SWNOVELS Chapter 2203
The pat was more like a slap.
Jacob jolted upright, his hand flying to his painful back as he twisted in agony.
"What's with the waterworks, big guy?" Hilaria chided, "You had a good woman for sixteen years and didn't cherish her. Now she's married to Larkin, and you're filled with regret? Sobbing like a baby! Get it together!"
"Grandma... he coughed up blood before, nearly died in the ICU. Please, go easy on him!" Rosalynn reminded her.
Hilaria snorted dismissively.
After his bout of pain, Jacob slumped back down.d2
"Grandma's right," he conceded.
Then he and Hilaria once again delved into a heartfelt conversation.
It was about time for Paige to go to the hospital to be with Granny Owens.
Rosalynn didn't let them drive themselves; she had the chauffeur take the trio to the hospital.
Baillie had been driving them around for the past few days, practically living behind the wheel.
The exhaustion was palpable.
Once they left, Rosalynn returned to the living room. The kids huddled together, engrossed in their own world. Hilaria and Jacob continued their deep talk. Rosalynn walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and collapsed into her favorite recliner, signaling to Laura to get her a glass of warm mulled wine. Before long, Rose joined her.
"Did you enjoy a good meal?" Rosalynn asked gently, glancing at her before returning her gaze to the distant shadowy trees.
"Yeah, your chef makes amazing food," Rose sat down on the bench across from Rosalynn, "Mrs. Tesdal, your home is nothing like I imagined."
"How so?" Rosalynn inquired lazily, gesturing for Laura to serve Rose a glass too.
Rose accepted the steaming wine, pondered a moment, and said, "The Silverman family used to be a place of strict rules; my mom said it was always so stiff and cold." "Oh," Rosalynn lightly clinked her glass, "but this isn't the Silverman family's home."
Rose looked puzzled.
"This is the home that Wayne and I built together," Rosalynn's eyes were soft, the usual sharpness mellowed by the wine, her gaze filled with endless warmth.
Rose didn't see the distinction but chose not to voice it.
Rosalynn slowly withdrew her attention back to the window, leaning languidly in her chair, "Miss Albinia, I've read Ayden Silverman's diaries."
Rose stiffened slightly in surprise.
"I know the Silverman family you speak of caused him and my Wayne a lot of pain, which is why I'll take him away," Rosalynn's tone was slow, but her resolve was firm. "Away?"
"Away from the nightmare woven by Natalie Stein, back to my side." Rosalynn replied soothingly, "He'll never go back to the Silverman family you're talking about." Rose lowered her eyes, her expression complex, remaining silent.
"When I was little, my mother mentioned something similar that my aunt had said," Rose tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, "It was directed at Natalie." Rosalynn glanced at Rose again, saying, "I am nothing like Betsy Albinia. No one can take my loved ones away from me. If anyone dares to try, I'll tear them apart." Rose nodded faintly, "Now that Natalie's gone, no one would dare."
"That's for the best," Rosalynn looked back out the window, "Miss Albinia, do you realize that in life, what we gain and lose is all a result of our own choices?" Rose's grip on her wine glass tightened involuntarily.
"Take Mr. Strand, for instance. The woman he loved presented him with the right choice countless times over sixteen years, yet he consistently made the wrong ones, ultimately leading to the loss of his love and nearly costing him his life.
And then there's Paige, who, when faced with choosing between a dirtbag lover and Baillie, blindly picked Baillie. Now she'll never know the taste of bitterness for the rest of her life."