Looking at Anthony from afar, the young man looked somewhat disappointed. He then nodded reluctantly. “It’s okay then.”
Without saying another word, he left.
Looking at Anthony, I ran toward him and fell in his arms, smiling. “Mr. Featherstone, do you know what I was up to?”
He arched his brow, “What were you doing?”
“There’s a junior asking me for my number!” I bragged, “But I told him that I’m married, and my hubby is irreplaceable.”
He took a glance at the young man who had left. Then, he gazed at me. “It seems like I shouldn’t let you wander around in the future. You might get kidnapped when I’m not being watchful.”
Holding onto the handrail, I climbed upstairs. He hugged me all the way, and we found a seat together.
It felt good to be in a vibrant place as if we were young again.
Nick’s wedding was carried out smoothly, but I did not see Jackson there. I called him multiple times and even tried contacting him through other means but to no avail.
At the wedding, Nick said to his bride, “Meeting you has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Thank you for giving me a home.” It was a simple yet powerful statement.
I think that people have a bias toward simplicity as they grow older. When we’re young, we often assume that the ending will be sweet, regardless of how the love story goes. Then, we became oblivious of the fact that not everyone who’s in love is tolerant.
Many years later, I met Jackson in M Country during a business trip. With a faint smile, he said calmly, “It’s been a while.” That was the end of our conversation.
As we grew older, our days became simpler. John married Emma. Although he did not do it out of love, he enjoyed leading a simple life and spending ordinary moments with her.
Cherish the person you love in your memory. I believed Emma would understand this very well. John deliberately treated Emma better as if he was compensating for another person. However, Emma took it as a consolation and considered herself blessed. In a way, she was lucky to have a man like John who made attempts to pamper her. The only less-than-ideal part was that she had never truly fallen in love with him. He was way better than he appeared to be.
For me, that was the best ending. At least, John didn’t need to face any challenges and bear the pain that life threw at him all by himself.
During Christmas season, Anthony wanted to bring me along to Joe’s wedding. I was surprised at the news, but I was happy for Joe, nonetheless. No matter who he chooses to spend the rest of his life with, I’m certain that as a responsible adult, Joe is more than ready to lead a life of purpose.
It was also during Christmas when I received news from the rehabilitation center that Rylee was found dead from a suicidal drug overdose. Anthony was the first one who got the news. He fell silent for a long time before squeezing out a few words through his lips, “Give her a beautiful funeral service.”
And, that was it.
After years of entanglement, the last thing he heard was her death. I was shocked to the core. Indeed, I was really shaken.
Everyone had their own fate. Perhaps, Rylee made the wrong decision since the very beginning.
Anthony and Sally were planning to spend the new year in J City. Before the year ended, Anthony cleared his schedule and brought me to the Moore residence to pick Summer up. Having spent a few months recuperating there, Summer’s health seemed to have improved a lot.
Somehow, she became quiet after recovering from the illness. Upon knowing that we were going to J City, Summer asked in anticipation, “Mommy, are we going to the cemetery to see Grandma and Aunt Macy?”
I froze for a moment and instantly nodded. This is great! Summer remembers Macy.
In the meantime, Hannah heard that we were leaving for J City, so she called to say goodbye. I was overjoyed when I discovered that she was pregnant and shared a lot with her.
As soon as I hung up, Anthony held me in his arms. “We’ll pay a visit to the hospital right after the new year. We, too, will have our own child very soon.”
I nodded, feeling really contented and peaceful. To me, it doesn’t matter anymore whether I have a child or otherwise. The best is yet to come, and I look forward to it.
Then, it was the new year.
It did not snow in J City on new year’s eve.
But instead, what greeted us were bewitching lights, incredible decorations, lively streets filled with bustling crowds, and a thick festive atmosphere.
Apparently, it was the first time that the Featherstones had gathered as a big family. Charlie’s head had turned white. He said to me, “Sienna, it’s not easy for you two to get together. The luckiest thing in life is to reunite with the one that you love. It’s a tremendous blessing to be able to watch the fireworks while hugging your one true love.”
I nodded in agreement. Suddenly, I noticed the wrinkles creeping up at the corner of Anthony’s eyes. It finally dawned on me that he had aged.
It had been a long and winding road throughout this journey we called life. We had walked it slowly and arduously. Looking at him silently, I only hoped that we could carry on peacefully in our remaining days.
Seeing the winter skies lit up by the colorful fireworks, Summer let out a gleeful, festive cry. I lay my head on Anthony’s chest. “Anthony, what’s your new year wish?”
Looking handsome as ever, he stared at me in the eyes and exclaimed, “To have you with me, day after day, year after year.”
I could not contain my joy. We locked eyes as I repeated after him, “To have you with me, day after day, year after year.”
What an ideal ending to a perfect night!
It was the first new year that I actually felt so blissful for the first time in my life. Anthony, Summer, and I spent another week in J City before returning to K City.
When we were about to depart, Charlie walked out with Summer in his arms. They were still frolicking around.
Summer had put on some weight during the festive seasons. Thus, it was quite a challenge for Charlie to carry her all the way. Although he was panting and looking slightly exhausted, he did not admit to it. He was playing a fool with Summer and making her laugh boisterously.
“Let me carry her, Uncle Charlie.” Anthony stepped forward, wanting to take over and relieve his uncle.
The latter did not hand Summer over immediately. He fixed her scarf, gazed at Anthony and me, and sighed as he finally passed Summer over to Anthony.
“Summer, do call me more frequently once you’re home. Will you remember this?” Charlie grinned from ear to ear.
“Yes, I will, Grandpa Charlie!” Summer was very well-behaved, adorable, and likeable by all. Saying goodbye to her made Helen and Sally teared up.
Macy would be so relieved and delighted to know that Summer is loved by all her elders.
Heaving a sigh, Charlie looked at both Anthony and me and reminded us, “I won’t nag you further, but do look after Summer and be careful on the road. Anthony, do remember to bring Sienna and Summer to visit the Moores. Uphold the good virtues and proper mannerism as you should. Don’t let others criticize the Featherstones for displaying bad etiquettes.”
I laughed at his comments, knowing that Cameron and Zachary were not so petty about these things. Then I assured him, “We don’t live very far from them, so it’s not a big deal to travel to and fro. They can see Summer whenever they like.”
That was also the reason why Anthony and I wanted to spend new year’s in J City.
Compared to the other relatives, Charlie was quite lonely. Since we stayed quite a distance from them, I often felt bad for not being able to be around them. This new year, it was inevitable for us to bring on the merry and keep them company during the festive seasons.
Drooping his head, Charlie continued to lecture us, “Visiting the elders during festivity has got nothing to do with how far or close you’re from them. Don’t mix the two up. Good manners begin at home. These are the unsaid rules that you should be mindful of, so don’t take these things lightly. You two are still too young!”
“Rest assured that I’ll bring them over and pay a visit soon,” Anthony eased the situation while I leaned on him and obliged like a good wife.
Over thousands of years, families in Chanaea continued teaching the next generations how to preserve traditions of rich culture and practice customs of good social etiquettes. There were especially evident in the area of developing harmonious relationships. Courtesy was deemed as a precious element in enhancing human bonds and bridging generational gaps. These concepts might not be easily understood by the younger generations, but they were definitely valued by heart amongst the seniors.
With that, Uncle Charlie nodded satisfactorily while lowering his head. Time stood still as everyone remained in silence. A somber atmosphere enveloped the place when it was time to bid each other goodbye.
Just then, Helen broke the silence unexpectedly, “All right, all right, it’s time to go. Otherwise, you’ll be late for your flight. Go now.”
Everyone became alert once again and hurriedly ushered us into the car.
The chauffeur started the engine and drove us to the airport as we parted ways in a hurry.
I stared at the rearview mirror and saw Charlie and the rest waving at us under a towering tree. Their actions gradually slowed down, and moments later, their silhouettes vanished from my sight. We left with an extremely heavy heart.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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