HIS REGRET (Ex-Husband wants Me Back) novel Chapter 972

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By late morning, Naomi's condition was much better than it had been earlier that day. The pain from her surgery still flared up from time to time, but it no longer left her face as pale as before. Chris had even managed to get her to finish almost an entire bowl of porridge after a long debate.

A soft knock sounded at the door. Chris turned first.

"Come in."

The door slowly opened. Cale stepped inside first before moving aside to make way for Lydia.

The moment Lydia saw the figure lying in the hospital bed, she came to an abrupt stop. She didn't say a word. Her eyes remained fixed on Naomi, who was now truly awake and looking back at her with a gentle smile.

Several seconds passed without either of them speaking.

Lydia seemed to be making sure that what she was seeing was real. That the young woman who had lain unconscious just days ago was now looking back at her with eyes full of life.

Naomi felt warmth rise in her throat. "Mrs. Lydia."

Those soft words seemed to shatter all of Lydia's composure. Unable to hold herself back any longer, she hurried to the bedside and embraced Naomi as carefully as she could, avoiding the surgical wound still bandaged across her abdomen.

Tears finally fell from her eyes. "I thought," she said, her voice trembling between the sobs she was trying to suppress, "I'd lost you."

Naomi closed her eyes for a moment. That warm embrace slowly washed away the memories of the dark room, the sound of gunfire, and the fear that had once consumed her. She lifted her arm and returned Lydia's embrace as best she could.

"I thought..." she whispered softly, "I'd never see any of you again."

Those words made Lydia cry once more. She shook her head over and over. "Don't ever say that again."

Naomi nodded gently. Tears began to well in the corners of her eyes.

For a while, the two of them simply held each other in silence, as though they wanted to make sure they had truly survived that nightmare together.

Cale, who had been standing not far away, finally let out a long breath and gave a small shake of his head.

"If you two keep crying like this," he said lightly, "the doctor is going to think we came here to make the patient's condition worse."

Lydia immediately laughed through her tears. Naomi smiled as well, gently wiping the corners of her eyes.

"Sorry."

"If you apologize one more time," Cale added, "I'm going to start charging you a fine."

That remark succeeded in lightening the mood.

"So..." She looked back and forth between Lydia and Cale. "I'm really going to be an aunt soon?"

Lydia nodded with a soft laugh. "Yes."

Naomi instinctively patted the blanket over her lap, overcome with excitement. "Oh my goodness... this is the best news I've ever heard."

Her eyes grew misty again, but this time, not because of sadness. "I have to get better soon."

Naomi looked at Lydia's stomach again. It was hard to believe that amid all the loss they had nearly suffered, a new life was quietly growing. For the first time since opening her eyes, she truly believed that the future was still waiting for them.

Lydia smiled warmly. "There's no need to rush."

"There is." Naomi shook her head firmly. "I have to recover before the baby is born. I don't want my niece or nephew to see their aunt still lying in a hospital bed."

Soft laughter filled the hospital room.

Even Cale, who rarely showed much expression, smiled and shook his head. "Good. You really do need to get better soon."

Naomi merely clicked her tongue. "Yes, Mr. Miller. I don't like being a hospital patient for too long either."

They laughed again, and their conversation continued. Not long after Lydia and Cale had arrived, there was another knock at the door.