Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 342

When Amelia got home, Ruby was just waking up. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, the little girl asked, “Mommy, where did you go?”

“I went out early for some exercise,” Amelia replied with a gentle smile.

Children always seem to be the most fragile and yet the toughest creatures in the world. They’re so small, so defenseless against hurt, and yet, even after a night spent crying their hearts out, they somehow wake up the next morning with bright smiles, as if the nightmares never happened.

Still, Amelia couldn’t shake her worry. After calling in to excuse herself from work, she took Ruby to see a child psychologist at the hospital.

Ruby looked up at her in surprise. “Mommy, am I sick with something else?”

Amelia knelt down and hugged her. “We’re not here for that, sweetheart. The lady doctor just wants to have a chat with you. You can talk to her about anything, and I’ll be waiting right outside.”

The session lasted almost an hour.

Afterward, a nurse led Ruby to the children’s playroom to enjoy the slide, while the doctor handed Amelia the evaluation. “Ruby’s incredibly strong. Most adults would struggle with what she’s been through. For her to cooperate with the police the way she did—it’s remarkable. I’d recommend a full course of therapeutic counseling, and then we’ll assess if she needs more support later.”

Every word felt like a knife carving into Amelia’s heart, pain welling up and threatening to spill over.

She sat on a bench in the corridor for a long time, collecting herself. When Ruby returned, hand in hand with the nurse, Amelia quickly hid her vulnerability behind a bright smile. “Did you have fun on the slide?”

“It was awesome!” Ruby beamed.

“Mommy needs to take care of something now, so I’ll bring you home first, okay? There are lots of new toys waiting for you.”

Nora heard the words “granddaughter-in-law,” not “granddaughter,” and knew at once the old lady was in one of her clear-headed moments. Amelia was like a magic tonic—whenever she came around, Mrs. Campbell’s mind was sharp as ever.

Amelia rose to greet her as Grandma Edith bustled down the stairs. “Grandma.”

Grandma Edith clasped Amelia’s hands, feigning a hurt expression. “So you do remember you have a grandmother after all?”

But she couldn’t keep up the act—her eyes softened instantly. “Alright, alright, I know you’re busy. So what are we doing today? Are you taking me out for an adventure? Or maybe we could pull Ruby out of school for a few days and all go away together?”

Ever since Amelia married into the Campbell family, she’d never once asked for anything. But this time, someone had hurt Ruby, and Ruby was her one unbreakable line.

She looked Grandma Edith straight in the eye. “Grandma, I came today to ask for your help. I need the Campbells to stand with me.”