What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger novel Chapter 116

"Is it too late to take that back?"

Calista grinned as she pulled away from the hug. "Too late. Now you owe me an explanation."

With that, she walked into the bedroom to grab the ointment.

As she carefully tended to Henry's injury, she listened to him recount a chapter of their shared past.

For a brief period, it turned out, Henry and Calista had been neighbors. But back then, Henry's health had been fragile, confining him to his room most days.

"I used to sit by the window and watch you playing outside," Henry began. "I wanted so badly to join in, but my mom was too protective. She wouldn’t let me step outside."

"One day, I cracked the window open, just a little, and I saw you standing below, picking up a leaf."

"When you noticed me, you smiled and handed it to me through the window."

The memory stirred something in Calista, and her expression softened. "I remember that. It really happened, didn’t it?"

A second later, her brows arched in surprise. "Wait, Henry—don’t tell me you fell for me because of a leaf?"

Henry chuckled, looking sheepish. "I guess I’m easy to please."

His smile faded as his tone grew more serious. "Later, when my dad got transferred, I begged my parents to take you in after I heard about your family’s struggles. But I was too late."

"If only they had adopted you back then," he murmured. "At least you could’ve been spared so much pain."

Calista reached out and pinched his cheek gently, making him blink in surprise.

"Any hardship I went through was worth it," she said softly. "Because in the end, I have you."