I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 196

Sophie winced internally but forced herself to lie through her teeth. "I was helping Gavin unpack his luggage. You had just fallen asleep when I got back."

Seeing Mia open her mouth to launch another volley, Sophie quickly cut her off. "Oh, right! Your dad is coming back today. Why don't you draw a picture for him as a welcome home present?"

"Okay!" Having completely forgotten her interrogation, Mia instantly slid off the bed and scurried to her little backpack to dig out her sketchbook and crayons.

Sophie let out a long sigh of relief. Kids were seriously tough to handle.

By the time Gavin came over, Sophie was already enjoying breakfast with her mother and Mia.

"Gavin, you're so lazy. You're a grown-up, you shouldn't be sleeping in," Mia declared, shooting him a look of absolute disdain.

"Just this once. I was really tired yesterday." Gavin ruffled Mia's hair before going to wash his hands.

The moment Gavin sat down, Mia resumed her role as the pint-sized interrogator. "What did you do last night that made you so tired? When I was playing in the play area, you and Sophie just sat there and didn't even move. Why are you so tired?"

Faced with Mia's existential interrogation, even Gavin found himself momentarily cornered.

"Work. I had to work overtime until really late."

Mia looked ready to argue, so Sophie hurriedly changed the subject. "Mia, we're going out for lunch today. What do you want to eat?"

Mia tilted her head, deeply lost in thought. Sophie and Gavin let out simultaneous sighs of relief.

That evening, Jason arrived to pick Mia up. After a grueling five-hour drive on the highway on top of days spent caring for a sick patient at the hospital, he looked visibly exhausted.

"Daddy, are you super tired?" Mia threw herself into Jason's arms, her little hands patting his face.

Seeing how drained Jason was, Sarah offered, "How about we let Mia sleep here tonight? You go home and get a solid night's sleep, and I'll drop her off tomorrow evening."

"I couldn't possibly. I've already taken up so much of your weekend."

They had originally agreed that Sarah would get one day off a week, but between his business trips and unexpected emergencies, he found himself eating into her days off constantly. Jason felt genuinely guilty about it.

During the divorce, their agreement clearly stated that Mia's mother would take her on weekends.

But the reality was that it had been a year and a half since the divorce, and Melanie only showed up once every two or three months, taking Mia out for half a day before dropping her right back off.

Gwen currently lived in a small two-bedroom apartment. Since she had intended to stay single after her divorce, she had converted the second bedroom into a walk-in closet. When she had injured her foot previously, her dad had come to help and slept on the sofa.

But given his current condition, he needed a live-in caregiver, and her tiny apartment simply wouldn't cut it. She had to find a proper two-bedroom rental.

"If you have time, could you look at some apartments for me? The fully furnished, move-in-ready kind. We're getting him discharged this Saturday, and we'll head back on Sunday."

As soon as Sophie agreed, Gwen added, "Oh, and please don't tell Jason. If he knows, he'll definitely try to help me find a place, and I don't want to owe him any more favors. Honestly, my dad is just a massive burden right now. I have no choice, but there's no reason to drag Jason down with me."

Gwen massaged her temples. Between staying at the hospital and caring for him, she hadn't had a single good night's sleep. Her head was splitting.

"Jason isn't the type to see it that way," Sophie reassured her softly.

"I know he's not, but I can't just dump my responsibilities on him just because he's a good guy. His life isn't easy either. Raising a daughter on his own is already exhausting, and if you add my disabled dad to the mix, just thinking about it makes me feel exhausted for him."

Gwen let out a long, heavy sigh. "Tell me, why is my luck so rotten? The second my life finally starts looking up, my dad pulls a stunt like this."

"Gwen, don't talk like that. Everyone hits rough patches in life, but there's always a way through. You need to have some faith in Jason."