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Undernormalcircumstances,evenifhedidn’tstopJosiahfrominterrupting,heshouldhave<b>at</b>leastshothimare.
“I’mfine.”Maverickwavedhishandabsentmindedly,offeringavagueexnation.“I’mjustworriedyou.mightoverworkyourself.You’veneverworkedinacorporateenvironmentbefore,andyou’resoheadstrong.Whatifyouexhaustyourself?”
Whathesaidactuallymadealotofsense.
Withamixofbeliefanddoubt,Lysandernodded,choosingnottopressfurtheronthematter.
Michelle<b>saw</b>herstilllookinguneasyandtriedtoconsoleher.“Lysander,don’tworry.IfIgraduateandyou’restillnotsettled,I’letohelpout!”
OnlythendidLysandersmile.“Youshouldfocusonhealingyourinjuriesfirst.”
TheatmosphereseemedtohavelightenedasHowardwatchedthetwosiblingschatmerrily.Itwasthenthatheinterjected,“Indeed,healthisofutmostimportance.Youmaybeyoungnow,butifyoudon’ttakegoodcareofyourselves,itwillbehardtomakeupforitwhenyoureachourage.”
Ashespoke,heexchangedlookswithMolly.They bothnoticedthenewlysproutedsilverstrandsincachother’shair,ComparedtoMaverickandLaura,theyhadagedfairlywell.However,atthiscouldn’tescapetheinevitablesignsofaging.
age,they
ApangofinexplicablesorrowwelledupinLysander’sheart.
Mollyhadjustrecoveredfromaseriousillness,which madeherdeeplyunderstandtheimportanceofhealth.Shesaidgently,“It’sonlynowthatItrulyrealize,everythingelseissecondary.Aslong<b>as</b>you’rehealthyandthefamilyistogether,that’sthegreatesthappiness.”
Withtearyeyes,Howardechoedhiswife,“Ourtwofamilieshavebeenthroughsomuchtobeone,wemustspendmoretimetogetherinthefuture.”
Lysanderimmediatelyturnedtowardherfosterparentsandsister.Seeing<b>that</b>theyhadnoobjections<b>,</b><b>a</b>waveofwarmthsurgedinherheart.Insteadofbeingdestroyedbythetruthofthe<b>past</b>,herfamilyhadgrowncloser.
Inconsiderationofhisdaughters,MaverickfinallyagreedtoHoward’ssuggestion.“Mmm,indeed,weshouldgetoutmore.”
Howard,whowasofthesameagegroupashim,spokeaboutcurrentaffairswithparticrpassion.
“We’rebothattheageofretirementnow,sowe’llhavemorefreetimeinthefuture.Let’smeetupmoreoften,consideritasawaytopassthetime.Especiallyforme,eventhoughI’mabityoungerthanyou,thesepastfewyearshavetrulybeenquitetumultuous.Mywife’shealthisnotwhatitusedtobe,shecan’thandletoomuchstress,sowe’llbestayingathomefromnowon<b>.</b><b>”</b>
Ashespoke,hisgazewasfilledwithemotionasheturnedtoLysanderandJosiah.“I’vetotermswithitnow.Theworldnowbelongstotheyoungergeneration.”
Maverick’sjobwasentirelydifferentfrom<b>his</b>,butwhenitcametoage,hetooshowedasenseofdeepreflection.
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Laurathoughthewasreminiscingabouttheretirementlifeofhispeers,feelingatouchofmncholyinhis<b>heart</b><b>,</b>yetcouldn’thelpbutharborasenseofenvy.
“Atourage<b>,</b><b>we</b>can’petewiththeyoungergenerationinourcareers.Weusedtolookforwardtothedaywhenthey’dgrowup<b>so</b>wecouldfinallyrx.Butnowthatthey’rebusywithschoolorworkand<b>hardly</b>everhome,it’sdifferent.There’sthisconstantsenseofemptiness.”
Uponhearingthis,Susanimmediatelyempathizedandjoinedintheconversation.“Sigh,youhavetwodaughtersand<b>a</b>husbandathome,atleastit’slively.Me?I’maloneatmyce.Ifitweren’tforthosetwingback,Iwouldn’tevenhaveaneighbor.”
Haditnotbeenforthe awkwardrtionshipbetweenthetwofamiliesduetoJosiah’sincident,shewouldhavequitelikedtojointhem.
“MydearMichhasbeenspendingmoretimeathomtely,butonceshegraduates,MaverickandIwillbetheonlyonesleft.Sometimes,whenIseemyoldfriendswiththeirgrandchildren,Ican’thelpbutfe<b>pang</b>ofenvyfromthebottomofmyheart.Evenwhentheinabouthowtiringitistotakecareofthekids,Isometimeswonderif they’rejustshowingoff.”ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
HowardandMolly’shomewasevenquieterthantheirs.Uponhearingwordslike“grandson”or“granddaughter“,theycouldn’thelpbutfeelenvious.“Indeed,”theysaid,“itwouldbewonderfulifwecouldhaveachildinourhome.”
Theeldersreached<b>an</b>agreement.Theirconversationabouthavingachildinthefamilybecamequiteanimated.
Lysanderbegantofeelonedge,sheworriedthattheconversationwouldsooncirclebacktoher.
JosiahhadmadehisstancecleartoSusanlongago.Inthislifetime,apartfromremarryingLysander,hewouldnotconsidermarryinganyoneelse.Heseemedquitposed aboutit,buthisgazewouldasionallydarttowardherdirection.
MichellehappenedtobeseatedbetweenLysanderand<b>Josiah</b>,serving<b>as</b><b>a</b>barrier.Astheyoungestamongstthem,shelistenedwithalertnessbeforeaskingwarily,“Youguysaren’tnningtostartpressuringmeintomarriage,areyou?Ifso,Imighthavetomakearunforitwhileoncrutches.”
Laurachuckled.“Yoursisterisn’tevenmarriedyet,it’snotyetyourturn.Youmightaswellputdownyourcrutches…
Shewashalfwaythroughherspeechwhenshequicklyadded,“Lysa,I’mnotrushingyou.It’s justthatwhenIthinkaboutyour<b>aunt’s</b>grandchildren,Ifeelitwouldbenicetohavesomethingtodoafterretirement.”
OnlythendidLysanderbreatheasighofrelief.Shethensuggested,“You<b>know</b>,havingapetathomecouldliventhingsup.Smanimalsarereallyadorable.Iactuallyhaveakittenatmycerightnow.HowaboutIbringitoverforyou guystotakecareofnexttime?”
Michelle’seyeslitup.“Akitten!Lysander,whendidyoustarthavingacat?You’resobusy,surelyyoudon’thavethetimetotakecareofakitten.Howaboutlettingmedoit?I’vebeenidlingathomenursingmyinjuryrecently,Icandefinitelytakegoodcareofthekittenforyou<b>!</b><b>”</b>
ItseemedasthoughLysanderhadnoobjections.“SoI…”
JosiahwasworriedthatLysanderwouldtakethisopportunitytosendtheRagdollkittenbackhome,whichwouldrobhimofanexcusetovisit.Hequicklyspokeup,“Actually,havingadogisn’t<b>too</b>badtoo.Dogs
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herhand,arequite
areaffectionateandtheycanapanyyourparentsontheirwalks.Cats,ontheindependentanddon’treallyliketobeclosetopeople.Right,Lysander,don’tyoustillhaveadogthat’sbeinglookedafteratacolleague’shouse?Whydon’tyousendthedogoverforMichelletolookafter?”
Michellewaspleasedwiththe ideaaswell.“Apuppyisfool”
Hesubtlyexpressedhishope<b>that</b>LysandercouldretrievetherobefromAdrian<b>and</b>deliverittohisfosterparents‘home.
Withthisapproach,notonlywasAdrian’schanceofgettingclosetoLysanderunderthepretenseofhisrobecutoff,butitalsoprovidedtheelderswithsomethingtodo.Itwas a<b>ssic</b>caseofkillingtwobirdswithonestone.
Lysanderclearlyunderstoodhisintentions,butshemerelyrespondedwithasilentsmile,waitingforherfosterparentstomakethedecisionfirst.“Mom,Dad,doyouprefercatsordogs?”
Laurawassomewhattempted,butconsideringherrecentsituation,shereplied,“We’renningtomovesoon,andwiththechaos<b>of</b>renovatingandbuyingfurnitureafterward,it’sbesttowaitfortherighttimetogetapet.Otherwise,we’dhavetobringitalongduringthemoveandmightnotbeabletotakecareofitproperly.”
“Allright,takeyourtimetothinkitoverandletmeknow<b>once</b>you’vedecided,”Lysandersaidgently.
Maverick<b>had</b>mixedfeelingsashelistenedtohisdaughter’sheartfeltwords fromtheside.
“Actually,ourconversationwasn’tmeanttopressureyou.Marriageisasignificantmatter,andweabsolutelycan’tbehastyaboutit.Youmustn’tgointoitblindly.It’scrucialtofindsomeonewhogenuinelyknowsandcherishesyou.Onceyou’vefoundsuchapersonandsettleddown,I’llbeat<b>ease</b>.”
Hisvoicewasfilledwithanticipation,asifhehadalreadyfoundtheperfectcandidate.
Assoon<b>as</b>thesewordswerespoken,thetableimmediatelyfellsilent.
Aside fromMaverickandLysander,everyoneelsewas keepingtheirheadsdown.
Especially<b>Josiah</b>.
Hetouchedhisnose,feelingasifaspotlightwasshiningonhim.
ItfeltasifMaverickwashintingathimnomatterhowheinterpretedit.
KnowingherfullwendbeingwholeheartedlygoodtoLysander,thesetwoconditionsweresimplytheoppositeofwhatJosiahwasinthe<b>past</b>.