The family doctor had just left, and per Hansen's request, this time he brought along a pediatrician.
Little Henry took one look at the strangers and started bawling, refusing to let anyone hold him.
"Don't cry, Henry. Aunt Naomi's got you while the doctor checks you out," Naomi comforted him, wrapping him in her arms to let the doctor do his thing.
Before noon, Andre found a moment to call his father. "Dad, how's my son doing?"
"Henry's got a fever. The doctor suggested we try cool compresses and keep him hydrated instead of giving him meds right away. Can you believe that? Just water, like it's some miracle cure. My grandson's been drinking so much water, he's practically a little water balloon," Hansen grumbled, clearly annoyed.
Andre sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let's just follow the doctor's advice for now. Just don't give him too much at once."
In the background, Henry could still be heard crying. Hansen moved the phone closer to the little one. "Your dad's on the line, kiddo."
"Hey, buddy. Crying again?" Andre asked gently.
Henry's sobs softened, unsure of where the voice was coming from.
Naomi chuckled, "Looking for your dad, huh?"
Andre said softly, "Take a nap, buddy. I'll try to come home early and spend some time with you."
That seemed to upset Henry even more, and he resumed crying.
Andre's break was over, and he headed back into the boardroom. Leo, one of his colleagues, asked, "Uncle, how's Henry doing?"
"Grandpa says he's got a bit of a fever, probably just a mild one," Andre replied. "Alright, let's get this meeting started."
Meanwhile, Mia had skipped lunch to talk to her professor about adjusting her class schedule. University professors usually keep the same pace across different classes, so Mia planned to join the earlier class to catch up on the same lessons.
"Professor Grant, I'm in your afternoon sessions," Mia introduced herself.
"Of course, I know who you are," replied Professor Grant, a motherly figure who was well aware of Mia's situation.
Mia explained, "The weather turned cold a few days ago, and somehow my son got sick, came down with a fever and a cold. Could I possibly join the earlier class today? I'm really worried and would like to get home to him as soon as possible."
"Absolutely. Just head to the classroom when it's time. Kids are so prone to catching colds this time of year. How old is your little one now?"
"Nearly six months," Mia realized, amazed at how quickly the time had flown by.
Feeling like her memories of being a carefree girl were from a different lifetime, she now balanced her role as a mother with her studies.
Without having time for lunch, Mia headed straight to the classroom. After a sleepless night, she knew the afternoon would be tough. So, when the classroom was empty, she took the chance to catch some sleep.
Anya, unable to find her aunt, tried calling Mia, who had forgotten to take her phone off silent mode.
Eventually, Anya messaged Leo, "Chad, do you know where my aunt's class is? I want to bring her a sandwich since she missed lunch."
It took a few minutes for Leo to respond after checking with Andre, who was in the middle of a meeting but took a moment to provide Mia's classroom details from his personal phone.
By the time Anya found the classroom, there wasn't much time left, and Mia could only take a few bites of her sandwich before heading back to her lessons.
After a short nap, Mia felt somewhat refreshed and thanked her professor before rushing home to her son.
At home, Henry had stopped crying and was being fed a bottle by Naomi. Hungry and less fussy, he seemed content.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Sweet Mischief's Rollercoaster Romance