Chapter 101 Chapter 101
Maxwell
By the time I got back to the hospital, exhaustion was sitting heavily on my shoulders.
After dropping the girls with the doctors earlier, I had rushed home just long enough to shower and change. But even standing under hot water for ten minutes hadn’t washed away the anger still burning inside me or the fear what could have happened to my fifth daughter.
The missing piece of this nightmare still hung over my head. I pushed those thoughts aside as I stepped into the hospital lobby. My eyes immediately searched the waiting area.
My mother stood near the nurses’ station, speaking quietly with one of the staff. The moment she noticed me, her face softened with relief. “Maxwell.”
I crossed the distance between us in a few quick steps and pulled her into a tight hug. “Thank you for coming,” I said quietly, my voice rough with exhaustion. “Thank you for staying with them.”
She held me for a moment longer before pulling back slightly to look at me. “You don’t need to thank me for that,” she said gently. “They are my granddaughters.”
Her eyes searched my face the way mothers do when they know their child is carrying too much. “You look exhausted.”
“I will rest later,” I replied. Right now, rest felt impossible.
A doctor approached us then, holding a tablet in his hand. “Mr. Sinclair?” I turned to him immediately.
“Yes.”
“The girls have woken up,” he said. “They are stable. A little weak and confused, which is expected considering the sedatives they were given. But physically they are doing well.”
A breath I hadn’t realized I was holding slowly left my chest. “Can I see them?” I asked.
“Of course.”
I nodded and glanced back at my mother. “Let me go in first,” I said quietly. “I don’t want to overwhelm them.” She understood immediately.
“They have been through a lot,” she agreed.
“I will talk to them first,” I continued. “Make sure they are calm. Then I will come get you.” My mother nodded softly. I gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning toward the hallway that led to the pediatric wing.
With every step, my heart began to beat faster. I stopped outside the door of their room and placed my hand on the handle.
I pushed open the door and my eyes landed on the four little faces staring up at me with a mix of confusion and fear. They were sitting in their beds, looking tiny and vulnerable, and I could see my mom's features in each of them - a carbon copy.
The kids looked at me like I was a stranger, and one of them whispered, "Who... who are you?"
I stopped in the middle of the room, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. "Hi, girls. Don't be scared. My name is Maxwell."
They looked nervous and scared. I quickly raised my hands slightly in a calming gesture. “Hey,relax,” I said gently. “You are safe.”
Another girl spoke, her voice small and shaky. “Where… where are we?”
“You are in a hospital,” I answered calmly, taking a few slow steps closer so I wouldn’t startle them. “The doctors just wanted to make sure you’re all okay.” They seemed to relax a little at that.
Then another girl looked up quickly. “Where’s our mom?”
I forced my expression to stay calm. “Your mom isn’t feeling very well right now,” I said carefully. “But the doctors are taking care of her.”
Their faces filled with worry immediately. “Is she hurt?” one of them asked.
I nodded slightly. “She will be okay,” I said softly. “You will see her soon.” They seemed to settle a little after hearing that.
Then one of the girls looked around the room.
“Where are our grandparents?” she asked.
I gave them a tight smile. “They are fine and you will see them once you recover fully.” I said, there’s no way I am letting them near my kids for now.
All four pairs of eyes studied my face, trying to figure me out. Finally, one of them spoke the question they were all thinking. “Who are you?”
I took a slow breath. “My name is Maxwell,” I said gently. “I am your father.” I said.
The words hung in the air, For a second, none of them reacted. Then the confusion on their faces deepened. One of the girls frowned slightly. Another tilted her head as if trying to make sense of what she had just heard.
“That’s not true,” one of them said quietly.
Another girl shook her head. “We don’t have a father.”
“Mom would have introduced you to us if you were our father,” a third one added, her voice cautious but firm.
I expected that, I nodded slowly, keeping my voice calm. “That’s okay,” I said. “You don’t have to believe me right now.” They looked surprised by that answer. “When your mom is feeling better, she will explain everything,” I continued. “She will introduce us properly.”
Their eyes searched my face again, still unsure, but none of them argued further.
I shifted on my feet, suddenly feeling strangely nervous around these little creatures. They were watching me closely, their wide eyes following every movement I made. For a moment I simply studied them, trying to understand them, trying to read their expressions.
But the question that had been sitting like a heavy stone in my chest since I opened that car door refused to stay quiet any longer. I took a slow breath. “There were five of you,” I said carefully, keeping my voice as calm as I could. “Where is your other sister?”
The change in their expressions was immediate, the girls looked at each other. One of them lowered her eyes to the blanket in her lap.My chest tightened. “What’s her name?” I asked softly.
“Aria,” one of them whispered.
My heart skipped a beat. “Where is Aria?” I asked again.
For a moment none of them spoke, the one looked back up at me, her eyes were filled with something with fear and sadness. “Aria is dead,” she said quietly.
“What?” I said under my breath, the air suddenly feeling too thin.
“They killed her,” another girl added, her voice trembling slightly.
For a moment I couldn’t speak. My mind struggled to process what they had just said. Before I could ask anything else, the door to the room suddenly opened.
I turned my head. My mother stepped inside. “I am sorry,” she said quickly, looking a little breathless. “I grew so impatient and overwhelmed waiting outside.”
Then her eyes moved past me and landed on the girls. She froze, her hand slowly rose to her mouth as a gasp escaped her. “Oh my…”
It was like she was staring into a mirror that reflected her own childhood. Four younger versions of her were sitting on those hospital beds. For a moment she just stood there, stunned.
The girls were staring at her too, their eyes widened. They looked between me and my mother in disbelief. “This is your mom…?” one of the girls said slowly.
Another girl’s eyes grew even wider. “Our grandma?” she finished in shock.