Chapter 10

"Oh..." Yarrick looked at the woman in front of him, feeling that something was a little off about her expression. However, he couldn't quite identify what was odd about it. "Your name is Yarrick?" "Yeah, that's right." He felt that the woman didn't believe they were married, so he took their marriage certificate from his backpack. "Here, take a look." "So, you really are married. Alright, that puts my mind at ease." She gazed at the certificate in her hands and nodded slightly, a glimmer of relief evident in her eyes. "Hmm?" Her voice was soft, but Yarrick still heard her clearly. He wondered what relevance their marital status had to her and what exactly she was so relieved about. "Miss, may I ask your name?" "My name is Celeste Parker." "Oh, Celeste..." Yarrick nodded. Knowing her name didn't help much. He still had no idea what kind of relationship she had with Hailey. "Sweetheart, there's a young lady named Celeste here to see you." Yarrick gently held Hailey's hand, leaned toward her, and whispered softly. Hailey suddenly tightened her grip on Yarrick's hand, showing her strong reaction to that name. "What is it, honey? Do you want to say something to Celeste?" Yarrick asked gently, glancing back at Celeste. It was so strange. Yarrick felt that there was something unusual between Celeste and Hailey. It was probably a favor, a grudge, or something else. He couldn't figure it out, no matter how much he thought about it. "Hailey, congratulations on your marriage. Your husband is really handsome." Celeste hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer to the bedside and leaned in to speak softly to Hailey. She continued, "Really, Hailey... Please forgive me for what I did in the past. Now that you're married, I hope you'll recover soon. I came by today after hearing about your marriage as I simply wanted to see you. Honestly, your husband is quite young and handsome. Congratulations!" With that, she stood up. Yarrick immediately noticed that Hailey's eyelids were fluttering as if she were trying hard to open her eyes. Her delicate hand, firmly clasping Yarrick's, tightened its grip even more. Celeste approached the room's door, pausing to cast one last look at Hailey. With a subtle nod toward Yarrick, she gently opened the door and stepped outside. "Honey, Celeste just left. She was your good friend once, wasn't she?" From what Celeste had said earlier, Yarrick could tell that she must have done something in the past to hurt Hailey. Otherwise, she wouldn't have asked for Hailey's forgiveness. "Sweetheart, don't worry. Once you wake up, we'll go find her together, okay?" Noticing Hailey's eyelids fluttering incessantly, Yarrick realized she was struggling to wake up. He tried to comfort her. "Honey, I think she looks quite pretty, but she's nothing compared to how beautiful you are. Still, she seems like she has a decent temperament. Did she ever do something to hurt you in the past? But... From what I can tell, she doesn't seem like a bad person." Yarrick sensed something was off, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what had happened between them. However, he was convinced that there lingered an unresolved issue between them. And now, it seemed those issues still remained unsettled. "Hails, I feel like you're about to wake up. I'm so happy." Yarrick gently stroked Hailey's face, his hand gently trailing to her neck. After a short while, Hailey's eyelids stopped fluttering. It seemed Yarrick's soothing words had worked. ... Time passed slowly, and soon, it was 6:00 pm. "Sweetheart, I'm heading back to campus for now. I have to move tomorrow morning, so I might come a little late. Don't miss me too much..." Yarrick gently brushed his fingers over Hailey's nose, then reluctantly let go of her hand. Just as Yarrick was about to leave, the nurse entered the room again. "Miss, Hailey's eyelids were fluttering just now. It went on for a while, but she didn't open her eyes." "Really?" "Yeah, and her grip on my hand got a lot stronger too. I really feel like she'll wake up at any moment." "That's great! I'll go tell the attending doctor right away." "Thank you so much. Goodbye." Yarrick slung his backpack over his shoulder, waved to the nurse, and then left the room. "This handsome guy... If he were my boyfriend, that would be amazing. He's so patient and has such a good temperament." The nurse admired Yarrick as he walked away. After exiting the hospital, Yarrick caught a bus to rush back to campus. Graduation loomed ahead, and at that moment, it seemed the four years he had invested in his education were slipping away. His thoughts were focused on his upcoming job and also Hailey, whose strength seemed to grow daily. He couldn't quite pinpoint the reason. But after spending so much time with Hailey, he found himself increasingly comfortable with her presence despite her unexpected appearance in his life. Although she remained bedridden and unable to wake, it felt as if Hailey had seamlessly integrated into his life. More than half a month had passed since their wedding, and her condition was gradually improving. If everything went well, surviving for another three months was entirely possible. And perhaps, against all odds, her body might even achieve a full recovery. As Yarrick stepped onto campus, he received a call from Selena. "Hello? Selena, how are you?" "Yarrick, are you graduating soon?" "Oh, yes, Selena. I've graduated, and I'll be moving out tomorrow." "I see. Where are you staying? Would you like me to help you find a place?" "No, thank you. I've rented a room with a classmate near the hospital. It's enough for us. I really appreciate your offer." Yarrick was determined not to exploit Selena in personal matters. Hence, he politely declined Selena's help even though he knew she genuinely wanted to assist him.