Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)

What did he mean by that?

Was he talking about giving up on Emma?

I stood at the doorway while watching Charles. His face was pale and tense. His hands were clenched into tight fists.

"Charles, don't you understand what I'm saying? Leave. Get out..." The middle-aged woman who was trying to push him away suddenly became hysterical as she shouted and shoved him. Charles stumbled. His thin face paled even more at this point. He struggled to stand upright and asked, "Can I stay with her until the end?"

"Emma is like this because of you! If it weren't for you, she wouldn't be suffering! Give me back my Emma! Give me back my daughter!" The woman pounded on Charles with her fists. Watching this scene made my heart clench. I had the urge to step in and calm the situation.

However, before I could move, the middle-aged man stepped forward and gently pulled the woman away. "Stop it. Let Emma have some peace in her final moments."

"Emma... Emma..." The woman sobbed even more.

The man wrapped his arms around her and started guiding her out. Meanwhile, I had forgotten to step aside until the couple walked right up to me and saw me.

Only then did I come to my senses and quickly greeted them, "Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan..."

"Emma..." The middle-aged woman suddenly grabbed onto me with a surge of emotion.

I knew I resembled Emma. Her longing for her daughter made it understandable that she mistook me for Emma.

The middle-aged man, however, remained more composed. He held onto his wife but looked at me with shock in his eyes. "You... you are..."

"Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan, my name is Madeline Crown."

"Madeline Crown?" The woman repeated my name and shook her head. Then she turned to her husband again. "James, this... this is..." "Ava, this isn't Emma. Ms. Crown just looks similar to her," Emma's father, James Finnegan, explained.

Emma's mother, Ava Lennon, looked

at me once more and then glanced back at the hospital room. Finally, she released my hand, but she kept muttering, "You're not Emma Emma is gone."

Hearing her say that felt like a dagger to my heart.

"How... how do you look so much like Emma?" Ava questioned.

How would I know?

"Did you make yourself look like Emma on purpose to deceive us?" Ava suddenly became hostile.

James quickly tried to calm her down. "You're seeing things. You're just missing Emma too much. Ms. Crown doesn't look like Emma at all." "Right, Emma was much more beautiful." Ava glanced at me again.

I lowered my head slightly to avoid her gaze while James gently coaxed her to leave.

"Emma... I want Emma." Ava began pounding her fists on her husband's chest.

James let her hit him, but his eyes stayed on me. He was wondering why I looked so much like their daughter.

Ava was too emotional. Thus, he eventually led her away.

Yet, even as James walked further away, he kept turning back to look at me.

Inside the hospital room, other

relatives of Emma were gathered

around her bed, leaving no space for

Charles to get close. Even so, he

remained standing there, rooted to

the spot.

I wanted to go in but felt it wasn't appropriate.

Besides, Charles didn't seem to have

any intention of leaving. Honestly

even if he had, I wouldn't have

known how to comfort him ina

situation like this.

Still, I was curious about what he had meant when he had said, "Are you really going to do that to her?" to Emma's parents.