Third person's POV
Tabitha couldn't help but wonder why she had ever associated this honest and straightforward man with Derek.
"Do you like dogs?" she asked.
"I do. When I was a kid back home, I had a dog. But we didn't raise dogs as meticulously as you. we fed them whatever leftovers we had," Wilmot replied.
For the first time in days, a faint smile appeared on Tabitha's face.
"If you like it, you can spend more time with it. Puppies are full of energy. My health isn't great, so I can't play with him for too long."
Her legs were still not agile. She couldn't squat down. Any significant physical movement would leave her feeling dizzy.
Fortunately, Tucker was always well-behaved around her, snuggling up on her lap and keeping her company.
Wilmot scratched his head again and said, "If you don't mind, I can take care of Tucker."
"I appreciate that," Tabitha responded.
"It's my pleasure. Will you be sitting here for a while?" Wilmot looked at her.
"Mm-hmm."
"Wait a moment, then," Wilmot said as he went into the living room and brought out a blanket, gently draping it over Tabitha.
"I heard from Mr. Romero that your health is frail. Although it doesn't snow here in winter, it can still be quite cold. You should be careful not to catch a cold."
Tabitha looked at the blanket, slightly stunned. A complex emotion welled up inside her.
She looked up to see Wilmot standing there, a bit at a loss.
"Um... Ms. Hartley, did I do something wrong?"
Tabitha shook her head. "I was just reminded of something."
They had a rare conversation that evening, so Wilmot mustered the courage to ask, "What were you reminded of?"
"I was just thinking that we haven't known each other for long, and you can care for me. Yet those who are close to me only seem to hurt me non-stop. Why is that?"
Wilmot sat down on the grass not far from her, playing with Tucker as he spoke slowly. "When I was a kid, we had a female dog at home. Watching her belly grow day by day, I was full of anticipation, hoping she would give birth to some cute puppies. On the day the dog gave birth, I stayed up all night. I was worried that it might give birth outside and be in danger. When the mother dog was away, I moved the puppies to the cozy nest I had prepared for them."
"You might think I'm weird. Ms. Hartley, in our rural area, even adults struggled to eat and dress well. The winter wind was bone-chillingly cold. I tore my own cotton jacket to make a nest for them and prepared clean water and food, but guess what happened?"
"Hmm?"
"My good intentions brought disaster to the puppies. Because of the change in their nest, the puppies picked up other scents. The mother dog was already sensitive and suspicious after giving birth. When she felt that she and her puppies were in a dangerous environment, she ended up biting all the puppies to death."
At this point, Tucker finally caught the toy. Wilmot looked at Tabitha. "Ms. Hartley, do you think I didn't love those puppies enough?"
Tabitha didn't know how to respond. Wilmot continued, "It's not that I didn't love them. On the contrary, I loved them dearly. And to the best of my ability, I wanted to give the puppies and their mother the best life. But I ended up causing their deaths. When the puppies died, I was heartbroken. I think the person you mentioned might have the same mindset as me. Sometimes, loving too deeply can be harmful."
Tabitha was left speechless, unsure of what to say.
Seeing the atmosphere becoming a bit stiff, Wilmot quickly said, "I apologize, Ms. Hartley. I got carried away. I shouldn't be burdening you with these old stories."
"It's alright. I can't sleep anyway, and I'm bored. It's nice to have someone to chat with. You must have been to many places, haven't you?"
"Yes, I don't have much money, but I've traveled to quite a few places. Ms. Hartley, what would you like to hear about?"
"Just tell me anything interesting. I'm open to hearing about interesting people and events."