Seeing Eleanor''s still-pale face, Joel felt a surge of worry. "Eleanor," he said, his tone gentle but firm, "you can''t just push through things like this. What just


    happened really scared me. I think you should go to the hospital for a check-up, just for peace of mind."


    She considered his words and nodded. "You''re right. I''ll schedule a full physical when I have time." In her mind, she attributed it to theck of sleep and the extreme stress of the argument. For now, she would keep the secret about her daughter''s potential condition to herself. Evelyn was only at risk; she wasn''t sick. She would protect that secret until she found a cure.


    "Let''s call it a night for work, then," Joel said, gathering the documents from the table, not wanting to add to her stress.


    "Leave me a copy of those parameters," Eleanor insisted. "I''ll look at themter."


    "We can discuss them at theb tomorrow," Joel said, his tone leaving no room for argument. He knew she was a workaholic and would sacrifice rest if she had a task hanging over her.


    Eleanor finally relented.


    Just then, Joslyn announced that dinner was ready, and Evelyn came skipping out onto the balcony to call them. "Mommy, Mr. Kingsley, it''s time to eat!"


    "Okay, we''reing!" Joel replied with a smile.


    After dinner, Eleanor sat alone on the balcony. The city was glowing with decorations; New Year''s Eve was only three days away. She decided she would


    find a time tomorrow to return Gina''s medical report. Just then, an email notification pinged on her phone. It was fromn, containing their daughter''s gic test data.


    Her heart clenched. She quickly stood up and went to her study.


    Eleanor opened the email and clicked on the attached report. It was a detailed gic analysis, dated four years ago, just as he''d said. The conclusion was written in professional terminology stating that no known pathogenic mutations were found in the subject''s gene sequence. However, a supplementary note followed.


    *Given the possibility of mutations at unknown loci for this disease, regr follow- up and monitoring are rmended.*


    The first sentence brought a wave of relief, but the second hung in the air like a suspended sword, a starke reminder that she could never let her guard down. At leastn hadn''t lied about this. The data gave hepa small measure offort, but it did nothing to erase the bitterness of his deception or lessen the resentment in her heart.


    She scrutinized every piece of data. The analysis held up. Her feelings were a tangled mess. She had thought divorcingn would mean cutting all ties, but her daughter''s potential illness was a stark reminder that they still shared a profound and unavoidable responsibility.


    The next morning, Eleanor took Evelyn to visit Magdalen, bringing a gift. The old woman was delighted to see them and shared thatn and Gina would be returning in time for the New Year.


    "Such a fuss," Magdalenined to Eleanor. "Running off to another country for a minor ache. As if our doctors here aren''t good enough."


    Listening to her, Eleanor felt a mix of emotions. For all these years,n had managed to keep his mother''s illness a perfect secret. She


    want to frighten his eldent


    understood why, of course. He didn''t


    grandmother or burden Gina with


    the stress of a rare disease


    diagnosis. Many patients, upon learning of such a condition, live in a


    constant state of anxiety, which only


    hinders recovery.


    Thinking of Gina''s life over the past few years-pampered, sheltered, and


    mentally at peace-Eleanor had to admit it was all thanks to the son who had shouldered the entire burden alone.