CHAPTER 16:

Michaela was standing in the clinic as her mother sat in her desk chair and her father stood by a bookshelf, inspecting every nook and cranny. She had just finished her consultation with Loren.

"It is a beautiful clinic, Michaela." Joseph commented before turning to her. "Where… Where is Mr. Sully?" he hesitated, worried to know the answer when his daughter did not mention him either in her letters or now that they had come to visit her.

"Oh, Sully takes pictures on Pikes Peak normally. He should be back soon."

"Are you still with that man?" her mother suddenly asked. "I honestly thought you would be fine with it."

Joseph sighed but said nothing as Michaela also fell silent.

"Mom!" suddenly cried a small voice that she immediately recognized as Brian's.

And she was right when the door to the clinic immediately opened and her son immediately ran into her arms.

"Mother, you will never guess!" cried Colleen, who also walked into the clinic. "The Reverend asked us to create an experiment with water. A science experiment! We will have to present them next Friday during the city games, and there will be a winner."

"Oh, that is great. I could help you if you want." smiled Michaela.

"They haven't stopped talking to me about it since I picked them up from school." Matthew laughed, taking off his hat as he entered the clinic as well.

Michaela smiled before looking at her parents and she could see something new in her mother's eyes. As if seeing these children so close to her daughter had seemed magnificent to her. Maybe she had not imagined it all like that? Perhaps she had expected to find her daughter lost in this countryside, with children who did not like her and with whom she would never be linked. A desperate and sad girl.

Then there was a silence as the children became aware of the presence of two old people in the clinic.

"Oh, sorry, we thought Loren was the last patient." Matthew said stepping back slightly, already thinking about going back outside to wait.

"Oh, no, no, no. This... I present to you my parents... Elizabeth Quinn and Joseph Quinn." Michaela stammered, unsure of what was going to happen next.

There was another awkward silence, before Brian moved closer to Elizabeth. He looked at her with his mouth open and said:

"You are my grandmother then?!" Brian suddenly exclaimed, which immediately made Michaela wince. And she was right when she saw her mother's face twitch.

"No, no…Brian. You have to call her, Mrs. Quinn. And my father Doctor or Mr. Quinn, okay?" Michaela asked her son kindly, bending down to his side. "Come on, kids, say hello."

"Hello". Matthew said, frowning slightly.

"Hello…" Colleen said in turn, intimidated.

And as another silence settled, Michaela sat up and looked at everyone one by one. These few days were going to be, to say the least, interesting…

"Okay, let's go back to the farm." finally concluded the young doctor.

Note: A small chapter haha! The meeting between the children and the parents of Michaela! Thank you for your last reviews :)