Chapter524PrideOfMan
Lysanderdidn’thavergeappetite,soshewasfuftereatingabitattherestaurant,
Uponarrivingatthegardenandtakinginafewbreathsoftherefreshingair,shefeltsignificantlymore
rxed.
Theeveningisabitchilly,buttheairisrichinoxygen.Youshouldtakeawalkoutside.It’llclearyourheadbeforeyoureturntoyourstudy.”JosiahheldAurora,leisurelysharingthe wealthofexperiencehehadumtedoveryearsofwork.
Lysanderresponded,“Thisseemslikeaquestionfromamiddleschoolgeographytest.”
Josiahnoddedinagreement.“That’sright.Asadoctor,youshouldbeabletounderstandsucha<b>basic</b>principle.”
Lysanderstruggledabit,attemptingtopullbackthehandhewasholding.“I’mfeelingallrightnow,soI’llheadbackfirst.YoucontinuetohavefunwithAurora.”
Theforceofherstrugglewasgentle,andJosiah’sarmmovedonlyslightly.However,Aurora,beingcradledinhisotherarm,sensedthemotionandbecamerestless,squirmingandreachingoutwithhertinyarm.
Lysanderquicklylentahand.
Auroramovedclosertoher,justlike inthemorning,babbling,“Mommy.
Asthebetterpartofthedaypassed,shewasalreadyabletoartictethatwordquiteclearly.
Josiahtightenedhisarms,securelyholdingAurorainhisembrace.
Withwide–eyedanticipation,AuroragazedatLysander.Thebaby’rgeeyeswerewellingupwithtearsasifshewasonthebrinkofcryinganysecond.
Lysander’sheartsoftened,andshereachedout, pullingthebabyintoherarms.“Sweetheart,don’tcry!”
AurorabehavedevenbetterinLysander’sarmsthanwhenheldbyJosiah,instantlybreakingintoasmile.Aurorabegantolookaroundwithgreatinterestatthecolorfullightsthathadlituparoundthem.
Besidetheflowerbed,a<b>string</b>oftwinklingdecorativelightswashung,whichwasquitecaptivatingfor
Aurora
Lysander,cradlingAurora,begantostroroundtheflowerbedleisurely.
Josiahalsofollowedthemclosely,matchingtheirpace.Astheysteppedontothecobblestonepath,hecautioned,“Watch<b>your</b>step.
Lysanderquickenedherpace,sidesteppingthatshortflightofstairs.
Thenight wasserene.Everythingseemedpeaceful.
GazingatAurora’ssmiling<b>face</b>,Josiahremarkedwithatouchofemotion,“Shereallyseemstolikeyou.”
LysandergentlytouchedAurora’ssoftlittlehand.“Shelikeshermom.JustlikeMs.Lionhart,Ihavelong<b>hair</b>.Childrenatthisagearestilldevelopingandcaneasilymistakeonepersonforanother.”
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Whenevermattersrtedtothechildwerebroughtup,bothofthemseemedtoexudeacertaindegreeofmncholy,
s,thepastcannotbechanged.
WhenLysanderstartedtalkingaboutAurora’smother,theconversationnaturallyshiftedtowardNieva.“ItrulyadmireMs.Lionhart.Eventhoughshedidn’tmarryagoodmanandhermarriedlifewasamess,shestillhadthecouragetohaveababyandraiseherdaughteronherown.I…Finnotasbraveasher?
Thescarsthathadnevertruly<b>healed</b>inherheartbegantothrobfaintly.
Sheenviedsuchbraverythatsheneverhad.
“Yoursituationisn’tthesameasNieva’s”Josiali’svoiceinvoluntarilysoftenedashespoke,hisgazedistant,“TheLionhartfamilyishersafet.Evenifsheweretomakeamistake,thecostoffailurewouldbelimited.Besides,herrtionshipwithElioisdifferentfromours
Lysanderdidn’tnoticeanydifferenceandcasuallyasked,“Isitbecausewe’realreadydivorced,butthey’re
Josiahexinedwitharathersteadydemeanor,“Theycan’tseparateintheshortterm.TheinterestsoftheLionhartfamilyhavealreadytiedthemtogether.Eveniftheycan’tstandeachother,theyhavetoendurethedisgustandcarryon.Theyhavetoythepartofalovingcoupleinfrontofthemedia,nomatterhowmuchtheyhavetofakeit.”
Lysanderempatheticallysaid,“Ms.Lionhartdeservesabetterlifethattrulybelongstoher,ratherthanbeingstuckinthisquagmire.”
Josiahdidn’tvoicehisopiniononNievaandElio’smaritalstatus.<b>In</b>adeepvoice,hecontinuedwiththeprevioustopic.“<b>What</b>Imeantby‘different‘referstoourattitudes.Mygreatestwishnowistoliveagood.lifewithyou.However,Elio’sbiggestwishistoneverhavetoseeNievaand<b>Aurora</b>again.”
Lysanderwassomewhatpuzzled.“Hedoesn’tevenwanttoseehisownchildagain?”
Josiahpaused,hisvoicesomewhatsomber.“Perhaps,tohim,thischildrepresentedshame.”
“Idon’tquiteunderstand.”
<b>Josiah</b>said,“ElioactuallybearssomeresemncetoZachary,He’sambitiousandcapable,buthe’salsoquiteforthright.WhenhedecidedtomarryNieva,itwasclearthathesawherfamily’sstatus<b>as</b>asteppingstofulfill<b>his</b>ambitions.Hewasverytransparentaboutthatbeforetheirmarriage,nothidinganything<b>at</b>all.”
“Ms.Lionhartwaswillingtomarryhimundersuchcircumstances?”
Josiah<b>was</b><b>at</b>alossforwordstodescribetheinitialpredicamentofNieva.Allhecouldsaywas,“Everyonehastheirownpursuits,andintheend,Isupposetheygotwhattheywerelookingfor.”
“IfEliohavealreadygottenwhathewants,whywouldheconsiderAuroraadisgrace?”
“Becauseofaman’spride.”
Lysanderunderstood.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.
WhenEliohad<b>nothing</b>,he<b>was</b>willingtotrade<b>marriage</b>forachanceatabetterfuture.
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Thoughhehadwhathewanted,everyoneknewthathehadclimbedtohispositionbyrelyingontheLionhartfamily,specificallyNieva.HismaleprideledhimtoredirecthisresentmenttowardNievaandtheirchild.
AslongasNievaandAuroraexisted,thefactthathereliedonhisinwstocarvehispathwouldforeverbeascaron<b>him</b>.
Josiahspoke<b>with</b>subtlety,butLysanderunderstoodhiswordsclearly.
Shejusthadn’texpectedthatNieva,who<b>always</b>seemedsocarefree,couldhaveoncelovedsomeosuchanextent,willingtoenduresuchhumiliation.
Lysandernceddownattheobliviousbabycradledinherarms.Aurora’srosycheekswereadornedwithaninnocentsmilepletelyunaware<b>that</b>thertionshipbetweenherparentshadalreadyshattered.
AuroranoticedLysanderlookingather,grippingherhandwithasoft,“Oh.”Hertenderlittlehandwas
verywami<b>.</b>
Lysandersmiledather,butwhensheliftedherheadagain,aflickerofheartache passedthrough hereyes.“It’ssotragicthatissuesbetweenadultsendupaffectingtheirchildren.”
ThatstatementdidnotreferonlytoNievaandElio.
Aflickerofpainalso shedacrossJosiah’sbrow.Thankfully,wehaven’treachedthatpointyet.“Auroraisstilltooyoungtorememberanything.Anyharmshemighthaveexperiencedisthereforeminimal.Irecall.whenweattendedtheweebabypartyattheLionhart’s,thosefamiliarwiththemcouldalreadysenseasubtlechangeinElio’sattitude.HisencounterswithAuroraarequitelimited”
ThosewordsmanagedtobringsomforttoLysander.
Aurora’seyeswerepure,hersoulevenmoreso.ShesensedLysander’ssorrow,andeventhecolorfullightscouldn’tholdherattentionanymore.Instead,sheliftedhersmallfaceanxiously,emittingworriedsounds.ItseemedasifshewastryingtfortLysander.
Josiahhadledtheminadifferentdirectiontoviewthefountain.
Aurorawascaptivatedbythesoundofthegushingwater,calmingdownimmediately.Withwideeyes,Auroracontinuedtowatchinfascination.
Lysander,fearingthestterofwatermightreachAurora,positionedherselfat<b>a</b>safedistancefromthefountain,standingonthewalkingpath.Shetookadeepbreath,attemptingtolightenthemood,andcrackedasmalljoke.
“It’squiteacoincidence.Ms.Lionhart’snameisNieva,meaningsnoworice,whileherhusband’sname<b>is</b>Elio,meaningwarmorsun.Perhapstheirdestinywasalreadypreordainedinsomemysterious<b>way</b>.”
Josiahasked,“Whendidyou,adoctor,startbeingsuperstitious?”
“BeforeGrandmaElisapassedaway,shementionedthatshesawthechild.”
Josiahwastakenaback.
“Fromthatpointon,Istartedtobelievealittle.”