The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 2533

"Come on, Grandpa, I know you're not hungry, but when Grandma wakes up, she'll need us to take care of her. Try to eat a little, at least," Ivy coaxed with a gentle smile that belied the redness rimming her eyes - a telltale sign of her recent tears if one looked closely enough.

"Balfour, you too. Don't just stand there. Come and have a bite. Grandma needs all of us right now, and we can't let ourselves fall apart. We need to stay strong so we can look after her," she added, rallying them with a mix of tenderness and resolve.

"Ivy's right. Don't just stand there, Balfour. Your grandma's out of danger now; it's just a matter of time before she's up and about. Let's eat something."

Balfour hesitated for a moment before joining them at the dining table.

Ivy knew it was a tough sell; appetites were the last thing on their minds, her own included. But they hadn't eaten properly in hours, and while the younger ones could cope, Dean certainly couldn't. And if they didn't join him, he would lose whatever little desire he had to eat.

After the meal, Ivy coaxed Dean to rest a bit on the bed they had prepared on the top floor of the hospital, in the private room they had reserved for him. Ivy herself had stayed in the same hospital when she fell ill a while back. There were plenty of rooms, and Dean truly needed the rest. His advanced age meant that even his wish to wait until he could cycle over was more spirit than his body could muster.