A Second Chance at Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard)

Chapter 1482

Eleanor didn’t pick up on Hailey’s last remark, her effort evident as she outstretched her hand weakly,

“Since he’s the child I risked everything to bring into this world, may I hold

him?”

Even with a gap in her memory, making everything around her seem foreign, there was an innate

closeness she felt towards her own flesh and blood, a natural desire to hold her

child.

As Hailey carefully set the baby down on the bed, she cautioned, “With the state you’re in, I can’t trust

you to hold him just yet. Let’s just lay him beside you, and you can touch him, okay?”

It was then that Eleanor could finally see her baby clearly. His skin was soft and fair, with plump little

cheeks, and beneath those still-forming brows were a pair of bright eyes, reminiscent of a thawing

wintry landscape, warm and inviting.

For some reason, these descriptors evoked a sense of familiarity, as if she had either experienced this

before or had once fantasized about her child looking just like this, making the familiarity overwhelming.

Eleanor gazed at the baby’s pronounced nose and the delicate lips, and after a while, she retracted her

hand, a trace of fear in her voice, “Hailey, my memories… They include you all, but not the child. I’m

not sure how to embrace these missing pieces…”

This was an ordeal anyone with amnesia inevitably faced. Just like Garett had years ago, when

confronted by their sudden appearance and demands, he was so scared and confused that he had no

choice but to have security escort them away.

Hailey understood Eleanor’s plight, “If you’re unsure how to accept it, then don’t. Think of it as a story

for now. When you’re ready to accept Bernard and the baby, you can embrace those memories…”

She was abiding by the doctor’s advice of taking things slowly, avoiding the urgency that once

pressured Garett, instead offering Eleanor gentle reassurance to take her time.

Eleanor felt her headache easing at those words, and she tried once more to gently touch the baby’s

cheek. “It’s beautiful, and so cute. Is it a boy or a girl?”

After handing off the baby bottle to the nanny behind her, Hailey replied with a smile, “A little boy, and

quite the handful already, always stirring up a fuss for me.”

Eleanor smiled along with Hailey, “How does he fuss with you?”

Hailey gestured towards the baby’s leg, “For instance, when the maid or butler tries to hold him, he

cries until I pick him up. And the moment I try to set him down to catch my breath, his cries before I can

let go…”

D

7/2

08:31

Chapter 1482

As Hailey expertly adjusted the baby’s rolled-up pants to cover his tiny legs, Eleanor realized the effort

Hailey had put in and couldn’t help but express her gratitude, “Hailey, thank you for taking care of

him…”

After Hailey finished tending to the baby’s clothes, she met Eleanor’s grateful gaze, “I’m your family. If I

don’t look after your child, who will? Besides, I have kids of my own. It’s no trouble to care for another

alongside them.

Eleanor filled in another gap in her memory when she heard Hailey had children, “So… did you end up

marrying Austin Zimmer, or did something else happen?”

She didn’t know anything for certain and had to ask tentatively, her amnesia making her cautious, but

Hailey was unbothered, “Speaking of which, my story with Cedric… it’s been quite a journey…” Eleanor

tilted her head, curious about Hailey’s cryptic smile, “So… the father of your child is Cedric, not

Austin?”

Hailey, intrigued by Eleanor’s reaction, asked, “Considering you only remember up to when you were

eighteen, you should be more accepting of Austin. Aren’t you surprised I married someone else?”

Eleanor smiled faintly, “To be honest, even though Austin seemed upstanding, he never sat right with

me. I always felt he would cheat or betray you someday. So, knowing you didn’t marry him actually

makes me happy.”

Hailey was taken aback for a moment but then smirked, “You had the right instinct. Austin did betray

me eventually. No, he was after my money from the start, it was worse than a cheat.”

As they opened up about the past, Hailey couldn’t help but spill more details, and Eleanor, eager to

hear about Hailey’s life, listened while gently patting the baby’s belly, fascinated by Hailey’s rant about

Austin and the tale of her life with Cedric.

After reminiscing, Hailey added, “Over the past six months, Bernard has been praying for you in every

church, his knees are practically worn out…”

Before she could finish, there was a knock on the hospital room door. Hailey’s voice paused, then

called out loudly, “Who is it?”

After a brief silence, the door swung open to reveal Yates, “It’s me.”

Seeing Eleanor’s grandfather, Hailey felt a chill, “What… what are you doing here?”

If Hailey wasn’t aware of the kind of man Yates was, or that the chip in Bernard’s brain was his doing,

she might not have held his exploitation of Eleanor against him. After all, he had saved Eleanor’s life.

But now, with Bernard’s fate in his hands, how.could she not

be afraid of such a ruthless man?

Yates glanced at the woman protectively standing in front of Eleanor, dismissing her concern, “I heard

my granddaughter lost her memory. I just came to see if I could help her regain it.”