Chapter 319: Chapter 319: "Mommy and Daddy will only have you as our baby from now on.

Sean was weak. He reached out and took her hand, which was resting on the edge of the bed.

"I wasn’t there for you and Leo when you needed me most. You sacrificed so much to raise him all by yourself, and you did such a wonderful job. It’s only right that he has your last name."

Sean’s fingers tightened slightly around her hand. "It doesn’t matter what Leo’s last name is. He’ll always be our son."

Rory nodded.

She’d never really considered changing Leo’s name.

Not long ago, Sherry Walsh had also asked her about Leo’s last name.

She had mentioned that many men can’t accept their children not taking their last name.

She’d also suggested that she and Sean should discuss the issue openly.

At the time, she’d felt that Sean probably wouldn’t care about it. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

But seeing Sean lying here so weakly after his surgery had just reminded Rory to ask.

And his answer proved her guess had been right.

Sean remained in the hospital for the next four days.

On the day he was discharged, Rory and Leo came to pick him up.

Leo looked at the hospital gown his dad had changed out of, tilted his head, and asked, "Dad, were you sick? Why did you have to stay in the hospital?"

Sean said, "I had a small procedure."

"What kind of procedure?" Leo looked at him with wide, dark eyes. "Was it like the surgery Mom had?"

"No, it wasn’t that serious," Rory corrected her son.

Seeing the curiosity written all over his face, she said, "After Daddy had this procedure, it means that for the rest of our lives, you’ll be Mommy and Daddy’s only treasure."

"Really?" Leo asked, surprised. "Does that mean I won’t have any little brothers or sisters?"

Rory knelt, stroking her son’s head. "Do you want a little brother or sister?"

Sean glanced over as well.

The little boy tilted his head, thought seriously for a few seconds, and then gently shook it. "I don’t want one."

He glanced at Sean, then back at Rory, and said earnestly, "Ruby at my preschool got a little sister. She said her mommy and daddy always tell her she’s the big sister and has to give in to her sister, but she’s only four years old! She’s a little kid, too."

Rory stroked her son’s hair. "That’s why from now on, you’ll be Mommy and Daddy’s only treasure."

"Okay!"

This time, as if he had finally made up his mind, Leo nodded happily.

-

On October 18th, Rory and Sean got their marriage license.

The day before the wedding, a Saturday, they took Leo to visit Rory’s mother, Quinn Linden’s, grave.

The headstone was immaculate.

Rory crouched before the headstone, gently stroking her mother’s photograph on it. "Mom, Sean and I are officially married."

She pulled Leo over. "This is my son, your grandson, Leo Linden."

"Hello, Grandma."

Leo bowed to the headstone and said in his sweet, childish voice, "Hello, Grandma. I’m Leo Linden. I’m four and a half."

Sean knelt and placed the bouquet he was holding in front of the headstone.

"Mom, the terrible decision I made five years ago hurt Rory deeply. She’s my wife now, and I’ll never let her get hurt again."

The man spoke slowly, weighing each word.

Rory teased him playfully, "Think you can keep your word this time?"

Sean took her hand. "I promise."

On the way back, Leo said from his car seat, "I secretly invited Grandma to come to Mommy and Daddy’s wedding tomorrow."

"Oh?"

Rory glanced at her son beside her.

Sean was driving in the front seat.

Leo tilted his head and asked earnestly, "Will Grandma come?"

Rory stroked her son’s head and smiled. "Yes, she will."

Leo asked again, "Then... how will I know if Grandma is here?"

Hearing her son’s question, the first thing that popped into Rory’s head was a creepy hospital ghost story.

She quickly shook off the thought and said with a smile,

"That’s hard to say. But if Grandma comes, you’ll definitely feel her presence. Maybe you’ll feel a warm breeze, or a flower will catch on your clothes, or a butterfly will land on one of our shoulders."

She also believed her mother would come to her wedding, that she would be there to witness her moment of happiness.

’But in what way would she come?’

’She had no idea.’