Chapter 272: What if she never remembers?
Willow, sensing the tension lingering in the air, mustered a small smile and spoke up. "Bella is awake."
Relief flickered across Alan and Selena’s faces, their rigid postures easing slightly.
"The doctor visited her just now," Willow continued, then carefully relayed everything the doctor had said.
Hearing that Bella had lost her memory hit them like a brutal blow. Their hopeful expressions darkened, and their faces paled. Selena pressed a trembling hand to her lips, while Alan clenched his fists.
"But," Willow quickly added, "the doctor said Bella will slowly regain her memory. We just need to remind her of the past, little by little. Maybe staying with you will help. Perhaps visiting places she once loved could trigger her memories."
"Yes, you’re right." Selena blinked away her tears, straightening her shoulders. "Bella can forget everything—but she won’t forget me. She won’t forget the place where she grew up. I’ll take her home. I’m sure she’ll remember everything soon."
She turned to Alan with a silent plea in her gaze. Alan reached up and held her hand. A quiet reassurance passed between them.
"Let’s go see her," Alan said. Together, they stepped into the room, Willow trailing behind them.
Bella lifted her head as she heard the sound of the door opening. Her heart pounded with anticipation as she sat up, her eyes immediately locking onto the three figures entering the room. But it was the man in the wheelchair who captured her attention.
A jolt of recognition struck her. It was her father. She had seen him before—on the television. But now, he was in front of her.
"Dad," she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with hope. She had been anxiously waiting to reach her father, and here he was. "You are my father, aren’t you?"
Alan’s eyes turned misty as he saw Bella. The moment he had longed for, feared, and dreamed of was finally here. Seeing Bella stirred a storm of emotions within him—agony for the time lost, longing for the daughter he had once been estranged from, and pure, unfiltered joy at finally being near her.