Half-Hearted: Mr. Sinclair, Stop the Act!-Chapter 231: Seraphina Fuller

At this hour, the corridors of the hospital wing were much darker than during the day, and the surroundings were incredibly quiet.

Sienna Monroe looked at the little girl with her eyes filled with teary glimmers, momentarily lost in thought.

In the dream, the little girl also looked at her with such beautiful and spirited eyes, full of joy and excitement.

Even the lively scene of her happily twirling around and showing off the hem of her grass-green gauze dress seemed vividly present.

Sean Fuller noticed her slightly bewildered and dazed expression, instinctively lowered his eyes to glance at the little girl.

Luke Wynn’s steady voice carried a hint of confusion, "What’s wrong?"

Sienna Monroe’s wandering thoughts were brought back by his voice, she paused slightly as she met his gaze.

Then she showed a natural faint smile, "Nothing. Whose child is this...?"

"My daughter."

"You’re married?" Sienna Monroe was surprised.

Sean Fuller found her reaction somewhat amusing, "Do I not look like I’m married?"

Sienna Monroe was taken aback, jokingly, "Probably because I’ve spent too much time with my brother, who’s a bachelor, so I was a bit biased, sorry."

"Well, next time I’ll encourage him to find someone sooner."

"That would be great, if he really finds someone, my dad would probably thank you first."

A trace of a smile spread in Sean Fuller’s long eyes, he gently moved the small pale hand, softly saying, "Seraphina, say hello to the lady."

"Hello, Auntie."

The little girl’s soft voice carried a heavy nasal tone, clearly a sign of recent tears.

"Hello to you too."

Sienna Monroe crouched down, her expression gentle as she asked, "What’s your name?"

The little girl sniffed, not shy, openly speaking, though she let out a small sob hiccup, "I... I am Seraphina Fuller, nickname Seraphina."

Sienna Monroe was charmed by her childish voice, her smile deepening as she reached out to touch her little braid, "Seraphina Fuller, meaning warm and hazy, what a beautiful name."

Being praised made the little girl’s eyes curve with delight, "My dad gave me this name."

Sienna Monroe laughed again as she asked, "How old are you, Seraphina?"

The little girl held up three fingers, her cute little face scrunched up, blinking uncertainly, "Three... and a bit."

After speaking, she looked up and asked Sean Fuller, "Daddy, did I say it right?"

Sean Fuller nodded, a tender smile spilling from his long eyes, "Yes, Seraphina is already three years and five months old, next month she’ll be four."

Sienna Monroe realized, not yet four...

But the Seraphina Fuller in her dream seemed at least five or six.

Could it be something from a few years later?

Logically, everything and everyone she dreamed of was somehow connected to her.

What kind of connection could this little girl have to her?

Why did she appear so vividly in her dream?

Moreover, in the dream, the little girl seemed very close and familiar with her.

Yet her relationship with Sean Fuller could only be described as distant.

Sienna Monroe still couldn’t figure it out.

But she didn’t show it on her face, keeping her smile and gentle tone, "So Seraphina, are you in kindergarten yet?"

Seraphina Fuller shook her head, her eyes filled with anticipation and excitement, "Not yet. Daddy said once my illness is better, I can go to kindergarten, play with other kids, and read and write together.

But Daddy has already taught me a lot of words and poems, I know them all."

Illness...

Sienna Monroe hesitated for a moment, then upon closer look, noticed that under her pink long knitted cardigan she was also wearing a small-sized hospital gown of the same color.

If you look more carefully, you could see the little girl was on the thin side, though there was some baby fat on her little face, and her eyes were bright, her face was paler than normal by a couple of shades.

She smiled and pinched the little girl’s cheek, praising, "Seraphina, you’re amazing. What poems can you recite?"

Seraphina Fuller began reciting poems with a cheerful smile.

Sean Fuller stood aside, quietly watching their interaction, one big and one small.

The older one was gentle and calm, smiling with her eyes, the younger one was soft and adorable, her face beaming with a lively and charming smile.

They were like a mother and daughter, so warm and healing.

Mother and daughter...

He wasn’t sure what came to his mind, but his brow furrowed slightly, his deep, clear eyes gently resting on Sienna Monroe’s delicate and vibrant face.

When Seraphina Fuller finished reciting her poems, he slightly curved his lips, dotingly tousling her bangs.

The nanny happened to come out of the room, so he interjected, "Seraphina, why don’t you go take your medicine now, okay?"

Seraphina Fuller looked up at him, hesitated for a moment, and nodded obediently, "Okay. Taking medicine will make me well."

Saying that, she looked at Sienna Monroe again, pointing to the ward not far away with her little hand, "Auntie, I live there, come and play with me."

Sienna Monroe glanced at that ward, just next to Leo Monroe’s.

She smiled and nodded, "Okay, auntie will come and play with you when I have time."

"Bye-bye, Auntie."

She waved her small hand, trotted off to the nanny waiting for her.

Once she entered the ward, Sienna Monroe withdrew her gaze, just as Sean Fuller also looked away, and they exchanged an unexpected glance.

Sienna Monroe was a bit awkward as she drew a faint smile, "Seraphina she..."

Sean Fuller knew what she wanted to ask and candidly replied, "Small airway pathological asthma, congenital."

A hint of surprise flitted through Sienna Monroe’s eyes, "Can it... be cured?"

Sean Fuller let out a bitter smile and shook his head, "No. It can only be managed with medication to reduce the frequency of attacks and control symptoms."

Sienna Monroe’s heart sank slightly.

If it couldn’t be cured, it meant this illness would accompany Seraphina for the rest of her life.

Thinking about the little girl under four, so cute and beautiful, yet so obedient and sensible.

But then...

She pressed her lips together, feeling only pity and frustration within her chest.

Sean Fuller noticed the emotions in her eyes, speaking in a low voice, "Seraphina was born abroad, nearly eight months prematurely, after being diagnosed, her mother always felt guilty, eventually developing postpartum depression, when Seraphina was just over four months old, she took her own life."

This past was probably a wound he could never uncover, too deeply repressed.

He never dared speak of his late wife in front of Seraphina.

Seraphina was young but understanding, and he was afraid she would feel guilty if she knew the reason her mother died.

He cleared the emotions in his eyes, "Seraphina’s illness had been treated abroad, but results weren’t good.

There weren’t any other family members there, even the nanny taking care of her was a foreigner, I was afraid Seraphina felt lonely, so I brought her back, and she indeed seems more outgoing and extroverted here compared to abroad."

Sienna Monroe was taken aback.

She hadn’t expected him to share so much with her.

It wasn’t that it was abrupt, but this kind of thing seemed inappropriate to tell someone he was so unfamiliar with.

But Sean Fuller had said it.

Was it because of the connection with her brother?

Sienna Monroe felt as though there was no answer.

She pressed her lips, recalling and asking, "Why was Seraphina crying just now?"

Upon hearing this, Sean Fuller’s warm voice contained a hint of helplessness, "She was upset and refused to take her medicine, wanting to go home."

Sienna Monroe understood, also hearing a hint of bitterness in his words.

"She’s already very well-behaved, and at such a young age, throwing a tantrum is her privilege."

Somewhat of a smile touched Sean Fuller’s long and deep eyes, "Yes, what you said makes sense."

They parted at the hospital room door, Seraphina had already taken her medicine, her eyes were again welled with tears, pitifully so.

Seeing Sean Fuller enter, she puckered her lips in grievance, reaching out her arms and calling, "Daddy."

With a pained heart, Sean Fuller picked her up, touched her head, "My little Seraphina was great today."