Two days had passed, and Dylan was recovering faster than anyone had expected. Despite the cast on his leg, the boy was as energetic as ever, laughing and playing on the hospital bed as if he hadn’t just undergone surgery.
Cammy remained by his side the entire ti, unwilling to leave him for even a mont. Duncan, too, had spent every day in the hospital room, staying from morning until late at night before finally going ho. His presence was suffocating, but Cammy endured it for Dylan’s sake.
As lunchti rolled around, Dylan’s eager eyes darted toward the door, expecting it to swing open at any mont. But it never did.
"Mommy, why didn’t Daddy co to visit today?" he asked, his little voice showing disappointnt.
Cammy sat and gently stroked his hair. "Because it’s Monday, sweetheart. Daddy has to work."
His brows furrowed in confusion. "But you have work too, and you’re here," Dylan pointed out with a pout.
She sighed softly, smiling at him. "That’s true, but Mommy took a vacation leave so I could take care of you."
Before she could say more, the door suddenly creaked open, pulling both mother and son’s attention toward it.
"And your Mommy is lucky to have a kind and understanding boss who gave her ti off to be with you," a familiar voice chid in as the door fully opened.
"Uncle Ethan! Uncle Greg!" Dylan shouted excitedly, his face lighting up with pure joy.
Right behind them, Harry and Grace stepped into the room, their hands full of surprises.
Cammy raised an eyebrow as she took in the sight of balloons, a cake, and several gift bags. She chuckled. "Wow, are we throwing a party now?"
Greg set a stack of presents on the bed in front of Dylan, while Ethan placed a few boxes of food on the nearby table.
"Yes, we are," Grace said with a playful smile. She handed Cammy a piece of paper. "Because today is definitely sothing to celebrate."
Curious, Cammy took the docunt and read it. Her breath hitched, and she covered her mouth with her hand as the realization sank in. "Oh my God... finally. No more legal complications for and Dylan."
Grace smirked, leaning in slightly. "That’s right. You’re officially back among the living. The registry no longer lists you as deceased, so I’d say that’s a pretty big deal. A new beginning for you and Dylan." She gave Cammy a knowing look. "In more ways than one... if you catch my drift."
Cammy exhaled, glancing down at the paper once more before nodding. She understood perfectly. This wasn’t just about reclaiming her identity—it was the first step toward cutting all remaining ties with Duncan.
"Let’s eat before the food gets cold," Ethan announced as he started unpacking the boxes.
Everyone gathered around the table, chatting and serving themselves, except for Greg, who remained seated across from Dylan. He nudged the little boy playfully. "Hey, aren’t you going to open your gift? I thought you’d be excited," he teased with a warm smile.
Dylan forced a small smile in return, but the sadness in his eyes was unmistakable. "I like it... Thank you, Uncle Greg," he said softly. But instead of tearing into the wrapping, he simply placed the box on his lap, resting his arms over it as if hugging it for comfort.
Greg noticed the change in his deanor and leaned in slightly. "Then why the long face, buddy?" he asked gently.
Dylan glanced over at Cammy, making sure she was busy talking to Grace before shifting closer to Greg. In a near whisper, he admitted, "Because I wanted my Dad to be here. He asked what I wanted, and he promised he’d bring it the next ti he visited... but he didn’t co today." His little voice wavered with disappointnt.
Greg’s heart clenched at the boy’s words, but he quickly put on a reassuring smile. "Ahh, I rember that," he said, recalling the conversation from the day before. "Tell you what, why don’t you open my gift? I have a feeling it might cheer you up. I picked it out just for you, and I know it’s sothing not just useful but sothing you’re going to love." His voice was filled with playful excitent, hoping to lift Dylan’s spirits.
Dylan’s eyes lit up just a little, curiosity replacing so of his sadness. "Really?" he asked, his fingers twitching over the box.
"Really," Greg nodded. "Go on, open it."
Dylan wasted no ti tearing through the wrapping paper, his small hands working with eager excitent. The mont he caught sight of what was inside, his eyes widened in sheer delight, and a beaming smile stretched across his face. Without hesitation, he unboxed Greg’s gift, and as soon as he held it in his hands, he threw himself at Greg, wrapping him in a tight hug.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Uncle Greg!" Dylan’s excited voice filled the room, drawing the attention of everyone around them.
Greg chuckled, hugging him back. "You’re welco, kiddo," he said warmly. Then, with a playful yet firm tone, he added, "But rember, use it wisely—only for things that will help you learn and improve. No endless gaming, alright?"
Dylan pulled back just enough to et Greg’s eyes and nodded enthusiastically before turning his full attention back to his new treasure.
Cammy, curious about the commotion, walked over and peeked at the box. "What did Uncle Greg get you?" she asked.
"Mommy, look!" Dylan lifted his gift with pride, practically glowing with excitent. "It’s an MSI Titan GT77 HX!"
Cammy’s brow furrowed as she recalled sothing. "Wait... isn’t that the laptop you asked your dad for before you joined the contest?"
"Yes!" Dylan confird without sparing her a glance, already too engrossed in inspecting his new laptop.
Cammy’s eyes snapped to Greg, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. "Oh my God, Greg! Are you insane? Why would you buy him that?" she exclaid as her voice rised in astonishnt.
"Why not? It’s a big boy’s toy," Greg said with a smirk.
Cammy threw her hands up in exasperation. "He is eight, Greg! Eight! What in the world made you think an eight-year-old needs sothing that expensive?"
Greg leaned back slightly, his smirk deepening. "I’m investing," he replied smoothly. "I’m already sponsoring his education, so let’s just say I’m adding more value to my investnt."
Cammy scoffed, crossing her arms. "A four-thousand-dollar laptop—maybe even more—for a child? That’s not an investnt, Greg, that’s spoiling him."
"Relax, Cammy," Harry interjected before Greg could respond. "The laptop is already programd with restrictions. It won’t allow any gas that could distract him from studying. It’s linked to Cross’ secure network, so you can rest assured—Dylan will only be able to use it for learning and developing his programming skills."
Cammy let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples. Finally, she raised her hands in surrender. "Fine. But I still think it’s over the top."
Before the discussion could continue, the door creaked open once again. This ti, however, the atmosphere in the room shifted. The excitent faded, replaced by a palpable tension as all eyes turned toward the entrance. No one spoke. No one smiled.
Because this ti, no one was happy to see who had just walked in.
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