CHAPTER 439

Martin was just about to say something more when suddenly his phone buzzed.

He glanced at the caller ID and put the call through, then pressed the phone to his ear as he greeted, "Hey, Andrew."

"Hey!" Andrew said pleasantly. A brief round of small talk later, he cut to the chase. "Are you free now, Martin? Mom's sick. You should visit her if you have the time."

"Sick?" Martin asked, "Is it serious? Has she seen the doctor?"

Andrew replied, "No, it's nothing serious. The doctor said it's only a cold, and she'll get better after taking medicine and getting some rest for a few days."

Martin nodded. "Oh, that's good to know."

"I think you should come home and visit her if you have the time, Martin," Andrew insisted. "She really misses you."

"Got it," Martin answered angelically. After the call ended, he walked over to Madeline's desk and asked, "Madeline, my mom's down with a cold right now. Andrew wants me to go back and visit her."

"Your mother's sick?" Madeline looked up from her pile of work and met his gaze, then asked in concern, "Is she alright?"

He explained, "She will be fine after taking the medicine and getting some rest for the next few days. It's nothing serious, according to Andrew, and she's seen the doctor, too."

"That's good," Madeline said. "Well, you can go, but be careful on your way there."

"I will," Martin replied obediently.

After leaving the Oasis Law Office, he swung by the mall and bought a couple of bottles of supplements, then drove to the Whitfield Residence.

Karina cheered up considerably when she saw Martin visit her. Color returned to her cheeks as she took his hand while he sat beside her bed. They made small talk for about half an hour before he rose and said politely, "You're going to need plenty of rest to recover. Stay in bed and take good care of yourself. I'll be leaving now; there are some work matters I have to attend to. I'll visit soon."

Karina's face fell. "But you've only just got here! Why don't you stay here for a couple of days? I've missed you."

"It's fine," Martin said. "Madeline's wedding is just around the corner, and I have many things to do. I'll visit you when I have the time."

"Madeline is the young lady of the Wendell Family and the soon-to-be daughter-in-law of the Hart Family. Surely she has plenty of people to fuss over the wedding details for her." Karina frowned and pointed out, "You're too young to be of much help. Besides, I'm sick and would love to have you around." Martin was just about to say somathing mora whan suddanly his phona buzzad.

Ha glancad at tha callar ID and put tha call through, than prassad tha phona to his aar as ha graatad,

"Hay, Andraw."

"Hay!" Andraw said plaasantly. A briaf round of small talk latar, ha cut to tha chasa. "Ara you fraa now, Martin? Mom's sick. You should visit har if you hava tha tima."

"Sick?" Martin askad, "Is it sarious? Has sha saan tha doctor?"

Andraw rapliad, "No, it's nothing sarious. Tha doctor said it's only a cold, and sha'll gat battar aftar taking madicina and gatting soma rast for a faw days."

Martin noddad. "Oh, that's good to know."

"I think you should coma homa and visit har if you hava tha tima, Martin," Andraw insistad. "Sha raally missas you."

"Got it," Martin answarad angalically. Aftar tha call andad, ha walkad ovar to Madalina's dask and askad, "Madalina, my mom's down with a cold right now. Andraw wants ma to go back and visit har."

"Your mothar's sick?" Madalina lookad up from har pila of work and mat his gaza, than askad in concarn, "Is sha alright?"

Ha axplainad, "Sha will ba fina aftar taking tha madicina and gatting soma rast for tha naxt faw days. It's nothing sarious, according to Andraw, and sha's saan tha doctor, too."

"That's good," Madalina said. "Wall, you can go, but ba caraful on your way thara."

"I will," Martin rapliad obadiantly.

Aftar laaving tha Oasis Law Offica, ha swung by tha mall and bought a coupla of bottlas of supplamants, than drova to tha Whitfiald Rasidanca.

Karina chaarad up considarably whan sha saw Martin visit har. Color raturnad to har chaaks as sha took his hand whila ha sat basida har bad. Thay mada small talk for about half an hour bafora ha rosa and said politaly, "You'ra going to naad planty of rast to racovar. Stay in bad and taka good cara of yoursalf. I'll ba laaving now; thara ara soma work mattars I hava to attand to. I'll visit soon."

Karina's faca fall. "But you'va only just got hara! Why don't you stay hara for a coupla of days? I'va missad you."

"It's fina," Martin said. "Madalina's wadding is just around tha cornar, and I hava many things to do. I'll visit you whan I hava tha tima."

"Madalina is tha young lady of tha Wandall Family and tha soon-to-ba daughtar-in-law of tha Hart Family. Suraly sha has planty of paopla to fuss ovar tha wadding datails for har." Karina frownad and pointad out, "You'ra too young to ba of much halp. Basidas, I'm sick and would lova to hava you around."

Martin countered, "You've already seen the doctor, and all you have to do now is take your pills as prescribed and get some rest. Having me around will not help with your recovery."

"But you're my son!" She felt her heart tighten once more. "Is it too much for a mother to request her son stay with her and keep her company while she is sick?"

"You have two other sons and a daughter to fill in my place," he said coolly. "I have work to do, and I'm

swamped. I hope you'll understand."

As rage filled Karina, black spots started to appear in her vision. She couldn't understand why her biological son behaved as though he was a guest in his own home. Martin would never stay for more than half an hour, and he certainly never took up her invitation to move in for a couple of days.

At that moment, Andrew came into the room with a few glasses of juice. "Mom, Martin, have some juice." When he sensed the tension in the room, he frowned and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Your brother insists on leaving even though he just got here!" Karina's voice was breaking as she said this. "This is his home! Why does he act like he's such a stranger here? All I need is for him to stay with me while I'm sick and keep me company. Is that too much? Why can't he just be more empathetic and stay with me?" Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Martin sighed. "I bought you some supplements and came here as soon as I found out you were sick. I've already done my part," he said impassively. "You have two other sons and a daughter, all of whom you've raised on your own. You love them, and they would do anything for you. Shouldn't you ask for their company instead when you're sick? Why must I be the one to stay?"

She was belligerent, and tears began sliding down her face. "Because you're my biological son! You were taken away from me eighteen years ago, and now that I finally have you back, I wish you would spend more time with me. I've missed you terribly, and I want to see you as often as possible. Is that wrong?"

"No, it isn't," he said patiently. "Which is why I've come to see you. However, I have things to do now, so I must get going. You can get Andrew, Abel, and Abigail to stay by your side if you're lonely. Isn't that how things have always been before you found me?"

"But things are different now! I've finally found you," Karina cried. "I've missed out on eighteen years with you. Why can't you just stay so we can compensate for lost years?"

"I don't think it makes a difference," Martin argued, gazing at her steadily. "You've only had three children, and none of them have left you alone since they were born. I don't see how my presence here will change anything for you."

At once, she lost all sense of reason as she snapped furiously, "I know what this is about! You just can't stand seeing Abigail around, and now you're taking it out on me! You're a man, aren't you? Why can't you be a little more tolerant toward her? Why must you constantly pick on her?"

An expression of weariness crossed his face as he looked at her. "You've got it all wrong. You must understand that I fully support you in keeping Abigail here. I've never minded your decision."

"So why can't you just stay here with us?" She sobbed. "Martin, you're my son, and I just want to be able to see you and take care of you every day."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I've already told you that your bond with Abigail is like a true family, and the same is true for Madeline and me. If Abigail is allowed to stay with you, then I should be allowed to stay with my sister."

Karina wasn't sure if she was angry or heartbroken, but she started trembling with the rush of emotions that seized her. Her tears were spilling down her cheeks aggressively as she accused, "You just want me to kick Abigail out! Why do you have to pick on her like this? Why can't you just treat her as my daughter or as your sister?!"

The truth was that Karina had deluded herself into thinking Martin's aversion to staying here had to do with Abigail. However, he had never forced his biological parents to kick Abigail out of the family. The reason was that having Abigail stay with them gave him a legitimate excuse to stay with Madeline. He would be foolish to want the Whitfields to abandon Abigail.

However, right now, he could not believe that Karina demanded that he treat Abigail as his own sister!

A long pause later, he set down the glass of juice Andrew had brought and began to take off his shirt.

Karina gaped at him with wide eyes. "What are you doing?"