When Love Comes Late

Stella smiled faintly and replied, “She’s been in much better spirits lately.

Thank you for finding such a good doctor for her.”

“There’s mo need to thank me,” Cordell said, shaking his head.

“Besides, it was Matthew who asked me to take care of this..” Cordell paused mid-sentence as he noticed Stella’s expression shift at the mention of Matthew.

A shadow crossed her face, and he felt the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air.

“Has Matthew brought up the divorce again in the past few days?”

Stella felt a pang of bitterness.

She shook her head initially, but as memories of Matthew’s attitude flooded back, she nodded slightly..

Seeing Stella’s reaction, Cordell recognized just how strained her relationship with Matthew had become.

The sadness in her eyes spoke volumes, and he felt a surge of empathy for her struggle.

He took a deep breath and said gently, “He’s dealing with amnesia right now.

Divorce isn’t really what he wants.

Please try to be patient with him.”

Stella forced a smile and nodded.

“Okay.”

Cordell continued, “I’m already working on a treatment plan for him, and I’ll do everything I can to help him recover his memory as soon as possible.”

Stella replied softly, “Thank you for all your hard work.”

Noticing her downcast mood, Cordell suggested, “With everything going on between you two, quarrels and misunderstandings will only make things worse.

I recommend spending more time together, visiting places you used to go.

It might help jog his memory.”

Stella’s eyes brightened with a glimmer of hope, and a genuine smile broke through her earlier gloom.

It was a great idea.

Why hadn’t she thought of that?

Just as she was about to thank Cordell again, the door to the treatment room swung open.

Bella emerged, her brow furrowed, and asked, “What memories does Matthew need to restore?”

Cordell rubbed the bridge of his nose, choosing to remain silent as he gauged Bella’s mood.

The tension in the air was palpable.

Stella quickly stood up and walked over to Bella, gently guiding her to a chair.

“How was your treatment today? Did you remember anything?”

Bella ignored the question, her expression serious.

“Don’t hide things from me.

What’s going on with Matthew?” she insisted.

Seeing her mother’s serious expression, Stella realized she couldn’t hide the truth any longer.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to confess about Matthew’s amnesia.

Bella looked visibly worried when she heard it.

She felt a mix of anxiety and confusion.

“How could this happen? I thought what we went through was already hard enough, but now.”

Bella trailed off with a heavy sigh.

“What did the doctors say?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Is there a way to cure it? He’ll recover soon, won’t he?”

Stella shook her head, feeling disheartened.

“There’s no clear plan for treatment yet.”

Bella turned to Cordell and asked, “Dr.

Foster, do you have any solutions?”