Chapter 67: How About Our Leah?
Grandma Sinclair was currently living with First Uncle Sinclair. First Uncle Sinclair had two sons. The elder son, Jason Sinclair, was already married and now lived with his wife in a rented house in town.
The younger son, Jack Sinclair, was a loafer who had yet to marry. He lived with First Uncle Sinclair and the family in a village over twenty kilometers from town.
Grandma Sinclair knew Leah was coming back today and had been waiting since early morning. The moment she heard Leah calling for her in the courtyard, she rushed out. "My little Leah is back!"
"Grandma!"
Leah quickly ran over and gave her a hug. "Grandma, I’ve missed you so much."
"Grandma missed you too. Come, come, let Grandma get a good look at you. Why have you gotten thinner? Is work too tiring? Are you eating well?"
Grandma Sinclair stroked Leah’s hand and scrutinized her carefully. "Your hands are so cold. Hurry and get inside!"
"I haven’t lost any weight. I’ve been eating really well. My company even provides employee meals."
Leah helped Grandma Sinclair inside, then went back out to bring in her suitcase. First Uncle Sinclair’s family wasn’t home. She decided she would unpack later that night, as the car she had hired in town was still waiting at the village entrance.
"Grandma, let’s go to the hospital first. I bought you a bunch of things. I’ll show them to you one by one when we get back." Leah placed her suitcase in a corner.
"Alright, alright. Let’s go."
Leah helped Grandma Sinclair put on her coat and supported her as they went outside. "Where did First Uncle and everyone go?"
"Who knows?" Grandma Sinclair sighed. "They left early this morning without a word. And I even told them yesterday you were coming back today."
Leah knew in her heart they were doing it on purpose. ’They’re just afraid I’ll ask them for money for the check-up. Not that I would, but even if I did, they’re the ones who should be paying.’
But she couldn’t be bothered to dwell on it. "It’s fine," she said. "We’ll see them when they get back later. There’s no rush. I’m not leaving until tomorrow anyway."
When Leah brought Grandma Sinclair to the hospital, Chester Hale was already in a meeting. However, he had made arrangements beforehand, telling Leah she could just go directly to the appropriate department.
The check-up mainly consisted of a blood draw, a CT scan, and some lab tests. It wasn’t complicated, but it involved a lot of back-and-forth and waiting. By the time they finally finished, it was already lunchtime. Since the results wouldn’t be ready until the afternoon, Leah took Grandma Sinclair out to eat.
"Leah, eat more meat. Look how skinny you are." Grandma Sinclair kept piling food onto her plate.
"Grandma, I’m not skinny. I’ve actually gained a few pounds! You eat."
Leah wasn’t lying. Ever since she got together with Asher Keating, she usually had lunch at the company. As for dinner, while Asher ate out often, he would take her along whenever he could.
He wasn’t a picky eater and would eat whatever Leah made. Still, whenever he ate at home, Leah would make extra dishes. And she never let herself go hungry when eating alone, either. She really had put on some weight recently.
"Listen to Grandma," Grandma Sinclair said as they ate, "don’t be like those other young girls, always trying to lose weight. It’s bad for your health, you know? Your body is the most important thing. You don’t have to work so hard. Make sure you take care of yourself. If it’s too much for you out there, just come home. Finding a small job here in town would be perfectly fine, and you’d be closer to me."
"Mm, I know."
A bittersweet feeling washed over Leah. ’That’s just how Grandma is,’ she thought. ’She’s always unconditionally good to me. She worries about me struggling out there on my own and just wants me to be happy.’
"Grandma, don’t just focus on me. You eat too."
Suppressing the bitter feeling in her heart, Leah put some food onto Grandma Sinclair’s plate. "Your granddaughter is very capable now. You don’t need to be so frugal. I give First Uncle money for your living expenses every month. If there’s anything you want to eat, just tell him to buy it for you."
"I’m not, I’m not. Grandma knows my Leah is doing great now." A benevolent smile never left Grandma Sinclair’s face as she looked at Leah.
After lunch, since it was still early, Leah took Grandma Sinclair to browse the shopping mall next to the hospital. She hadn’t brought a large suitcase on this trip, figuring she would just buy bulkier items like coats and shoes after she arrived.
Grandma Sinclair was overjoyed. She marveled at how quickly time had passed. In the blink of an eye, her little Leah had grown from a tiny baby into a young woman who could buy things for her.
"Leah," Grandma Sinclair said suddenly, "if you meet a nice boy you like out there, remember to bring him home for Grandma to meet. You may still be young, but you’re old enough to be dating."
"Grandma, I’m... I’m not in any rush," Leah said, not quite knowing how to respond. ’There’s only one person I like, but he’s someone I can never bring home.’
"You should still keep an eye out. My Leah is so beautiful, I’m sure there are plenty of boys pursuing you. Have you really not met anyone suitable?" Grandma Sinclair was clearly unconvinced.
"I’m not in a hurry. My goal right now is to work hard so I can bring you to Riverfall to enjoy a comfortable life as soon as possible."
"I’m perfectly happy here, don’t you worry about that," Grandma Sinclair said with a chuckle. "As long as you’re doing well, that’s all that matters."
They hadn’t been browsing for long when Chester Hale called to say Grandma Sinclair’s test results were ready. Leah took her grandmother back to the hospital. Chester Hale was waiting for them in his office and greeted Grandma Sinclair when they arrived.
"Dr. Hale, I’m so sorry for making you come all this way," Grandma Sinclair said as she sat down.
"It’s no problem, Grandma Sinclair. I had to come here anyway, so it was no trouble at all."
Chester Hale smiled, then turned to Leah. "I’ve reviewed all the reports. Everything looks good, so you can relax. Her blood pressure is still a little high, though, so she needs to keep taking her medication on schedule."
Leah breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, thank you, Dr. Hale. I’ll make sure to remind First Uncle and the others when I get back."
"Mm. Other than that, there are no issues."
Chester Hale gathered all the reports, placed them in a file folder, and handed it to Leah. "I’m free for a bit. How about I give you two a ride home?"
"Oh no, Dr. Hale, that’s too much trouble," Leah said quickly. Chester Hale had helped them so much over the last couple of days; she already felt like she didn’t know how to thank him properly.
"Didn’t you say you wanted to treat me to a meal?" Chester Hale laughed. "I happen to have no plans for dinner. You wouldn’t mind if I came along to grab a bite, would you?"
"Of course we don’t mind! It’s the least we can do," Grandma Sinclair said, standing up and taking Leah’s hand. "Leah, we must have Dr. Hale over for dinner."
"Then we’ll have to trouble you, Dr. Hale."
Leah didn’t object further. He had helped them so much; treating him to a simple home-cooked meal already felt inadequate. How could she possibly refuse?
"Alright, wait for me at the main entrance. I’m just going to change and get my car."
Once they were in the car, Grandma Sinclair began chatting with Chester Hale. As they talked, her questions became more personal—what his family did for a living, how many siblings he had. Chester Hale answered everything with a gentle smile.
Seeing where the questions were heading, Leah quickly tried to intervene. "Grandma, you must be tired. Why don’t you rest for a little while?"
"I’m not tired," Grandma Sinclair pressed on. "Dr. Hale, do you have a girlfriend? What do you think of our Leah?"