Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 213

“That’s too much, ma’am,” Fallon protested, hesitating to accept the envelope.

“You need to take it,” Emma insisted gently. “You’ll be out of work for at least two or three months. This is to cover your lost wages. And if you need anything else, please let me know, even though I won’t be in Cresthaven anymore. If I can help, I will.”

Emma didn’t stay long at the hospital before her phone rang. It was Theodore.

“Where are you?” he asked immediately.

“I’m at the hospital, visiting Fallon. Are you home?” Emma’s heart skipped—had he seen the divorce papers already?

“Yes, I got home and you weren’t there. When will you be done? I’ll come pick you up.”

“Oh, I’ll be ready soon.” Maybe he hadn’t seen them yet.

“All right, wait for me there. I’ll be over in a few minutes.”

“Okay.” Emma had been planning to leave, but she decided to wait for Theodore instead. He was home this early?

“Was that your husband?” Fallon asked quietly.

Emma nodded. “If you ever need help, you can reach out to him too. He… most of the time, he’s willing to help.”

Truthfully, Theodore wasn’t a bad person. As long as it didn’t involve Cecilia, he was usually willing to lend a hand. Especially now—there was still trouble lurking in Fallon’s life, and Emma worried the issues from her hometown might come back to haunt her and her daughter.

Fallon understood. She nodded, her voice soft. “Thank you, ma’am. I hope you find happiness.”

“I will,” Emma replied, her smile sincere. That’s what she was leaving Cresthaven for—to find happiness in the years ahead, even if it meant leaving Theodore behind.

The hospital wasn’t far from her home; Theodore arrived in less than twenty minutes and stepped straight into Fallon’s room. He offered a polite greeting, making a brief visit.

With visiting hours nearly over, Fallon urged them to head home.

“We’ll be going, then. If you need anything, let us know,” Theodore said, taking Emma’s hand as they left the room.

But Emma made her way to the payment desk.

“I’ll handle it,” Theodore said, pulling up his phone to pay. “Are the medical bills running over?”

Theodore had been watching her, but at her words, a small smile played on his lips. “Drop the manners with me, will you?”

See? Emma thought. He really does have two sides to him.

She ordered pan-seared sea bass with pasta, sizzling garlic eel, stuffed roast duck, and for mains, crab risotto. Spotting the appetizers, she added a plate of pan-fried dumplings and a bowl of scallion oil noodles. When she handed the menu to Theodore, she couldn’t resist tacking on braised pork belly with a side of white rice.

Theodore burst out laughing. “You really like braised pork?”

“Love it!” Emma replied. Though honestly, she didn’t get to eat it often.

“I always thought dancers like you were strict with your diet—not eating stuff like this.” Theodore glanced at the spread she’d ordered, still smiling. “Crab risotto, white rice, dumplings, noodles—you’re on a carb spree tonight. You think we can finish all that?”

“I adore crab risotto, and the white rice is for soaking up the sauce from the pork belly,” Emma explained. Plus, it might be ages before she got to eat scallion noodles and dumplings again.

“Why not just eat crab? King crab, maybe?”

“No thanks, I hate shelling them.” Tonight, she was determined to order whatever she wanted—no compromises.