Chapter 2271
Rosalynn barely acknowledged Wayne's presence that day, her attention elsewhere.
She let her gaze drift away.
Laying a bouquet of flowers by her mother's gravestone, and then her grandparents', she knelt down and poured a shot of whiskey for her grandfather. "Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, I brought someone to meet you today. He's Cory and Ivy's dad. I've never mentioned him before. We didn't get along at first and even spent quite some time apart... but after a lot of thinking, we've decided to give it another shot and stick together for life. So, I wanted him to meet you."
Hearing this, Wayne's eyes immediately reddened.
"Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, my name is Wayne..." Wayne's voice trembled slightly, "You can rest easy now, knowing I will cherish Rosalynn for the rest of my life with all that I have."
As he spoke, Wayne suddenly knelt down.d2
He bowed his head to the ground three times, the sound crisp in the morning air.
Rosalynn watched, a smile breaking across her face, and then she looked up at the photographs of her grandparents and mother on the tombstone.
In her heart, she whispered, "We'll be okay. Don't worry about us, and please watch over Cory and Ivy, and Wayne, keep him safe and free from harm."
Wayne, at that moment, silently apologized in his heart, "I'm so sorry for the way I treated Rosalynn in the past. I was arrogant and full of myself, not understanding what love was. Now, I see clearly that nothing is more important than her."
As the sun climbed higher, Rosalynn and Wayne finished their tribute and headed towards the little convenience store.
As usual, Rosalynn went inside to buy some ice cream. To her surprise, the brand she'd loved as a child was no longer stocked.
"That one? Oh, that factory closed down last year," the store owner said, pointing at a selection of other brands, "These are the more popular ones, they are tastier!"
Rosalynn glanced at the prices.
Whether they were tastier or not, she couldn't tell, but the cost was several times more than her childhood favorite.
She picked up two cones, paid for them, and started walking back, searching on her phone.
Not far away, a group of kids was playing with marbles. Accidentally, one of the marbles rolled under Rosalynn's feet. Caught off guard, she stepped on it and her balance wavered.
At that critical moment, Wayne, who had been waiting outside, rushed forward and caught Rosalynn securely in his arms. Breathless and shaken, Rosalynn looked up at Wayne.
"Did you twist your ankle?" Wayne carefully set her down on a nearby bench and crouched to inspect her ankle with a grave expression.
"No," Rosalynn replied softly, "lucky you were quick, or I would have had a nasty fall."
Once Wayne was sure that Rosalynn's ankle was fine, he turned his gaze to the kids, who were standing by, their eyes wide with apprehension.
One of the smaller kids, scared by Wayne's stern look, was on the verge of tears.
"Don't worry, kids, go on and play. Just watch where you're shooting those marbles," Rosalynn said before Wayne could speak.
The kids scattered as if granted a pardon, disappearing in a blink.
Wayne just shook his head, bemused.
"What had you so engrossed earlier?" he asked Rosalynn after helping her with her shoes.
She thrust her phone towards him.
"An ice cream factory?" Wayne looked puzzled, then noticed the two cones in the bag Rosalynn was holding. "The one you used to love went out of business?" "Exactly!" Rosalynn snapped her fingers triumphantly.
Wayne chuckled helplessly, "So, you're thinking of investing in this ice cream factory to bring it back to life?"
"Yep." Rosalynn nodded.
That ice cream had been a comfort through many tough times, a sweet solace for her wounded young soul. Now it was time for her to return the favor.