don’t you make up with her? Yohan, Christina, and I are all worried about you. If you don’t reconcile with Mom, we’ll have trouble sleeping at night.” As she talked, her eyes became teary.
Seeing her on the verge of tears, Cristofer didn’t know what to do. He gently comforted her while wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes, “Please don’t cry, Yvonne. I promise I’ll think about making up with your Mom, okay?”
“Okay,” Yvonne agreed, taking deep breaths to hold back her tears.
Seeing her adorable expression, Cristofer couldn’t help but smile. He patted her back gently and shared many interesting stories to make her happy.
Yvonne became engrossed in Cristofer's stories and gradually forgot about persuading him. Later, she recounted the story of the little mermaid that Estelle had told them earlier in the evening. When she finished, she couldn’t resist asking in a hushed voice, “Dad, do you use a wheelchair because your legs are short?” After saying this, she felt it might have been an inappropriate question, so she quickly added, “It’s okay. You can tell me the truth. I won’t tell Yohan and Christina.”
“Can I trust you?” Cristofer asked with a knowing smile, gently rubbing her nose with his finger. “If Yohan and Christina offer you chocolate in exchange for information, I’m pretty sure you’ll spill the beans. By the way, you should only have one chocolate a day, and remember to brush your teeth afterward.”
Blushing at being caught, Yvonne nestled against her father’s chest. “Dad, is your coffee tasty? Can I have a sip?” she suddenly asked.
Cristofer checked the coffee’s temperature to ensure it was suitable for a child. Then, in a gentle voice, he said, “Coffee is quite bitter. Are you sure you want to taste it?”
“Yes!” Yvonne nodded enthusiastically, her eyes forming crescent moons as she smiled.
Cristofer then brought the cup to her lips, and she took a sip of the coffee. The next moment, she frowned and stuck out her tongue, saying, “Dad, did Mom forget to put sugar in it? Why do you like such a bitter drink?”
As he looked into her eyes, which resembled Estelle’s, Cristofer replied with a smile, “Because I’m an adult.” In his mind, he thought, ‘In the world of adults, there are many things even more bitter than coffee. And some of my bitterness comes from your Mom.’
When he and Estelle had first met, they were both young. It could be said that for the past years, his happiness, anger, and sadness had all been tied to Estelle. To avoid dwelling on Estelle, Cristofer had made an effort not to dwell on the past since he woke up from his coma six months ago.