Chapter 147: I Can Take It Back If You Don’t Like It
Keith said with an incredible frown. "...for a 3 days old baby, really, to know the smell of money?"
His partner shrugged, "Well, I can take it back if you don't like it."
He spoke as he reached his hand to take the card. Cathryn stopped him right away by snatching from his fingers. "You can also leave it to his parents."
Jeremy: "..."
A nurse took the baby, and the other two took Cathryn's arm and helped her go upstairs.
Keith, apparently disturbed seeing her walking away with strangers, followed them upstairs, and left the room until he was assured she was content and in good care. His phone rang, and he took it downstairs, meeting his friends' curious eyes.
"It's Sophia."
It is three o'clock in the afternoon and should be 1 am in Germany. He wondered where she was calling him from.
"Kei, when are you guys coming back?" She asked loudly in a cheerful tone. "Opa is super excited when he hears about your baby! He's planning for a party to introduce him to everyone!"
The Clarkson’s are a big family, and Keith's grandfather was among the first generation that settled in Dusseldorf. His business talent was well-matched with the time that Allan Clarkson soon made himself a household name. Soon after his marriage to an ancient local house, he entered the political world.
The fact that Keith was getting married and had a child was supposed to be big news for the Clarkson family and all who it concerned.
The young father certainly had his thoughts about it. But now the baby was too small, and Cathryn was weak, they weren't ready to make long flights. He and Cathryn had talked about it and decided to fly to Germany after the first month.
Sophia calculated the date with her fingers and told her brother another reason she was calling.
"I just left Ada from the bar. She asked me to go shopping with her sometime, but Mom said I should ask you first if I should go."
With the preconceived impression coupled with Ada's elegant temper, Sophia had always liked Ada as a close friend. But she also understands that Keith was getting married to Cathryn, and it wasn't appropriate for her to get too close to his ex.
"You don't need to worry about me. I wasn't in a relationship with her like you thought anyway. It's your own matter to make friends with anyone, and I have no right to interfere," Keith answered.
"I see," The teenager shrugged.
Then she became his little sister again as she started asking everything about the newborn.
Sophia just started her first year of high school. At this age of innocence, the purity of the mind had kept her from the dust of adulthood. Keith was grateful that she spoke in a straightforward way without keeping any thought.
But also, because of her defenseless temper, he was particularly worried. When Sophia said goodnight to him, he called her name.
"Yes?"
"Sophia, you can be friends with Ada, but don't get too close to her. Understand?"
"Okay." The teenager answered, understanding his position.
They said goodbye to each other and hung up the phone.
Keith was going back to the bedroom to take a look at Cathryn, but he turned his head and saw that Jeremy was staring at him with a strange look on his face. Stepping back, he went over to sit on the side of the sofa and asked, "Well?"
After so many years of friendship, Keith and Jeremy know each other too well. Whenever he had this pondering look, he must have something to ask, and it would mostly be a serious matter.
"Ada Clinton has traveled all the way to your home! Are you not going to explain it to her?" He eyed upstairs.
Jeremy paid an amount of attention when Betty and Amanda were talking in his car, thinking it was necessary to remind Keith because he knew that the relationship between Keith and Ada was not what everyone thought. He stopped their conversation when Amanda brought up Keith's name so that they wouldn't say anything unnecessary to Cathryn.
Keith was a soft-hearted man and had kept his personal life as secret as possible for the courtesy of everyone else. The last thing he wanted was to hurt people, so he had put his feelings deep down his heart.
"There is no need to explain at all. I have nothing to do with her." Keith replied flatly.
"That's the truth, I know. But everyone can see that Cathryn looks like Ada. Are you not worried that she might not like it when she meets her there?"
"How is Cathryn looking like Ada? From the very beginning, it was the latter that looked like Cathryn." Keith made a faint smile with indicating eyes.
Jeremy was surprised by this response. "Wait...you knew Cathryn before Ada?"
Keith made no reply but just smiled.
His long-time friend exhaled twice before he could find words. "Oh my goodness. You've been hiding so deep! And I was wondering why you were running in and out after you saw her on that night in Gravity! My goodness, you were in love with her back then!"
Keith kept his smile and reached a hand to pour more tea into his cup.
One mystery was solved, and more curiosity was aroused. Jeremy was coming up with all his wonders ready to shoot.
He took the teacup and looked up at him like he had never seen him before. He continued, "Can you also tell me, how did you end up getting this when you went hiking with Ada? And..."
He said while picking up Keith's wrist. On the inner side of it, there was a faint scar about two centimeters long. Because of the age and good on-time treatment, it can barely be seen if not stared at seriously.
"How did you get this?" He insisted.
Keith bowed his head and wrapped his fingers around his own cup of tea. His blue eyes were calm, like the sea level in the sun after the rain.
The two 30-year-old men sat in the middle of a large living room and stared at the steam rising from their cups while the blue-eyed man slowly began telling his story.