In the bright room, Lance lay on the bed, half-naked.
He felt the woman's hands administering acupuncture behind him and suddenly asked, "Dr. Deanna, may I ask you a question?"
"What question?" Deanna looked puzzled.
Lance tilted his head and asked, "After all these years, why didn't you think of finding the children's biological father?"
Deanna was slightly taken aback by his question. She hadn't expected Lance to ask this suddenly. After a moment of hesitation, she sighed and spoke.
"Back then, it was hard enough just to survive. Where would I find the energy to look for him?"
Lance understood her reasoning. He knew well what kind of life Deanna had led before. Thinking about it, he asked again, "So why do you want to find him now?"
Deanna pursed her lips slightly and continued, "The children are older now and more sensitive. They crave a father's love. I've already failed them in many ways. If I randomly find someone, they might not like him. So, I thought it would be best to find their biological father."
She paused and sighed again.
Lance asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, just wondering if I can even find him. There were so many guests at the hotel, and so much time has passed. It might be very difficult."
Deanna felt that the chances of finding him were slim. Lance fell silent and didn't speak again.
Deanna thought he was troubled and said considerately, "Mr. Mercer, don't feel pressured. It's okay if we can't find him."
Lance felt a strange discomfort in his heart.
"But what if we do find him?" he asked calmly, not giving Deanna a chance to reply before continuing, "And what if he's married? What will you do then?"
Deanna was momentarily stunned. She hadn't considered that possibility. But she quickly smiled and said, "If he's married, I certainly won't disturb him. I'm looking for him just to fulfill the children's dream of having a father."
Her mood dropped, and guilt was evident on her face.
"Because they grew up without a father and our family is relatively poor, Chloe and Gregory are more mature than their peers. But outside, not having a father is their biggest weakness. Before you appeared and stood in for their father at school events, they were often teased by mischievous kids at school."
Deanna's voice choked up as she finished speaking.
Lance felt a deep pain in his heart, like being pricked by needles.
Fortunately, Deanna felt better after expressing these long-buried thoughts.
She apologized awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Mercer. I shouldn't have said these things."
"It's okay," Lance replied softly, unsure of what to say next, so he fell silent.
Deanna collected herself but couldn't help hesitating again.
"What's wrong?" Lance noticed her expression and asked.
Deanna didn't hide her thoughts. "I'm wondering if it's really a good idea to suddenly look for him. He might be living peacefully, but now I'm disrupting his life just because I want to find a father for the children..."
She hadn't thought about how to approach him if she did find him. After all...
That night had been an accident; he might not want two children suddenly thrust upon him.
Thinking this, Deanna wanted to abandon the idea of finding him.
"Maybe I shouldn't look for him. Perhaps after a while, the children will stop thinking about it. Kids' emotions come and go quickly."
She looked at Lance as she spoke.
Lance met her gaze and saw the conflict and hesitation in her eyes, feeling very uncomfortable.
"I disagree with you," Lance said sternly. "A father's presence is irreplaceable for children. You shouldn't deprive them of knowing who their father is."
Deanna opened her mouth but didn't know how to respond.
Finally, she slumped her shoulders in defeat and said dejectedly, "I know I shouldn't deprive them of that need, but I'm worried..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but Lance understood.
He sighed and began to persuade her.
"I think you're overthinking it. Since he's the children's father, they are his responsibility. He has the right to know."
"But it was an accident back then. He doesn't know about the children," Deanna felt uneasy about imposing this on someone.
Lance looked at her and knew she was stuck in a negative thinking loop. He tried to reassure her again, "Even if it was an accident, the children are your best gifts, aren't they? They have the right to know who their father is. They need the love of their father."
Deanna had no response to that and felt much better because of his words.
"You're right. I'm not asking for much. No matter his situation, I just want him to occasionally spend time with the kids and give them some fatherly love. As for raising them, I don't need his help."