He Buried Me, Then Begged Me to Return

Her Heart Was Breaking

The Crowe family would never accept an illegitimate child, not one that might complicate Silas and Sabrina’s perfect life.

…

After leaving the doctor’s office, Elena couldn’t hold it in anymore. She buried herself in Mia’s arms and cried.

Mia’s eyes were red as she patted her back, trying to comfort her.

“Elena, don’t panic. I looked it up. Chronic leukemia is different from the acute kind. As long as it doesn’t worsen, the progression is slow. The doctor already registered Aiden in the free donor database. Maybe a match will show up tomorrow.”

“And there’s still a chance you’re a match.”

“I’ll get tested too. Who knows, maybe I’ll be the one who can save him.”

They both gave blood samples and waited.

The results came back quickly.

Elena’s compatibility with Aiden was only 35 percent.

Mia’s was 10 percent.

Neither matched.

That last sliver of hope shattered completely.

Elena’s frail body swayed. She crouched down, hugging her knees, forcing herself to process the unbearable truth. After a long moment, she stood up, wiped her tears, and said hoarsely, “Mia, I’ll go check on Aiden.”

They had been gone too long.

He must be scared, alone in the room.

…

As they approached the ward, they heard soft crying inside, along with Aiden’s gentle voice.

“Leo, don’t be scared. Your dad will be back soon.”

“I’m here to protect you. No monsters will come and bully you.”

Elena stepped in and saw that there was another child on Aiden’s bed.

A small, thin boy with two little pigtails, about the same age as Aiden.

His face was delicate, streaked with tears. When he saw strangers, his eyes widened, and he shrank behind Aiden.

“Mommy!”

Aiden lit up when he saw her.

“Leo, my mommy’s back! Don’t be scared. My mommy and Mia are both very nice!”

The boy blinked like a startled deer.

Elena glanced at the neighboring bed. A large sack sat on it. When she left earlier, that bed had been empty.

“Sweetie, how old are you?” Mia crouched down, pulling a piece of candy from her pocket.

She was good with children. In no time, she learned the boy’s story.

Like Aiden, Leo came from a single-parent household. He had been brought in by his father earlier that day with a fever. Left alone in the room, he had been frightened, until Aiden comforted him.

“This is for you.”

Leo took the candy, then shyly broke one in half and offered a piece to Aiden.

The two children leaned against each other on the bed, quietly eating.

“Mommy, what’s wrong?”

Aiden looked up, his voice soft but perceptive.

Elena turned her face away instinctively, afraid she might cry again.

Just then, a man’s desperate cries echoed from the hallway.

“Doctor, please save my Leo!”

“I’ll pay anything!”

“He’s my only son. If something happens to him, how am I supposed to go on…”

…

Elena looked up.

In the corridor, a man dressed like a laborer clutched a doctor’s shoulders, his face contorted with grief.

Families nearby gathered, whispering uneasily.

“Dad!”

Leo, who had just calmed down, suddenly jumped off the bed and ran toward the door on his short legs.

Elena steadied him instinctively as he passed.

“I’ll go see what’s happening,” Mia said, already heading out.

Elena nodded.

The noise outside only made the tightness in her chest worse.

“Mommy.”

Aiden reached out for her.

She pulled him into her arms, holding his small body close.

“The man crying outside… is that Leo’s dad?” he asked softly. “Is Leo really sick? Why is his dad crying so hard?”

He looked up, startled, and gently touched the corner of her eye.

“Mommy, why are you crying too? Did I say something wrong?”

Elena forced a smile, holding back the breakdown threatening to spill over.

“No, it’s not you. Mommy just didn’t do well at work today. I got scolded.”

She wiped her tears quickly.

“Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? Mommy will go buy it.”

Aiden studied her with quiet suspicion. Then he reached up, carefully wiping her tears with his small hands.

“Mommy, don’t worry. When I grow up, I won’t let anyone bully you.”

“I’ll make lots and lots of money, so you won’t have to work so hard every day.”

Elena held him tighter.

Her chest ached so badly she could barely breathe. The tears she had just held back threatened to fall again.

Her child…

So gentle. So understanding.

Why would fate treat him like this?

Her heart felt like it was shattering.

If only she could take his place.