It'll Come Naturally
Chapter 1528 Spring Festival (Part One)

When Shannon hadn't heard from Leena for a long time, she grew anxious and couldn't stay still. For this reason, she found herself coming to S City for a visit. Entering her son's apartment, she sought for her daughter-in-law but to no avail. The woman was simply nowhere to be seen. However, Shannon's presence under his roof surprised Kevin. He hadn't found the right time to tell her about Leena's disappearance yet, and didn't think that he would have to do it some time soon. In fact, he never expected Shannon to come without prior notice. Taken aback, he rushed towards her.

"Mom, what brings you here?" he asked. "You should have called me first." Taking her bags immediately from her shoulder, he carried them to the living room. Luckily, it was the weekend and he was at home.

"Can't I visit my son when I feel like it?" Shannon asked angrily. She had asked about Leena's situation on the phone several times. But Kevin, who was great at deflecting, only told her that Leena had gone to Paris. That was it.

"I didn't mean it that way, Mom," he said, as she sat on the sofa. "Tea or water?" She was one of the few people who wasn't a fan of coffee. Shannon gave him a brief, surprised look before looking away.

"Iced water!" Rolling her eyes, she expected Leena to appear out of nowhere. Despite knowing she wasn't around, she couldn't help but hope to be surprised.

"That doesn't sound like a good idea," said Kevin, frowning. "I'll pour you a glass of warm water." It was freezing cold outside, and Kevin wasn't sure if Shannon was only trying to spite him.

"Where's Leena?" she asked, just before he could leave to fetch the drink. "Has she not come back yet?" she persisted stubbornly. Her eyes roamed across her son's face, never missing a single expression. His hesitance spoke a thousand words she didn't want to hear. "Uh," he said, "I'll talk about it with you later. Let me make you something to eat first." With his mother coming over by surprise, Kevin was unprepared and couldn't think of the best way to tell her the truth. Worrying her mother was the last thing he wanted to do, and if he could prolong the announcement of Leena's disappearance, he would.

"You think I came all the way here for food?" asked Shannon incredulously. Alas, it seemed like Kevin could not escape his mother's impatience. "Tell me the truth!" she demanded. A lot of what Kevin said didn't add up. Even if Leena had gone to Paris, that would not have stopped the lady from calling to check in on her mother-in-law. And when Shannon called Leena, her phone was always off. It was like she didn't want to be found.

"Uh," said Kevin, standing awkwardly by the doorway. "Okay." He turned and crossed his arms. Constantly changing position, he finally cleared his throat and said, "Before that, I'll go get your water first." With that, he scurried away from the living room and took his time getting the glass of water. When he returned, Kevin placed the drink in front of her on the table.

Shannon merely looked at it. "Oh my god, just tell me," she burst in anticipation. "Did something bad happen?" She had been having a bad feeling about it for a while, and seeing her son's odd behavior only magnified her worry.

"I told you that Leena went to Paris," he began in a low and sad voice, "but I actually lied. The truth is that I've lost her." His shoulder slumped in defeat. "I don't know where she is now," he admitted. The thought of Leena pierced his soul like a sharp knife.

After his confession, Shannon had her hand over her mouth. "What do you mean... you've lost her?" she asked in disbelief. "Kevin, you're a Major General. If you can't even protect your wife," she paused for a while and added, "how do you expect to protect your country?" After she observed him more carefully, her heart sank. She noticed he had lost some weight, likely in the absence of his wife. The thought only made her heart ache more unbearable.

"Sorry, Mom," he said genuinely, "I've let you down." Continuing, he went on to say, "I didn't pay Leena enough attention before. If I had done it, I would have recognized her odd behavior. But... I didn't." He lowered his head in misery, sitting on the armchair beside Shannon.

"How can you be so irresponsible? A girl from a well-off family chose to marry a soldier like you... because she loves you," emphasized Shannon. "How could you lose her? What have you done?" A reasonable person like Shannon wouldn't defend Kevin just because he was her son. She demanded to hear the whole story. Having known Leena's exceptional character, however, Shannon felt inclined to take her side.

"Mom, it's not what you think," said Kevin quickly. "Leena... she just left me." His mother's reaction gave off the impression that, perhaps, she misunderstood the situation. As much as Kevin wanted to clarify everything, he just didn't know how to properly explain himself. "And you just let her leave without stopping her?" questioned Shannon dubiously. She paused for a while before asking, "Kevin, did you have an affair with Louisa?" Having uttered such a question, Shannon felt like she lost her mind. How dare she question her own son's loyalty? But it seemed like the only reason for which an amazing woman like Leena would have to disappear without a word.

"Mom!" exclaimed Kevin in shock. "What are you even talking about? I've never had an affair, especially not with Louisa! I don't even want to hear her name." He let out a disgruntled sigh. "If I had known that she'd leave, I wouldn't have let her." Her mother was too anxious to be rational, he thought. This was exactly what he feared to happen.

"Fine!" snapped Shannon. "Just tell me why Leena suddenly left. I won't... I won't make any more presumptions until you're done." Calming down, she realized that her emotions got the better of her. She took deep breaths, and pursed her lips tightly in anticipation of Kevin's explanation.

"Leena... It's extremely difficult for her to get pregnant," Kevin said, feeling his chest tighten as soon as he mentioned it. If only he'd known about the status of Leena's health from the beginning, he would have refrained from expressing his affection for having children to her. He might have even insisted that he didn't want kids at all. Because of him, Leena probably believed that it was better she left since she couldn't give what he was dying to have. As her husband, Kevin hadn't even noticed that she wasn't herself. He just couldn't forgive himself for it. What an uncaring and incompetent husband he was!

"So?" pressed Shannon. She just couldn't understand why Leena would leave because of it. Unless... She looked at Kevin and asked, "Did you express any regrets because of it?" As Shannon really admired Leena, she couldn't help but side with her as soon as Kevin finished talking. Her son was at a loss for words. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, thinking, 'I'm your son! Yet you act like Leena is your daughter, and I'm just an outsider. '000000000☐☐☐☐☐☐☐