The glass had shattered twice, slipping right out of his hands. Trying to piece it back together was no easy task. But Charles thought of Charlie and wasn't about to throw in the towel. As he carefully worked on the pieces, he'd glance over at Evelyn, sprawled out on the big bed nearby, making sure she was still comfortably asleep before getting back to his project.

In the middle of it all, he noticed Evelyn stirring in her sleep and looking a bit uneasy. Charles quickly got up and headed over to her, gently checking her forehead. She felt a little warm, so he hurried downstairs, grabbed a thermometer, and took her temperature. She just had a slight fever.

He remembered that, back at Maple Garden, Evelyn had a similar fever after she fainted. Dr. Nelson had mentioned it was due to exhaustion, which weakened her immune system and caused a fever. If it wasn't too bad, there was no need for meds-just some good old-fashioned cooling would do the trick.

Charles ducked into the bathroom, soaked a towel, and brought it back to place on Evelyn's forehead. As he did, heard her muttering something her sleep. It reminded him of the last time when she had dreamed, begging him not to leave her. Leaning in closer to catch her words, he heard her whisper his name, "Charles..."

His gaze softened, and he was touched by the fact that she still cared. His heart felt like it was wrapped in warmth. He gently held her hand, whispering softly in her ear, "Eve, I'm here..."

Apparently, Evelyn heard him in her dreams. Her brow furrowed, and she muttered irritably, "Go away!" The tenderness on Charles' face vanished, replaced by a stunned look. That single, harsh statement quickly doused the small spark of joy in his heart.

...

Charles noticed that Evelyn was still uncomfortable so he got up again to re-soak the now-warm towel. He repeated this until the heat on Evelyn's forehead noticeably dropped. Once satisfied the fever had subsided, he fetched a clean set of pajamas. The fever had left her sweaty, soaking her clothes. He carefully changed her into fresh pajamas.

Once Evelyn was back to sleeping soundly, Charles returned to his spot at the table, determined to finish piecing together the cup Charlie had made for him. He worked tirelessly through the night, his eyes red from exhaustion. But when he finally saw the cup complete again, with "DAD" proudly displayed, it felt worth every minute. The joy of fixing that cup was more rewarding than any business deal he'd ever closed.

That joy made him long even more for Charlie. To hold her close. He realized how, in the past five years, he hadn't loved her enough or been attentive enough. He promised himself he would make it up to her, double time.

...

Evelyn slept for over ten hours before finally waking up. As she opened her eyes, the familiar ceiling of Oakwood Manor greeted her. Just as she was about to get up, she noticed Charles asleep by her bedside, holding her hand. Without a moment's hesitation, she pulled her hand away coldly.

Her movement immediately woke Charles. He opened his eyes, concern etched on his face, and asked, "You're awake? Are you feeling okay?"

He reached out to check her forehead, but she snapped, "Don't touch me!" Her hand hadn't even reached him when she slapped it away. Her face was full of disdain.

Without sparing him a glance, Evelyn

got out of bed. Noticing the pajamas she was wearing, her eyes grew colder. She didn't say much and just headed to the closet to change. When she emerged, she saw Charles standing by the door; holding a familiar cup. Evelyn

récognized it instantly as the birthday gift Charlie had made for

Charles. It had been shatterednoveldrama

yesterday, but now Charles held it lovingly in his hands.

Charles, having put the cup back together just before dawn, had been sitting by Evelyn's bedside,

reflecting on how things had changed between them since Charlie's birthday. He had promised to take her to the amusement park but had broken that promise.

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