章 20: Mother..

Michael

I felt my body temperature drop the instant I heard Dr Harrington's words. My hands began to tremble, and suddenly the air around became damp and unsafe to consume.

"W...What? Where is she now?" I asked with a shaky voice. "How is she doing?!"

"Calm down Mr Black, she's in the hospital right now. She's stable now, but her condition is not getting any better. The cancer has begun to spread to her lymph nodes, and at her age, she's likely to get exhausted very quickly." The doctor explained.

He seemed calm, and it made my anger rise even more. I understood that being calm was one of the habits most doctors have developed to counteract tension, but at this point, I wanted to hear the intensity of the situation in Dr Harrington's voice. He spoke as though the situation was minimal, while in reality things were getting worse by the second.

"What do I do, doctor? Isn't there something you can do to save her? I'll pay you anything!"

Sylvie's eyes met mine for the first time since the conversation began, and I managed to squeeze out a light smile. She was visibly worried about me, and had been constantly trying to get my attention, but I had been avoiding her eyes intentionally.

With her eyes she asked me if everything was okay and I nodded to reply to her. I didn't want to get her dragged into my family problems nine hours after our relationship had begun. It was best to leave her out of this for now.

A frustrated sigh from Dr Harrington brought my attention back to the call. "It's not about the money, Mr Black. I think you should return home to be with your mother. She needs the care of someone who understands the seriousness of her situation, those maids she stays with won't be able to handle all the work."

"So what do you suggest, I neglect work and return home?" I questioned, genuinely confused about the entire situation.

"Here's a better idea, why not bring her to stay with you in London? I'm sure there are better medical facilities over there, and being with you would definitely help her health better." Dr Harrington suggested, sarcasm evident in his tone when he spoke.

I couldn't dismiss his idea, but at the same time I wasn't always around. If mother was to come here, it meant that I'd have to hire a lot more than one house help and two bodyguards. Returning home was not a viable option to me, and it was not even an option I was willing to consider.

"Arrange for her flight, get her to London before dusk." I ordered, and after getting Dr Harrington's affirmative response, I ended the call.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Sylvie asked the moment I was done with the call. I tried disorienting her with a hearty smile, but it didn't work. Sylvie was concerned, and she wasn't going to stop asking me if I was okay until I told her the truth.

I wanted to take things slowly, and not dump all my trauma on her. But at the same time if I wanted a real relationship with her then it was necessary to tell her the truth. I took a deep breath before speaking; "It's my mother, she's sick."

She gasped in horror before reaching out to hold me. "I'm so sorry, I hope she gets better soon."

"It's fine, she's coming to stay with us later today. I'm sure everything will be fine." I replied before leaning in to kiss Sylvie on the lips. I paused midway after noticing the worried look on her face. With concern, I asked; "what's wrong?"

Sylvie's eyes fell, and I could sense a bit of uncertainty in her demeanor. "I was thinking that I might become a burden to you once your mother is here. I don't want it to seem like I'm hoarding your attention. If she's unwell then you need to focus on her."

"Don't think about that, you're not a burden, and I don't want you to worry about anything while you're here."

Sylvie smiled, but I could tell she was still skeptical about everything. I did my best to keep her calm, and free three hours of enjoying the day with her. We were finally interrupted by the sounds of vehicles driving into the premises.

As the doorbell rang, my heart raced with expectation and anxiety. I knew it was mother on the door, and while I was happy to receive her, I was still worried about her health and how things might play out between her and Sylvie.

After a deep breath, I opened the door and immediately fell into my mother's embrace. Even though it's been barely two weeks since we last saw each other, I had missed her greatly.

Sylvie joined us in the hallway, a radiant smile on her face. "Mom, this is Sylvie, my girlfriend. Sylvie, meet my mother." I introduced the two.

My mother extended a polite handshake, but there was a subtle stiffness in her demeanor. "Nice to meet you, Sylvie," she said, her words polite but her eyes betraying a guarded expression. I knew exactly what was going on, and I honestly didn't want to start up an argument with my mother based on the situation a second time..

Sylvie responded graciously, "Likewise, it's a pleasure to meet you Mrs Black"

The guards helped with mother's luggages, while the three of us made our way towards the living room.

As we moved into the living room, I couldn't help but sense the tension lingering in the air. Mother took a seat on the couch, before taking a glance around the place. She was pleased, but it was clear she had something to say about a certain someone.

Sylvie appeared seconds later with a cup of tea, attempting to break the silence with a small talk with my mother.

I sat aside and watched the two converse with each other. Sylvie was herself, and not once did she try to change herself to please Elizabeth Black.

Throughout the conversation, my mother's responses were polite, yet there was an undeniable air of disapproval. Her subtle glances and restrained words created an atmosphere thick with unspoken tension. It was obvious she wasn't a fan of Sylvie, and her hostility was beginning to seep into her character.

I tried to navigate the situation, and steered the conversation towards topics that Sylvie wouldn't be able to participate in actively. I didn't want her to feel like she wasn't liked by my mother, so I did my best to take Elizabeth's attention off of her. However, the hostility persevered. Sylvie was a sharp lady, and her countless experience with people had taught her to perceive hostile environments quite quickly. She maintained her composure, and did her best to make my mother like her a bit better, but the situation never improved.

She looked at me with sad eyes, but I cheered her up with a warm smile. I really hoped that she wouldn't change her mind and leave, but there was no guarantee she wouldn't make that decision soon. I knew that to soften the air between the two women I'd have to confront my mother and speak to her about her attitude. If I failed to do that, then chances were that I'd lose Sylvie before we even got a chance to be together.

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