Chapter 56
Sitting in the corridor, Camilla watched as the operating room light flickered on again. It was like all the warmth was slowly being drained out of her, leaving her numb, barely holding herself together.
Minutes crawled by. It wasn’t until Susan’s call came through that she snapped out of her haze.
“Camilla, it’s almost eleven. Are you coming home tonight?” Susan’s voice was gentle. “Jasper’s still waiting for you to tuck him in. What should I tell him p>
“I won’t be coming home. Give the phone to Jasper. I want to talk to him for a minute,” Camilla replied.
On the other end, Jasper’s soft little voice came through, sweet and obedient. Only when she heard him did Camilla feel a little spark of warmth return to her frozen heart.
Elise was finally wheeled out of surgery after midnight. The doctors said her condition was a bit more stable, but still told Camilla to prepare herself for the worst.
After that, Elise never woke up. Camilla moved her work into the hospital so she could stay by her side all day.
Barnard came by the hospital once. Camilla didn’t want to see him, so she kept him outside the door. He didn’t try to fight her on it. Instead, he called from the hallway, his voice softer than she’d heard in years, reminding her of when they first started out.
“Camilla, don’t be scared. Whatever happens, I’m here. You just stay with your mom. I’ll take care of Jasper and the company p>
He brought Laura with him, and Laura made sure to get on the call, too, promising over and over to look after Jasper.
Camilla didn’t trust Barnard much these days, but Laura was another story. Laura genuinely liked Jasper—she would never treat him like someone less important. Camilla knew she could count on her, so she let Laura take Jasper back to The Carter Estate.
Every evening after dinner, Jasper called right on time. Camilla could hear it in his voice—he was settling in and seemed happy enough at The Carter Estate. That helped her relax.
Before she knew it, the first day of kindergarten arrived.
That morning, Jasper called her. His voice was sweet as ever. “Mommy, today’s my first day at kindergarten. Grandma asked Daddy to take me. Stay with Grandma at the hospital, okay? You don’t have to worry about me, I’ll be fine p>
Camilla tried to sound reassuring but couldn’t help worrying. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come pick you up p>
“No need, Mommy. Daddy’s been spending a lot of time with me lately. It’s fine if he takes me. You really don’t have to worry,” Jasper insisted.
She heard Barnard’s voice in the background, telling Jasper to get in the car. Jasper said a quick goodbye and hung up.
Camilla realized Jasper didn’t seem as distant from Barnard anymore. He sounded more comfortable, even affectionate. That reassured her, just a little. Maybe staying at The Carter Estate was good for Jasper. Barnard probably wanted to make a good impression, knowing Calvin and Laura were around. He seemed to be putting in real effort with his son.
But that tiny bit of peace shattered at lunchtime.
Her phone rang and she answered to the tremulous voice of a young teacher on the verge of tears. “Camilla, could you please come to the school? Jasper… something happened. We can’t get in touch with his father p>
Panic hit her like a wave. Her blood felt like it was running backward. Everything went dark, and she had to grab the wall to steady herself before she could even speak.
When Camilla got to the school, Jasper was already in the nurse’s office.
A young teacher stood by his bedside, eyes glistening with tears. Camilla saw Jasper lying there, unconscious. His head was wrapped in gauze, his leg in a bandage.
“Isn’t this the first day of school? How did my son get hurt so badly?” she asked, her voice trembling.
The teacher looked guilty. “Today was a parent-child activity. Things got a little out of control, and I lost track of Jasper. When the other kids found him, he’d already fallen down the stairs, and a table was on his leg. I went around and asked all the parents, but no one saw his dad. I think maybe Jasper couldn’t find him and tried to lift the table by himself and then…” The teacher trailed off, her voice breaking. It was obvious this never should have happened. A five-year-old shouldn’t have been lifting a table at all, let alone by himself, and nobody had even noticed.
“What’s Jasper’s condition now?” Camilla asked quickly.
“He has a cut on his head and a broken leg. We called an ambulance, but since it isn’t life-threatening, it’s taking some time to get here. Please don’t worry too much. The nurse checked him over, and most of the injuries are external,” the teacher explained quietly, sounding more apologetic with every word.