Even in her clumsiness, at least she could have made him happy by staying by his side.

But now, all she could do was ask politely, "Did you have surgery?"

Mark replied, "Yes."

His voice carried a subtle tenderness.

Mark didn't delve into details about his illness but called Edwin to his side. Edwin missed him dearly. He softly called out to him, "Daddy."

Mark retrieved two candies from his pocket, a treat that both Cecilia and Edwin liked.

Edwin peeled one candy and put it in his mouth.

Mark affectionately ruffled Edwin's hair and said, "You're such a sweet boy. Why don't you share one with your mom? She's quite fond of these as well."

Edwin obediently gave a candy to Cecilia.

A candy was placed in Cecilia's hand and she recognized the packaging immediately.

It was a familiar foreign brand.

In the past, Cecilia had constantly been on a diet and often experienced occasional hypoglycemia, so Mark always carried a few of these candies in his bag and would give them to her when they were alone.

This memory brought a wave of sadness to Cecilia.

Her eyes welled up. In a soft voice, she mumbled something before retreating to the bedroom.

Edwin felt uneasy and said, "Mommy seems to be crying."

Mark gazed at the bedroom, patted his son's head, and slowly made his way into the bedroom.

Cecilia stood by the window with her back to the door.

Mark approached her with caution. In fact, he was just a step away from her. Close enough to embrace her with an outstretched arm, but he refrained.

Now, he no longer possessed the privilege to do so.

In a raspy voice, he asked, "Why are you crying?"