CHAPTER 414: SOFTENING WITH AFFECTION

"Dad, I’ll stay here with Layla," Lucius said softly, his grip on Alekis’ hands tightening as he gave them a gentle squeeze. "I’m so sorry for neglecting you all these years."

Alekis lay on the bed, his weary eyes locking with Lucius’ from where he sat in the chair beside him.

A faint smile tugged at Alekis’ lips despite the pain that lingered in his eyes. "You never neglected me, Lucius," he replied. "Don’t blame yourself. I was too scared... too scared to face the truth, to face you. Now, you are here, everything is going to be fine. Did Layla have her ultrasound?" He then asked.

"Yes, Dad," Lucius said as he looked at his father. "I saw the baby. It looks like a kidney bean right now. We even heard its heartbeat. The baby’s growing so well." His eyes shimmered with tears of happiness, and a soft smile played at his lips.

Before Alekis could respond, there was a gentle knock on the door. Layla entered, carrying a tray with a kettle and a teacup.

"Father, I’ve prepared a special tea for you," she said, her voice calm and soothing. "It’ll help ease your exhaustion. Since it’s herbal, it’s good for your body."

She placed the tray on the bedside table and poured the tea into the cup. Lucius excused himself, heading out to fetch the photo of the growing baby.

As Layla sat down beside Alekis, Fiona stepped into the room.

"Father, I called Roderick," Fiona said. "He should know the truth as well."

Alekis nodded, accepting the weight of her words. He carefully took the saucer from Layla, his hands steady despite the emotions swirling inside him. He blew gently over the hot tea, the steam curling in the air, and took a slow, deliberate sip before placing the cup back down.

"Alright," he said quietly, motioning for both Layla and Fiona to sit. "Let’s sit together."

Shortly after, Lucius returned, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Dad, look at this," he said, his voice barely containing his joy. He handed Alekis the ultrasound photo, his hands trembling slightly.

Alekis set the cup carefully on the saucer, his hands momentarily still as he gazed down at the image. His breath caught in his chest, and for a moment, words failed him. His eyes grew misty as he traced the outline of the tiny, growing life inside Layla.

He glanced at Layla, a soft smile tugging at his lips, then at Lucius, whose face mirrored the same deep joy.

"It’s my grandchild," Alekis murmured. He turned the ultrasound photo slightly and looked toward Fiona. "Look, Fiona..." he showed the image to his first daughter-in-law.

Fiona stood from her seat and stepped closer, her eyes softening as she gazed at the image. "It’s lovely," she said with a gentle smile, then turned her attention to Layla. "You need to be extra careful from now on. Rest well, eat healthy, and don’t overexert yourself."

Layla gave a small, grateful nod. "I will," she promised. Then she looked at Alekis. "Father, you’ll get better soon. Don’t worry about anything, alright? And please... don’t keep things to yourself. We’re here for you. All of us."

Alekis smiled at Layla, a sense of contentment softening his features. Despite everything, there was warmth in his chest seeing his family together in his support.

Just then, a familiar voice echoed from the doorway. "Grandpa? What’s going on? Mom called me out of nowhere," Roderick said, stepping into the room. His eyes scanned the faces around him before landing on Alekis, who lay in bed. He realized something wasn’t right with his grandfather.

Seeing the uncertainty on his nephew’s face, Lucius stepped forward. He placed a steady hand on Roderick’s shoulder, bracing him.

"Dad has stage two stomach cancer," Lucius said gently, choosing his words with care. "Layla and I just found out."

"What?" For a moment, Rodricks couldn’t speak further, he could only stare at his grandfather, trying to process what he had just heard.

"Grandpa," Roderick said softly as he walked over and sat beside Alekis, wrapping his arms around him in a firm, heartfelt hug. "You’ll be fine. We won’t let anything happen to you," he whispered, eyes shut tight as if trying to will the illness away.

Alekis chuckled, patting his grandson’s back gently. "When I have the strength of all of you surrounding me, how can I possibly go anywhere?" he said with a warm grin. "Besides, I still need to witness my grandson’s wedding—and spoil his kids too."

His light-hearted tone lifted the heaviness in the room, earning a few chuckles. Roderick pulled back, smiling at his grandfather’s attempt to lighten the mood. Then, with a small glance toward Lucius, he subtly gestured that they should speak in private.

Before Lucius could respond, Alekis said with a twinkle in his eye, "Roderick, look at this. Your uncle and aunt’s first baby... here’s the ultrasound image."

Roderick turned to see the black-and-white photo that Lucius handed him. A genuine smile spread across his face as he looked at it. He raised his eyes to Layla. "Congratulations... third month already. That’s incredible," he said softly.

Then he leaned closer to her with a playful whisper, "I hope it’s a baby girl." Looking at Lucius, he added with a grin, "Uncle, I’m going to spoil the baby girl then."

"You better not do that," Lucius said with a light chuckle. "Boy or girl, it doesn’t matter. I just want both my wife and our baby to stay healthy." His gaze shifted to Layla, softening with affection as their eyes met.

Fiona gently stepped forward. "Let Father rest for a while," she said, placing a hand on the edge of the bed. "Layla, you should get some rest too. You’ve had a long day."

Layla nodded quietly, offering a small smile to Alekis. "We’ll come back later, Father. Call us if you need anything," she said.

Alekis nodded, his eyes lingering on his family with warmth before he leaned back against the pillows.