Chapter 23: Heartfelt Emotions.

Chapter 23: Heartfelt Emotions.Leo was shocked to receive the call at this hour. He assured Jimmy to calm down and then walked out to his car. On the way he called Snow, and once the young lady picked up the call, he said, "Snow, Jimmy called me and he said that Alina is in labor, and he wanted me to go over there. I agreed to it, can you pick up Lily?"

Snow agreed calmly and said, "Leo, be careful."

This wish was to remind Leo to not let his emotions and humanity get the better of him. Snow was wary of everyone from their past, and it wasn't uncalled for. Leo replied calmly and then he drove to the hospital quickly. It did not take long for him to go to the reception and ask the nurse where Alina was being treated.

...

Leo walked through the corridor holding a bag of fruits and supplements. He spotted Jimmy sitting on a chair, shaking his leg quickly as if a motor was installed in it. Leo moved closer and sat down on the side. Jimmy saw him and was surprised. Leo asked, "What, did you think I would not come?"

Jimmy nodded and replied, "Yes, I did think that you would not come. You haven't been talking to me lately."

Leo shrugged and leaned back in the chair. Jimmy looked at him and subconsciously asked, "Is it really this tense when a child is about to be born?"

Leo shrugged and replied, "I was in a coma when my daughter was being delivered. I have no idea. Snow never talks to me about those days, because she sorta hates me for being incapacitated."

The last sentence was akin to a joke, but it made Jimmy blush in embarrassment. After a few minutes of silence Jimmy started shaking his leg again. Leo asked, "All these years, you have been troubled by Carole, does he not know about today?"

Jimmy shook his head and replied, "No, had he known, that bastard would have done the same thing as the last time."

As he said this, his fist clenched tightly. Leo could see that Jimmy was getting angry visibly and he asked, "How are you doing these days?"

Jimmy nodded and replied, "Learned farming from dad, and I watch the fields these days. Not only that, I have a small shop at home so we can live fine. It is a cozy life."

Leo nodded and talked a little more about Jimmy's family. Jimmy calmed down as the two people caught up with each other. A few minutes later, the nurse walked out of the Operation Theatre and said, "Mister Shelby, congratulations, your daughter has given birth to a son."

Jimmy stood up from the chair quickly, and asked, "Thank you, sister."

Leo also stood up and thanked the nurse for giving the good news, and extended his hand to congratulate Jimmy, but the latter was so excited that he pulled Leo in an embrace. Leo was surprised but he did not push him back. After calming down, Jimmy asked, "Sister, what about my wife? Is she alright?"

The nurse nodded and said, "She is just tired from the labour, you will be able to see her shortly."

Jimmy asked, "And the child?"

The nurse told him that the child was taken in for cleaning and will be given to the couple soon, but he could see the child going through different first-time check-ups. Leo watched everything calmly, and after a few minutes, when Alina was pushed out of the room, Leo felt his heart clench as he shivered.

Jimmy rushed up to hold her hand and Leo stood there, watching them walk away. He realized that Snow must have gone through something similar and that too on her own. He did not realize that there were tears falling from his eyes. The young man could not help but shiver and sit down on the bench on the side.

In this moment, where he was supposed to use Jimmy and Alina to learn more about his enemy, he unexpectedly learned about his wife. The feeling of not being with her in a situation where she needed her the most made him feel pained. When he had first woken up in the hospital, he thought everyone had abandoned him.

Leo remembered how Snow had brought a tiny pink figure wrapped in layers of towels and clothes to his ward. He recalled how pale and weak she looked at that time. His wife carried such heavy burdens on her shoulders and she did not say anything in return. Not ever, not once.

Leo calmed himself and stood up from the chair while wiping his tears. He did not even greet Jimmy and walked away. He drove his car to the school, and picked up Lily.

The little girl was blessed with terrifying perception and she asked, "Baba, are you upset?"

Leo nodded and said, "Yes."

Lily frowned and turned to the side, and said, "You can talk to Lily. Ma also used to talk to Lily when she felt sad in the past."

Leo was having a hard time controlling his emotions, and when he heard this, his eyes turned misty again. He quickly recollected himself and said, "No baby, you do not have to worry about the older people yet. When you grow up and become a big girl. Baba will tell you everything, I promise."

Lily extended her pinky finger and said, "Pull the hook and swear to hang for a hundred years."

Leo hooked the pinky finger with her and they reached the school where Snow was a senior teacher. He parked the car in the guest parking lot and then he carried Lily in his arms, and went inside the building.

The building was almost devoid of students, only a few of them could be seen wearing student council armbands. One of these students spotted Leo and asked, "Hello, Sir, can I help you?"

Leo nodded and asked, "Can you tell me where I can find Miss Snow Cardinal?"

The young man smiled and said, "She might be in the teachers office room. You can go through the stairs there and it is located on the first floor."

Leo thanked the student and walked away with Lily. The two of them came to the door of the staff room. Leo placed Lily down, and adjusted his clothes, before knocking the door. A calm voice sounded from inside, "Come in."

Leo slid the door to the side, and he spotted a few teachers sitting on chairs and going through the documents on their desks. The young man took a deep breath and cleared his throat before he said, "Hello, I am looking for Teacher Snow."

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A sudden exclamation sounded from the side and everyone looked at Snow who stood up in a shocked gaze. The young man took a deep breath and said, "Hello.."

Snow trotted up to him and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Lily said, "Baba and I came to pick you up."

Snow looked down and her eyes turned misty. A senior teacher coughed and asked, "Teacher Snow, won't you introduce all of us?"

Snow turned attentive and then turned her head to look at the senior teacher and said, "Miss Kelvin, this is my husband, Leo Cardinal, and you all know Lily."

Lily stepped up and waved her hand to all the teachers with a smile and said, "Good evening, Miss Kelvin, Miss Rosa, Teacher Song, Teacher Dan. How are you doing?"

Lily was a star of the scene, wherever she went, she would captivate older people. Leo took a step forward and then he bowed to the teacher and said, "Hello, I am Leo Cardinal, thank you for looking after Snow all these years. If you all do not mind, I would invite you all for lunch this sunday at our home."

Snow also bowed down and invited the people for lunch and they agreed as well. After a few minutes, the trio walked out of the school. Leo took out his phone and called for a driver, and told him to drive the sedan behind them.

Snow got in the SUV and said, "Why did you call a driver, I could have driven the car."

Leo shook his head and replied, "No, you have been working too hard, I will drive you from home to school and come to pick you everyday."

Snow wanted to protest when she noticed something off in his voice. She had spent three years taking care of him, understanding his needs and everything just from a slight change in his expression, so now that he could talk and express properly, can she not sense his expressions now?

She asked, "What happened? Are you okay?"

Leo shook his head but then he said, "I visited Jimmy and Alina, and the things I saw there, I realized that my choices caused me to miss the moments where you needed me the most. I have failed you, Snowie."

Snow brought her hand to cover her mouth and she shivered. Leo called her Snowie only in times when he was really sad and heartbroken. She reached out and held his hand and said, "It was all in the past, Leo. Don't worry, it will be fine now that we are together."

Leo wanted to cry, when Lily peeked over from the gap between the seats and said, "Baba, don't cry. Lily will feel sad."

The young man sighed and replied, "Yes, baby, I will not cry."

Overwhelmed by emotions, the family headed home.