Mrs. Lehman, instead of going home, decided it will be best if she first dropped by at her son's office. She should tell him the outcome of her visit at Dr. Williams' hospital. It would be better if she let him know about it at this early time, since there is no point in hiding it from him.
She informed her driver to drive her to her son's office instead of driving her home that she had already told him in the first place. The obedient driver, ratherthan asking questions, did as he was told and in a twinkle of eyes, they were already heading to Ryan's company.
Mrs. Lehman's heart was full of pains, pure pains for her son, whose happiness lies in a woman he had already divorced with. Ciara seems to be the joy and happiness he needs, but was too blind for him to notice before. She wonders what her son would feel when she tells her about the outcome of the visit.
She needs no prophecy to prophesied to her that he would be heartbroken and shattered too, but that does not give her the right to hide it away from him, no matter how the news is going to affect him -after all, he was the one who had called it on himself in the first place.
If only he did exercise patient as she had advised him then -but no, he felt he knows it all and should take decisions without seeking for her aid. And on second thought, all of these would not have happened if Anne had not shown up once again.
She remembered how she lost traces ofAnne when Ryan was involved in a ghastly motor accident. She wasn't in the States to be by his side. He had recovered so quickly and perfectly to Ciara's aid, she even resigned her career for him -how could he not be satisfied with all those good and caring treatment he had received from Ciara and choose to be with Anne instead?
She decided to keep her thoughts and queries aside, she might and can always revisit those thoughts later on, she should deal with the present predicament before dumping every blame on her son.
Mrs. Lerman walk into the magnificent company with the staff members greeting her, and they seem not only to be bewildered at her sudden visit but happy at her presence too; she used to be a strict boss and a good leader too.
Responding to the secretary's greeting, she furthered. "I would like to see my son." Mrs. Lerman uttered, wearing the usual strict tone as she used to. "-tell him I am here."
"Sure, ma'am." The secretary nodded a few times, fidgeting with the landline. She placed a call to her boss and in a few seconds she was done with the phone conversation.
"He's less busy, ma'am." The secretary told her, trying to muster the usual professional tone of hers. "You may go in now." Ryan's mother did not bother to give a reply as she walked briskly away from the secretary's presence, who did not realize she's been holding her breath for quite a while.
Mrs. Lerman stopped at Ryan's door, knocked on the door slightly, waiting for Ryan's approval before she entered. He's her son does not mean she has to barge into the office even when she had every right to do so, she has to follow the procedure as well.
"You can come in, mum." Ryan enunciated in a gruffly loud voice from inside. "The door is not locked as well."
Mrs. Lerman entered, exchanging pleasantries with her son, who was really eager to see him as well as bewildered at her presence.
"This is so unlike you, mom." He said to her in a plain tone, adjusting his sitting position to sit straight. "I never imagined you stepping foot in this company after the day you retired, to whom do I owe this visit?"
Ryan's mother did not fail to catch the joke in his phrase, but she let it slide. "Cut the trap, Ryan." She muffled out, taking one of the seats before Ryan's desk. "I'm here for a reason, not for some kind of visit."
Ryan is aware that his mother had come to see him, all for Ciara's sake. He was eager to hear what the outcome might be, and the anxiety was written all over him that his mother was not that blind not to have noticed it. Here is Ryan getting anxious over it even before she relays her message, how would he feel when he got to find out that it was not successful?
"I went to visit Dr. Williams earlier, just as promised." Mrs. Lerman said, pausing for a while so the name would sink into Ryan's head. "I paid him a visit concerning Ciara's case, as you are already aware that Ciara was once a staff member in his hospital."
Ryan is aware that Ciara was a nurse at Dr. Williams' hospital, and sees no reason why his mother should be reminding him of this. He's only interested in the outcome, and his mother seems to be beating around the bush before telling him about it.
"I am aware she works there." Ryan said, nodding his head in agreement. He was glad about the very first step his mother had made.
The hospital is the very first place she should have visited, and that is what she has done. If anyone should have some information about her, then it should be Dr. Williams, whom they had both known for quite ages.
"When I went there, I was told that Ciara no longer work as a nurse in the hospital." Mrs. Lerman explained to him. "She had stopped working in the hospital before you both got married."
"Yeah." Ryan nods, ushering his reply dryly. "I am aware of this too because she did tell me about it then, I did not even bother to stop her from quitting her job then -now I wish I did then."
Mrs. Lerman decided to let the cat out of the bag. "He refused." She said, staring keenly at her son. "He refused to give out even the tiniest information about her. It's against his profession, that's the word he told me."
At first, Ryan thought he was hearing things. If Dr. Williams had bluntly refused to help them, then who else would? Obviously, no one. Dr. Williams is their only hope, but he is not ready to adhere to his mother's plead?
"What are we going to do, mum." Ryan asked, ruffling his hair and obviously frustrated. He seems to be clueless about the next option and stares at his mum to show how helpless he is at this stage.
"To be honest, son." Mrs. Lerman replied. "I can't even pinpoint where we should start from, but I can assure you that we can still find her. I'm your mother, and I am promising you this, I'll surely help you find Ciara and I won't hesitate to bring her to you."
Ryan knows he can't bother his mother more than this, she had really tried for him and to think of it, he is the cause of the problem, and he alone should solve it himself without him disturbing his mother about it. Had she not warned him about the divorce, and he refused to adhere to her?
His mother had done her very good best in preventing him from getting married to anyone else aside Ciara, but he is too blinded by Anne's love, which seems to be fading slowly with time.
"I should be able to carry my burden now." Ryan told his mother, matter offact. "I was the cause from the very start, and it should be my cross to carry, not the other way around."
"You are my son, Ryan." Mrs. Lerman argued, not ready to give in to her son's words. "And I am not complaining about it either -whatever thing it is, we are to face this together." "I know, mum. But should I just sit here doing nothing and watch you do all the needful?" He muttered with a quick sigh.
Mrs. Lerman stared at her son with a hope that he will surely bring back Ciara to her -at least, for this once, she needed to give him her word to do what he thought was the right thing. Ryan looked remorseful, and she is sure he is already regretting what he had done.
As if reading her thought, Ryan, with a bold assurance, told his mother that he was ready to rectify his mistakes; every of it.
"I've made a mistake that I am already regretting now, and for this, I'll make sure all my mistakes are rectified at any cost." He enunciated, wearing a Stoic expression. "If bringing back Ciara could fill the hold with sadness in my heart, then I am ready to go through any miles to make it happen."
Mrs. Lerman smiled at her son's boldness, this is the type of son she had wanted him to be -not the one to hide behind his supposed woman's decision and not knowing what the right thing to do.
"Sooner or later, Ciara is coming back to the Lerman's family and this time, she will come to stay and not any more will I let her go off my sight." Ryan vowed with no trail ofjoke in his voice. "This is a promise I am making to you, mother..."
Mrs. Lerman had never seen so much determination in her son as much as this, except of course, if Anne is involved. Seeing how much serious and overwhelmed with determination, she knows he will never go back on his words -she could only hope it isn't too late for him...