"You already have two kids!" "Dorothy's planning to leave once I'm all healed up," admitted Everett, who wished he could be oblivious to Dorothy's intentions.
It would spare him the anxiety of living like a man with a sword hanging over his head during his recovery.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Look, you two are already knee-deep in this. Why don't you just bite the bullet, march her down to the courthouse, and get hitched? Keep her by your side for good! Who's going to stop you now, anyway? You've always been too considerate of Dorothy's feelings right from the get-go!" "And do you still think you can tie down Karen like that?" Jeffrey's voice was so hoarse that he could barely squeeze the words out.
"Uh... that's different. She really doesn't have any feelings for me! She's even got herself dolled up, bought a new dress, and is getting ready for blind dates!" The very thought riled him up! Everett's voice deepened, "You head to the office. If you need me, give me a call." "Will do!" "Oh, and Dorothy and | are heading back home next week to pick up the kiddos." Jeffrey was taken aback. He quickly grilled, "You going to Karen's to pick them up?” "Yeah." "Then count me in!" he declared, then realizing something was off, he mumbled an excuse, "| just miss the little tyke, Langston.
It's not about seeing Karen! She said she needed time to think, and | won't bother her until she's figured it out.” Everett didn't want to strip a man of his last shred of dignity, so he just grunted an acknowledgment and hung up.
Jeffrey stared at his phone and double-checked the date.
She should have made up her mind a week later, right? As the days slipped by, Dorothy knew she couldn't dodge the inevitable forever.
After much inner turmoil, she finally called Karen.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Everett and | are heading back home." "Huh? | thought you guys were staying in Swevia Country?" Karen was ecstatic to hear her best friend was coming home, "When are you arriving? Kenneth and | will pick you up! Oh... wait, he can't come. I'll come alone!" Dorothy hesitated before gently saying, "Everett plans to bring Abigail and Langston back to Swevia Country. Once he's fully recovered, he wants the kids to stay with him." "What do you mean?" Karen felt her brain struggling to keep up.
"Abigail and Langston... won't be living with us anymore." "What? Can Kenneth handle that?" Karen blurted out without thinking, making it even harder for Dorothy to continue.
Both fell silent for a few seconds before Karen tentatively spoke, "You don't want to tell Kenneth yourself, so you want me to break it to him first?" "Yeah..." "This is going to be too cruel for him. He'll be devastated.” Karen cared deeply for her brother, Kenneth. He had always been so good to her so how could she not be heartbroken? "Don't be fooled by his tough exterior; he's hurting on the inside. And now, you're talking about taking the kids away..." "Byte 7 said the video footage could be restored in a month, and it's already been ten days. At most, in another twenty days, we'll have to settle things with the Lopez family." While Kenneth felt the pain, it was just as real for Dorothy.
"But during your fight with the Lopez family, won't they mistreat Abigail and Langston? They're capable of anything!" Karen was genuinely protective of the two children and ready to defend them with her life. That was why she was so worried.
"I believe Everett will protect them. He promised me that."