The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 513

Franco's heart stirred. He walked over to her, his gaze dropping instinctually to her wrist. The bandage was still tied in the same messy knot he had made yesterday. She hadn't changed the dressing, which meant she hadn't tried to hurt herself again.

"Let's go."

Petty nodded. "Yeah."

Inside the isolation ward, Abacus had no idea what he was about to face. Even though his dad had spoken to him about it yesterday, he didn't quite grasp the concept.

When he woke up that morning, his little body ached. He felt drained, far worse than usual.

But he didn't know how to explain it or what to do.

Thinking of his mom, he fought to keep his eyes open, staring intensely at the door. He struggled to push himself up, sitting on the bed, waiting quietly for her to come and hold him just like she had over the past few days.

Finally, two figures clad in protective suits stepped into the room.

His dark eyes lit up instantly.

Mommy and Daddy.

The moment Petty saw him sitting there, she knew Dr. Holt had been right—he had been waiting for her.

A suffocating wave of heartbreak washed over her. She hurried to his side, gently scooping him up into her arms.

"Baby, Mommy's here."

She guided his small head to rest against her chest. Looking down, she held his hand through the thick material of the suit, her voice incredibly soft. "You were waiting for Mommy, weren't you? Mommy is right here."

A nurse was just about to prepare his formula, but Franco stepped in and took the bottle from her hands.

He poured warm water from the thermos, opened the container of formula, and scooped the powder in. He screwed the lid shut and placed the bottle in the formula mixer for a few seconds.

"Franco, Petty, leave Abacus to us," the doctor said gently. "Don't worry. We'll take wonderful care of him."

Was it time to separate already?

Petty fought fiercely to swallow back her emotions, but her instantly reddened eyes pulled at Dr. Howell's heartstrings.

Still, Franco had been right—forcing her to leave the hospital entirely right now would have been unnecessarily cruel.

She made sure to hide her tears from Abacus. Cupping the back of his head, she pressed his cheek against her neck and whispered, "Baby, Daddy and Mommy are going to be right outside. We're going to fight this together, okay?"

Only when she had her emotions fully locked down did she pull back to let him see her face. She took his tiny hand and pressed it warmly against her cheek.

"You waited so long for Mommy," she breathed out. "This time, Mommy is going to wait for you."