Chapter 44 Mom, Can't Dad Stay
Sophia suddenly felt a wave of helplessness wash over her.
Before leaving, she suggested William go to the hospital for a checkup.
His headache symptoms seemed quite serious.
It wasn't out of concern—it was just that if this continued, he could easily develop mental confusion.
William's jaw tightened as he gripped his phone, quietly watching her retreating figure.
The room still held the scent of Emily's milk formula, James's body wash—the same fragrance that lingered on Sophia.
Though it was just a guest room, he finally felt that long-absent drowsiness gradually overtaking his consciousness, and before long, he drifted off to sleep.
The next day, he even slept in for the first time in ages.
Downstairs, James, Michael, and Emily were already having breakfast, well-behaved and sensible. Seeing William come down, they immediately waved at him.
"Dad, are you feeling better?"
"Dad, does it still hurt?"
William was still wearing last night's suit, all wrinkled and nothing like his usual polished appearance, yet he remained strikingly handsome.
Michael munched on his piggy-shaped bread while innocently thinking: when he and James got sick, they could ask their teacher for leave. If Dad were sick, could he take time off too?
But who would he ask?
Oh, he knew!
"Dad, since you're sick, can you ask Tony for leave to rest at home? I can help you call in sick."
When he and James were sick, the butler Allan would call in for them.
Dad was sick.
Of course, they had to help!
James got down from his chair and pulled out a seat for himself.
"Dad, sit here."
"Allan, please get my dad a bowl of oatmeal porridge, thank you."
Emily bit her little spoon while looking at him, seeming puzzled about why he was still at her house today. Her big eyes blinked with confusion.
Sophia pinched her chubby little cheek affectionately.
"Sweetie, don't bite the spoon."
Emily took the spoon out of her mouth, picked up her pink bowl, took a big sip, and made sure to show Sophia.
"Emily, good girl."
William sat in his previous spot, right next to Emily, surrounded by the scent of milk formula. Her thick lashes were like little fans, making her eyes look big and lively.
The Johnson family's breakfast was light and nutritionally balanced.
Overall, it catered more to children's tastes.
For someone like William, who was just recovering from illness, it was perfect.
Sophia's phone vibrated.
She asked the butler, Allan Jennings, to look after the children and went to the balcony.
James and Michael had already finished eating and went to pack their little school bags.
Emily finished her nutritious soup a bit later. She glanced at Sophia on the balcony, then at William beside her.
Her chubby little hand grabbed William's slender fingers and shook them gently. "Wanna get down."
William put down his utensils, reached over, and lifted Emily. Her little legs kicked, and soon she was placed on the ground.
Emily said thank you and ran toward the sofa.
She also started packing her little bag, filling it with her snacks—she was going to see James and Michael off to school in a bit.
At the dining table, only William remained eating.
Even in his wrinkled shirt, his powerful presence hadn't diminished at all. The shirt cuffs were buttoned all the way up, covering his lean, well-trained arms that radiated strength.
After finishing his packing, Michael ran over to ask William for his phone.
William handed over his personal phone without suspicion, not even asking who he was calling.
Then he heard...
"Hello, Tony, this is Michael."
"Dad is sick, I want to call in sick for him so he can rest."
"You don't need to come over, Dad is at Mom's place."
Sophia came back in after her call and was immediately hugged around the legs by Michael.
He looked up at her. "Mom..."
Michael rarely acted cute with her, so she crouched down and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Dad is sick. Can I not go to school today and stay home to take care of Dad?"
Sophia pressed her lips together and said tactfully, "I'm happy you want to take care of Dad, but you need to go to class. Dad will have people to take care of him at home."
If nothing else, there was still Alice.
Michael lowered his head disappointedly and said in a muffled voice, "But I want to live with Mom and Emily, and I also want to take care of Dad."
He looked up with hopeful eyes and pleaded, "Mom, can't Dad really stay here?"
Hearing this, William turned to look at them.
The morning sunlight cast a soft glow on them.
Sophia's delicate skin made her simple outfit of a beige shirt and long white dress look even more refined and elegant.
Two years apart, she had become even more beautiful.
Each time they met, she brought him visual surprises.
Just then, she looked over. William didn't look away, waiting for her answer to the child's question, even forgetting to put down his fork.
Sophia touched his cheek, her voice gentle, afraid of hurting his sensitive feelings.
"You go to school first. If Dad feels bad, he'll go to the hospital. By the time you and James get out of school, Dad might already be better."
Michael was skeptical. "Really?"
Sophia felt no guilt about her white lie to comfort the child.
She nodded. "Yes, the doctor will give your dad a few shots, and he'll be fine. When Michael was sick, didn't you have to get shots too?"
Michael remembered when he had a fever before; the doctor did give him shots.
Though it hurt, the fever was gone the next day.
He nodded as if he understood, saying cutely, "Then if he gets more shots, will Dad get better faster?"
Emily chimed in from the side, holding up both hands and starting to count on her fingers. Her eyes curved into crescents as she said, "Ten shots."
James also asked curiously, "Will Dad get shots in the butt too?"
Sophia imagined the scene of a man in a sharp suit having his pants pulled down by a nurse for 10 butt shots, and couldn't help but laugh a little.
William's face darkened wordlessly.
The three children were still counting on their fingers over there. To help him recover quickly, the butt shots had already increased from 10 to 20.
Sophia walked over and cut off the children's conversation.
"Alright, James, Michael, you need to go to kindergarten."
"If we don't leave now, you'll be late."
Before leaving, James and Michael didn't forget to remind William to go to the hospital for butt shots, imitating William's usual serious and stern manner of speaking.
"Dad, James and I will check when we get home from school."
William fell silent.
Sophia took Emily to drop off James and Michael at school. She assumed that by the time they returned, William would definitely be gone.
So she didn't ask the butler.
Who knew William would actually go back to lie down in the guest room?
When Tony came knocking with his laptop, Sophia was a bit confused.
Sophia: "What is Tony doing here?"
Tony, worthy of being William's personal secretary, immediately figured out the situation. His eyes darted around, and he quickly explained.
"James and Michael called me this morning, saying Mr. Smith was resting at your place today. Some company documents need signing, so I brought them over."
Sophia looked at him with puzzled eyes, then turned to Allan.
The latter immediately spoke up: "Mr. Smith went back to the guest room to rest after breakfast and hasn't come out yet."
Her gaze fell on the suitcase in Tony's hand. She crossed her arms over her chest, raised an eyebrow slightly, and smiled coldly.
Sophia questioned, "A whole suitcase of documents?"
Tony gave an awkward smile. "It's Mr. Smith's change of clothes."
Just then, William emerged from the guest room.
Seeing Sophia and Tony at the door, recalling James and Michael's expressions this morning, he made a decision.
He took the initiative to take the suitcase and the document folder from Tony's hands, and without looking back, entered the guest room.
William's voice drifted over: "I'm going to take a shower and sleep for a bit. Don't call me for lunch."
Sophia froze.