There was an annex at Mercy Hospital, and Julian was the only patient there. He was unconscious, and Melanie sat by his bed. Her hair was unkempt, and her clothes were rumpled. It was apparent she'd rushed there from home.
She clamped a hand over her mouth as she cried, afraid that she would startle Julian in his sleep and add to his suffering. She still couldn't believe what Esther had told her—that Julian was sick.
He'd forgotten many things, including his parents, relatives, children, and Willow. There was even a chance that his life would hang in the balance one day.
He was Melanie's only son; she couldn't handle the blow. She couldn't stop the waterworks as she prayed for Julian to wake up and speak to her. At the same time, she was deathly afraid he wouldn't recognize her and the rest of the Zieglers, who were also in the annex.
After Esther told them everything, she tearfully said, "Mr. Julian forbade me from telling Ms. Harper because he was afraid it would affect her and the baby. He's also made many arrangements to ensure everything will go smoothly for Ms. Harper.
"He wanted me to apologize to you on his behalf, Mr. Liam and Madam Melanie. He's sorry, and he wants you to… to…"
She couldn't continue. She left the room and burst into tears. As the only person by Julian's side since discovering he was ill, she'd been under a lot of pressure.
Esther wept outside the room, and Melanie wept inside. Even Karen couldn't help shedding a tear or two. Whatever conflict and jealousy had arisen between her and Melanie couldn't change the fact that she'd watched Julian grow up.
She could still remember how he'd had a growth spurt at 16; he'd been good-looking, too. How had things turned out the way they currently were?
As Julian's father, Liam was equally devastated. How could one not be heartbroken when having to send off one's own child? The situation was only made worse because of how outstanding Julian was.
Still, no matter how anguished he was, he knew he had to be strong and make decisions. Someone had to keep the family going.
Dexter had been standing by silently this whole time. Liam watched him and knew what had happened. He called the latter's name, startling him. "Yes, Uncle Liam!"
Liam asked, "You knew about this, didn't you?"
Dexter wanted to deny it, but ultimately fessed up. "Yes, I've known for some time. Julian told me about it and warned me not to pull any power plays. He told me to help Willow manage the company.
"Don't worry, Uncle Liam. I made Julian a promise, and I'll keep it. I might be a bastard, but I won't pick on a widow and her children."
Liam's expression turned ugly. Meanwhile, Tyler snapped, "Julian's still alive, you fool! Who are you calling a widow?"
…
Julian woke up at 3:00 am and had a brief period of lucidity. Tears fell from the corners of his eyes, showing just how unwilling he was to accept the situation.
Melanie half-crouched by the bed and held his hand, barely able to speak through her tears. "You have to be strong, Julian. The situation isn't hopeless, right? Let's tell Willow about this, okay? Please tell her and let her know about everything you've done.
"Don't let her… What if she still hates and resents you when you're gone? I won't be able to handle that! Please tell Willow, Julian. She deserves to know the truth. I can tell she still loves you—she just can't say it."
Julian clutched Melanie's hand and looked at Liam. "Mom, Dad."
Liam nodded, looking anguished. "Rest, Julian. Conserve your energy. We'll be here for you."
Julian shut his eyes. "I'm afraid of running out of time. I'm worried I won't ever get the chance to talk to you guys like this anymore."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Leaving You Bereft (Willow and Julian)