Chapter 202: A Sister, By Blood

Isobel finally had some peace after Kristoff and Richard left following lunch.

The moment the door closed behind them, the room seemed to exhale.

She slept for a while, and when she finally woke, the first thing she saw was Leanne sitting quietly beside her bed.

And behind Leanne stood Judy.

Isobel’s gaze lingered on the young woman.

Judy was tall enough that she seemed to tower over the chair, her arms folded loosely across her chest, her expression carefully guarded.

The moment she noticed Isobel looking at her, she turned her gaze toward the window.

"Don’t misunderstand," Judy said, her voice deliberately flat. "I only came to accompany Mom."

There was no warmth in her words. But there was something missing, too. The usual resentment.

The sharpness that once seemed to live beneath every word Judy spoke to her was gone.

Isobel studied her for another moment.

Judy, however, seemed suddenly fascinated by everything in the room except her.

"I asked Judy to come with me."

Leanne’s gentle voice broke the awkward silence.

She smiled faintly, her eyes resting affectionately on her daughter.

Leanne knew Judy better than anyone.

Judy had complained all the way there. She had said she had better things to do. She had insisted that there was no reason for her to visit someone who was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

But if Judy had truly not wanted to come, nothing Leanne said would have gotten her through that hospital door.

Her daughter could be stubborn to the point of absurdity.

And proud.

Especially when it came to Isobel.

But she had come.

That, by itself, meant more than Judy would ever admit.

A tender smile touched Leanne’s lips, softening her delicate features and making her look younger than her fifty-something years.

"This is for you."

Judy suddenly stepped forward and held out a beautifully wrapped box.

Isobel blinked.

Inside was a premium assortment of dried berries and mixed nuts, the kind sold at one of the more expensive shops downstairs.

"Thank you, Sis."

Isobel accepted the gift with both hands.

Judy’s expression immediately hardened.

"Who is your sister?"

Her voice was dismissive, almost snorting the words.

"Morgan asked me to buy those. He said you have to stay here for at least three days, and you’ll probably get bored. So you need something to keep you occupied. There should be enough for you to snack on."

She delivered the explanation without looking at Isobel.

As if the entire matter had nothing whatsoever to do with her.

Leanne lowered her eyes, hiding the smile threatening to appear.

It wasn’t Morgan.

Not really.

Judy was the one who insisted they stop at the expensive gift shop downstairs. She had spent several minutes examining the different packages before finally choosing the best one.

And she had complained the entire time.

They’re overpriced.

She’s probably not even going to eat them.

Why do they need to package dried fruit like it’s jewelry?

"This is a hospital, Sweetie," Leanne had reminded her. "If you want a reasonable price, then buy from the grocery."

Judy had ignored her.

She still chose the expensive dried berries and mixed nuts over the fruit baskets and bouquets displayed downstairs.

Because if she were the one lying in a hospital bed, she knew exactly what she would want.

Something she could reach for when she was bored or hungry.

Something she could snack on between meals.

It was such a small thing, hardly worth mentioning.

And yet, somehow, Judy had thought about it.

She had even made sure there was enough to last Isobel several days.

...

When Morgan told Judy that Isobel was in the hospital again, her daughter had been furious.

Not with Isobel but with her recklessness.

She had cursed her for being foolish enough to step in front of a knife for a man who wasn’t even her boyfriend.

Leanne had never seen Judy so angry over someone she claimed to hate.

Whatever Morgan had said to her that night, it had changed something.

Little by little, the anger had begun to lose its sharpness.

What Leanne didn’t know was that Morgan had forced Judy to confront a truth she had been refusing to see.

The one person who should have hated Isobel the most should be Leanne.

But instead, she was the one who welcomed Isobel with open arms.

Judy glanced sideways as Isobel opened the package and carefully pulled out a pouch of dried berries.

Something flickered in her eyes.

It was gone so quickly that Isobel thought she imagined it.

But Leanne saw it and Judy immediately looked away.

Isobel, oblivious to the silent exchange between mother and daughter, glanced around the room.

"Dad isn’t here?"

"Oh." Leanne’s expression softened. "You were sleeping so soundly earlier that he didn’t want to disturb you. He went to your uncle’s room to ask for his forgiveness."

"What?"

Isobel abruptly pushed herself upright.

Pain shot through her arm, and she winced, instinctively pressing a hand against her wound.

Both Leanne and Judy reacted at once.

"Careful!"

Their voices overlapped.

They exchanged a quick glance.

For the briefest moment, Judy looked almost embarrassed that she had reacted so instinctively.

"I’m fine, Mom. Sis."

The last word slipped naturally from Isobel’s lips.

Judy froze, then pretended she hadn’t heard it.

Her face remained impassive, and she busied herself adjusting the strap of her bag.

But something fluttered in her chest.

A strange, unfamiliar warmth.

Sis.

The word brought back a memory she hadn’t thought about in years.

When she had been little, she had constantly pestered her parents for a younger sister.

She wanted someone to play with.

Someone whose hair she could braid.

Someone she could dress up.

Someone she could boss around while pretending to be a responsible big sister.

She had wanted a little sister so badly.

And now, somehow, that wish had come true.

Just far too late. Her eyes drifted toward Isobel.

Her sister.

The thought still felt strange and uncomfortable.

Almost impossible to say aloud. So she didn’t.

She simply watched as Isobel struggled to move.

"I need to go to Uncle," Isobel said, pushing the blanket aside. "Who knows what he might do to Dad."

Judy’s expression changed.

Leanne looked at her daughter.

Judy looked back at her mother.

For once, neither of them had any idea what Isobel was talking about.

"Why?" Leanne asked gently. "What happened?"