Julian's eyes widened in disbelief before they lit up with excitement. "Cedric?" he called loudly.
The sudden voice pulled everyone's attention towards the doorway, including the physician, as they had all been focused on Cedric. Before anyone could stop him, Julian rushed across the room as fast as his little legs could carry him and threw his arms around Cedric.
"I've missed you," he said, his voice muffled against Cedric's chest.
"Julian," Rebecca called at once when she saw how enthusiastically her son had flung himself into Cedric's arms.
Cedric let out a light cough from the unexpected impact because his body was still weak, yet as he recognized the little boy clinging to him, the discomfort quickly gave way to a faint smile.
"Little friend," he murmured softly as one hand slowly rose to stroke Julian's hair with surprising gentleness.
Julian beamed from ear to ear, and the happiness on his face made it impossible for anyone in the room to interrupt the moment.
