Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 654

Chelsea was always the daring type. So, when she knew Neil was crashing at Russel's for the night, she wasted no time in inviting me over for a sleepover at Neil's place, "Ms. Finch, why don't you stay over tonight? It'd be a good chance to go over some of Mr. Whitmore's medical reports."

I hesitated for a moment. Even though Neil wasn't around, Hiram was still home, and I feared he might spill the beans to Neil.

But then again, wasn't meeting Neil my ultimate goal? It was bound to happen sooner or later; it was all about timing.

I nodded, "Alright."

Following Chelsea back to what used to be my home felt surreal yet familiar. Nothing had changed, which Chelsea explained was Neil's doing, wanting to preserve the memories of the life we had there.

"Ms. Finch, please take a seat. I'll get you some water," Chelsea offered, heading to the kitchen. Meanwhile, I quickly texted Russel to keep him in the loop about my whereabouts.

Russel texted back promptly, ensuring me he'd let me know if Neil decided to head back home.

This put me at ease, but my heart was still in a tangle. Part of me longed for Neil to return so we could finally meet, while another part worried about rushing things and hurting his pride.

Before Chelsea could return, Hiram's voice echoed from upstairs, his footsteps hurrying down as he asked if he could play some video games after finishing his homework.

He froze halfway down the stairs upon seeing me, a mix of surprise and joy on his face. "Ms. Finch?" he gasped before rushing into my arms, "Ms. Finch, you finally came to see me! I've missed you so much!"

Holding Hiram, I felt a whirlwind of emotions, apologizing for breaking my promise to adopt him, which I never fulfilled, leaving Neil to step in instead.

"No, Ms. Finch, I understand there were reasons. Mr. Whitmore told me about your situation when he found me. And... did you know? He's hurt, he can't walk anymore..." Hiram's voice trembled, revealing his deep concern for Neil.

Chelsea eventually returned with Neil's medical records, which painted a grim picture of his recovery and reluctance towards rehabilitation and medication.

As Hiram and I went through the documents, he whispered, "Ms. Finch, do you blame Mr. Whitmore for not seeing you?"

Blushing, Hiram cautiously called me "mom" in a shy, quick whisper. My heart warmed at his words, and after planting a kiss on his cheek, I affirmed, "Yes, Hiram."

Henry was over the moon, suddenly begging me for a bedtime story. He was all set for bed, but the thought of playing games for a bit had him coming downstairs, not expecting to run into me. Now, all he wanted was to head to bed and have me tell him a bedtime story to lull him to sleep.

I didn't refuse. After all, Neil wouldn't be home tonight, so I could enjoy a peaceful night's sleep before leaving early in the morning before he returned.

After a few tales, Henry blissfully drifted off to dreamland.

I asked Chelsea which room Neil was currently sleeping in, and she pointed to a door - the very room I had occupied before, where the kids and I had spent several months sleeping together.

Pushing the door open, I stepped inside. The room hadn't changed a bit, even the bedding from when I sold the house was the same, just washed, exuding a familiar scent - a subtle fragrance that Neil always carried, mixed with the smell of cigarettes, indicating he’d been smoking in the room.

That's when I noticed an album on the nightstand. Walking over, I opened it and was taken aback. It was filled with photos from when Neil and I got married. Well, they weren't exactly wedding photos since we never had a formal shoot. To be precise, they were candid shots from our wedding day.