Chapter 59: Being Hopeful

"I told you before, I handle my own responsibilities. I have been doing it alone for seven years, and I do not intend to stop now. Most importantly, I do not want to owe you anything." Selen said.

"Like I said, it is not charity, and you do not owe me a single dime," Clancy said, his voice rising slightly before he caught himself. He scooted closer to her to avoid being loud, his expression turning intense.

"Diana is my priority too, Selen. Whether you like it or not, whether you want to admit it or not, I care about what happens to her. This is not some calculated power move to gain leverage over you. I just wanted to take the financial pressure off your shoulders so you can breathe." He said.

Selen stared at him, her sharp eyes trying to read any sign of deceit. Her mind instantly flashed back to the locked drawer in her bedroom containing the heavy, embossed letter from his family.

The timing was entirely too suspicious. She wondered again if this was a coordinated effort between Clancy and his parents to buy their way back into her life, or if Clancy was acting entirely on his own, completely ignorant of his family’s maneuvering behind the scenes.

"If this is about your family, then-" she started, testing the waters to see how he would react to the mention of them. "My family has absolutely nothing to do with this," Clancy cut in quickly.

"They do not even know that I am at this hospital. They do not know anything about Diana ’s situation. This is strictly between you and me, Selen. I paid the bills because I wanted to protect my daughter, not because anyone in my family told me to or gave me permission." He cleared up.

Selen remained completely silent for a long moment, studying his reaction. He seemed genuinely angry at the mention of his relatives, which made her think he might actually be telling the truth about being in the dark.

However, betrayal had taught her never to trust a clean surface. She was still deeply skeptical, but looking at the door of Diana ’s room, she knew she had to be open to anything being possible.

"Fine," Selen said slowly. But I am not letting you foot the entire bill permanently, and I will not be indebted to you." She said,

Clancy looked like he wanted to argue, his mouth opening to protest the idea of a repayment plan, but he saw the stubborn, unyielding glint in her eyes and relented.

He knew that pushing her too hard right now would only cause her to walk away entirely. "We can talk about that later. For now, just let me handle the administrative side so you can focus on her."

When the doctor came in, the discussion about the bills was instantly pushed to the back of her mind. Her focus shifted entirely to the door of her daughter’s room, waiting for the one update that actually mattered.

Selen and Clancy stood at a corner as the doctor went over Diana ’s vitals. "Everything looks good. If she continues to progress like this, then once her new stem cells successfully start making white blood cells, and her mouth sores and nausea begin to clear up, she can move home in a week or two.

Although, she will still have to undergo serious observation" the doctor said. "Hear that baby? You may be able to go home soon. You will get to sleep in your bed. Just keep on fighting," Selen whispered to Diana . Diana tried to slowly nod.

"Just to confirm, Miss Williams, you do live within an hour from the hospital right?" the doctor asked her. "Yes, thirty- five minutes away, and forty five in traffic," she said.

"Okay then, because we will need you to be near the hospital during this phase, an hour away at most. Until then, see you soon, Diana . Excuse me, Miss Williams." the doctor said and excused herself from the room.

*** two weeks later***

Everyone stood outside Diana ’s room as the doctors gave her a last clearing to leave the hospital. Except Diana , Selen had to be the happiest person in the ward that day.

"Remember, we expect clinic visits 2 to 3 times a week to check her blood counts and ensure her body is accepting the new cells safely. Her clinic visits will decrease to every few weeks." The doctor said to Selen as they wheeled her out of the room.

Diana was still weak, but her excitement was very evident. She had spent months in that room, sleeping, eating, even puking there. She got so used to it that she knew how many steps it took from the bed to the door. And finally, she was going back to her home to be with her mom and brothers.

Everyone followed Diana back home, including Clancy who drove behind them. JK drove Selen and the kids, while Newton and Clancy followed behind them.

For Diana , the smell of the hospital was finally gone, it was now replaced by the normal scent of her uncle JK’s car. She sat in the backseat, watching the familiar roads go by. She was finally on her way home.

In the front seat, her mom could not stop smiling. Next to Diana were her brothers, they kept whispering to each other and giggling, clearly hiding a secret.

"Are we almost there?" Diana asked, her impatience evident. Her voice was still a bit quiet, but she had a little more energy than before.

"Just a few more blocks, baby," Selen said, catching her eye in the rearview mirror.

When the car pulled into their driveway, the boys scrambled out of their seats before the engine even stopped. "Wait in the car for one minute!" Daniel yelled as they ran to the front door.

Selen opened the door as JK helped her by wheeling Diana inside the house carefully, making sure not to hurt her healing stomach. As Clancy and Newton parked.