Chapter 276 A Bone Marrow Transplant Is Needed
Elias could easily see through this perfunctory remark, but he chose not to expose her.
“Why are you crying. Mommy? Did someone bully you?” Aiden sensibly helped her wipe away the tears.
“No, like I said, it’s just some sand in my eyes. Did you have fun? Did you drink water?” Amanda said while forcing a smile.
“I did drink. The grandpa and grandina that I don’t really know kept making me drink water, but I don’t like it.” Aiden pouted with an aggrieved expression.
Amanda gently tapped his nose and said, “It was Mommy who asked them to make sure you drink water, so you have to be a good boy.”
“Hmph!” He huffed and turned his head away.
At that moment, Jack and Edith approached as well. As they were getting on in age, they couldn’t keep up with the little guy and could only slowly head over to them.
Amanda glanced at everyone present and suddenly spoke, “Let’s have dinner together tonight at our place. My friend is an excellent cook.”
Jack and his wife were quite surprised as they didn’t expect Amanda to invite them for dinner, but they agreed without hesitation. “Sure, that sounds good. We’re free tonight,” Edith said as she beamed. It was the first time Amanda had taken the initiative to invite them for a meal. Jack also nodded and said, “I’m fine with it. I haven’t spent enough time with this little guy.”
Meanwhile, Elias remained silent. He sensed that Amanda seemed to have something weighing on her
mind.
When they arrived at Northern No. 1, Amanda continued to behave strangely, as she seemed absent- minded. On the other hand, Aiden immediately complained about being tired and wanted to go to bed. No one knew what was going on, except Amanda, who understood that there was something genuinely wrong with his health.
“Mommy, I’m tired…”
“I know. Should Mommy carry you to bed?”
“Yes…
With that, Amanda picked Aiden up and headed toward the bedroom. Edith couldn’t help but speak up, “But the child hasn’t eaten yet. Let him have something to eat before sleeping. It’s not good for him to go to bed on an empty stomach…” Before she could finish her sentence, Jack glanced at her and signaled her to keep quiet.
Amanda ignored them and carried the child directly to the bedroom.
Elias frowned as he felt that something was amiss, so he planned to find an opportunity to ask later even though Amanda might not necessarily tell him.
After the bedroom door was shut, Jack looked at his wife and said, “Let’s not interfere with how others. raise their own children. They know how to take care of their child. She had raised him for four years, and
the child has grown up well without us meddling in their affairs.”
“I know, I’m just concerned…” Edith sighed. Their concern seemed unnecessary since Amanda hadn’t agreed to recognize them as her parents yet.
After some time, Amanda walked out of the bedroom. At that moment, Selina had finished preparing dinner and came out to call them to eat. Thus, everyone gathered in the dining room.
Edith was still worried about the child and couldn’t help but say, “Did you leave food for the child? He’ll definitely be hungry when he wakes up later…” Jack immediately cut in with a cough and reminded his wife to be quiet.
Amanda merely responded, “It’s okay. I left food for him. Let’s eat. He’ll probably be asleep for a while.”
This time, Elias finally said something. “You still don’t look well. Have you seen a doctor?”
“No.” Amanda responded indifferently as she pulled out a chair and sat down.
“I’ll take you there after dinner. It’s on the way anyway… Elias persisted.
Before he could finish his sentence, Amanda calmly interrupted, “If any of you have free time in the coming days, it would be good to go to the hospital for a bone marrow match. Aiden is sick and needs a bone marrow transplant.”
When those words were spoken, the three of them at the dining table, including Selina, who was serving the food, were stunned.
Jack was the first to react. “What did you just say? What happened to Aiden? A bone marrow transplant? Is it that serious?”
They had only just reunited with Amanda and their little grandson, and now the situation had escalated to requiring a bone marrow transplant. Edith, who was still trying to process the situation, was teary as she
stared at Amanda.
Finally, Elias murmured tremulously, “Wh-What did you just say? A bone marrow transplant? What happened to Aiden?” Elias had never lost control of his emotions like this before. He struggled to gather his thoughts, feeling as if his words were failing him.
Amanda had already anticipated their reaction as she was in their shoes just moments before. Thus, she dared not look up to see their response as she would lose whatever grip on her emotions while speaking. fearing that she might lose it and start crying as well. She couldn’t afford to break down at such a critical moment because she still had many tasks to attend to.
So, she squashed whatever distress and sorrow she felt as she repeated, “The hospital has released the test results. They diagnosed Aiden with aplastic anemia and confirmed the need for a bone marrow transplant. The success rate is higher with direct relatives, so I’m asking all of you to undergo a matching test. I’m counting on you.”
The next moment, Edith burst into tears, sobbing. “My poor child, how could this happen…” Jack fell into silence while sitting there in shock. He had lost his appetite.
Now, Elias finally understood why Amanda had been so troubled earlier. So, this is the reason… He struggled to regain his composure and his dark gaze filled with astonishment. His mind was flooded with memories of his son, picturing how happy he looked at the amusement park. Even though he would occasionally complain of tiredness and ask to be carried. He had merely teased the boy for being delicate.
It turned out that his son was genuinely ill. He regretted not immediately picking him up when Aiden said he was tired and wanted to be carried. Why did he mock his son instead? How could he, as a father, not realize that his child was suffering? Elias sat quietly as tears slowly streamed down his face.
It was the first time Amanda had witnessed him shedding tears, as he didn’t cry when his grandfather passed away. Amanda couldn’t hold back her own tears either. She lifted her head and tried to hold them. back. Still, she reassured them with a quavering voice, “Let’s not lose hope. The doctor said Aiden’s condition was discovered early, and as long as we find a suitable bone marrow match for transplantation, he will be fine. Children recover quickly. So, our immediate task is to hurry to the hospital to complete the matching process.”
“Let’s go, your father and I will go tomorrow. We’ll go…” Edith’s voice cracked as she burst into ugly tears. once more. Jack sat next to them and sighed heavily while reflecting on the unfairness of fate. His eldest daughter had already endured a great deal of suffering. Why did his little grandson have to face such a
trial now?
When Amanda noticed just how distressed Edith was, she raised her hand and gently placed it on her shoulder. “Please… Don’t cry. Things will get better.”
She sprinted down the stairs but suddenly remembered her pregnancy and slowed down. Clutching the test strip in her hand, she wondered what Elias Winters' reaction would be once he heard the news.
Yet, when Amanda was halfway down the stairs, she saw two figures in the living room—Elias and a sexy woman. Slowing down her steps, she held the handrail tightly and felt her heart sink. That was because she saw her husband and the woman behaving affectionately as though they were a smitten couple.