Chapter 601 Struggles Of A Longing Man (8)
Eli, Little Han, and I were finally back in our little log cabin in the Silver Dew Forest.
It took a little while to prepare everything, especially waiting until Eli's condition became stable enough to travel back to the territory.
Fortunately, the Green Wave Continent and the Silver Dew forest were actually facing each other with a vast ocean in between.
With the help of King Havelok and the Merfolk, we were able to transport Eli back to the Silverdew without issue.
The log cabin looks almost the same, except for the overgrown greens and plants around the yard, as well as the lack of luster it usually had when we were living there together.
"Daddi~~ We're home!" Little Han exclaimed excitedly as he saw a familiar site.
I have already lost track of how long we haven't been to this place, but it surely brings out warm memories to me and my son. historical
Only… that I hope Eli would remember these memories as well.
"En… we're home… Let's take your Mommy inside, shall we?" I looked at my son who was walking alongside Baobao and Wisey.
Between us was Eli, staring blankly straight ahead, even so, she no longer protested having me and Little Han and invade her personal space.
As she was staring at the home we have, there was no recognition in her eyes, no emotion, nothing at all.
She was still like a living doll, having lost the ability to recognize people and emotions.
"Mommi… let's go~" Little Han gave a wry smile as he held Eli's hands full of hope and anticipation.
However, Eli did not react at all.
I wanted to stretch out my hands to console my son, as it breaks me to see him trying this hard. But I do not have the heart to break what little hope he had for his mother.
I can't… I really can't.
And so I let out an excited smile as well, while I beckoned everyone to enter our home who had been waiting for us for a very long time.
"Let's go and show Mommy our home."
I pushed Eli's wheelchair as Little Han cheerfully skipped toward the door.
'This start is good…' I thought to myself as I remembered the work we did to make sure that Eli would be comfortable enough to have someone near her.
Back in that day, when she took the initiative to eat food with us and even said a word, we came to a realization.
First is that Eli is most comfortable when Little Han is around. She seemed to be encouraged by his actions and likes to follow his movements.
Second was that Eli might become better if she was exposed to the positive things she was able to recognize in her previous life. Just like when she saw her very own recipe which we both knew came from her previous life.
"We have to gamble on triggering her memories of the previous life because the memories she had in this world were far too young." Kayden's words became the key for the elders to also finally allow us to go back here.
Starting that day, I worked hard with Little Han and stayed close to Eli until she was able to tolerate our presence enough to help her with her daily needs.
From coaxing her to eat until tucking her to bed, we slowly worked towards becoming people she would feel comfortable with the most.
As we entered the place, the rustic yet cozy interior of the place we called home.
However, coming back once more gave me a different feeling. Back then, I would be excited and warm just seeing this very same view from my doorstep.
But now, there is a certain wave of anxiousness and nostalgia as if those memories I have were something I would never experience anymore.
"This is our home… Eli…" I looked down at Eli and observed her reactions.
Unfortunately, she only stared blankly and never showed any signs of recognition.
A wry smile bloomed on my lips as I reprimanded myself for expecting too much.
'Leon… let's take it one step at a time…' I reminded myself as I held onto Eli's wheelchair once more and pushed her to the living room.
"Weeeee!" Little Han's lively screams filled the living room as he saw the plushie playground that he missed so dearly.
"Sisi, Baobao let's pway!!!" He walked toward the playpen excitedly as he rolled on the pile of stuffed toys that welcomed him home.
'I'm glad that I cast preservation magic around the house…' I mentally commended myself as I realized that the house and the toys would not have been clean and livable if I never thought of putting some magic to keep it clean.
Watching my son act according to his age, a great sense of relief and warmth appeared in my heart.
It amazes me every time Little Han manages to pull Eli and me through. Even during this endeavor, he was always the reason a miracle happened in his mother's condition.
At least, we looked like a real family once more.
I looked at Eli who seemed to be interested in the view she was seeing as well. My heart jumped when I saw that her dark blank eyes softened in a very subtle way as she was watching our son play.
"Can I leave you here for a while? I'll go and check the kitchen and the bedroom if their condition is alright…" I looked at her and asked softly.
Eli looked at me without any chance of expression before giving a subtle nod. These days she could already respond to yes or no questions.
She was able to blurt out single words to express herself occasionally as well. It seems like it would take time for her to engage in a full conversation.
With that, I left for the bedroom and checked its condition. Just like the living room, the bedroom is as clean as when we left it.
Looking at the beds that have been left unused for a long while, I came to a decision to take the single bed even further away from the larger bed on the other side.
The problem is Little Han's bed.
When he started learning to express himself, he also started to insist on sleeping beside Eli. Because of that, we were not able to procure any bed for him at all.
Now it seems like I have to take a quick trip to Silvertown to procure his own bed.
After all, we cannot expect Eli to be amenable to letting our son sleep on her bed. Noting the things I need to fix in the bedroom I headed straight to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, I realized that the indoor greens that we left had overgrown quite a bit, along with the vegetables in the garden.
"It would be fine if I prepared pasta for today…" I thought as I looked at the healthy array of food coming fresh from our own garden.
"Eli would like it if I make it a little bit spicier…" I looked at the ripe pepper in the distance and decided my next move.
I decided to harvest this produce so that I could dry a portion of it for future use and the rest would be our lunch.
As I worked in the kitchen, I purposely opened the door to have a good view of what was happening in the living room.
I could see Little Han happily playing with Baobao and Wisey and Eli quietly watching at a distance.
The picture was enough for me to be satisfied at the moment as I continued working in the kitchen with a smile. From now on, we will be living together, without fear of any enemy trying to take away our hard-earned peace.
After a while, I went back to the kitchen to call them, "Lunch is ready…"
"Yay~" Little Han plopped up from being buried with Baobao's fluffy fur as he immediately excited the playpen and went near Eli.
"Mommi, iz time to eat!" Little Han smiled as he stood in front of Eli.
Eli only nodded without a word and looked toward me. She moved the wheels of her chair and maneuvered toward the kitchen.
Our meal is a bit quiet and simple, the only thing that makes the surroundings livelier was Little Han's giggles that was enough to warm up the atmosphere.
I have prepared two versions of the pasta I made.
Eli's pasta is more spicy while Little Han's was just flavored the usual way.
I could not help but smile as I saw Eli quietly eat the pasta without any frown on her face.
Just like her innate attraction to fried chicken back then, it seems like the food that was usually present in her previous world had the power to spark a reaction from her.
"After lunch, I might have to take a quick trip to Silvertown to buy some things…" I blurted out while eating.
"We have to get a bed for Little Han and replenish the rice in our stockroom…" I continued.
As expected, when Eli heard the word 'rice', her eyes flickered and she looked at me interestingly and said,
"Bring many…"