SWNOVELS Chapter 2278
Rosalynn awoke with a start, her heart hammering in her chest.
"Honey, bad dream?" Wayne asked, his voice heavy with concern as he lay beside her.
Tears continued to stream down her cheeks, unbidden.
Wayne, his heart aching for her, gently wiped away her tears and pulled her into his embrace, his hand softly patting her back in an attempt to soothe her.
It took some time, but Rosalynn's breathing eventually evened out, signaling her return to calmness.
"It's okay," she sniffled, "I just dreamt about them again."d2
Wayne knew all too well who 'them' were.
"Did they mention me in the dream?" Wayne attempted to lighten the mood, eager to distract her, "Did they hate me?"
A small laugh broke through Rosalynn's tears as she replied, "No, they didn't badmouth you."
After a brief pause, Rosalynn repeated the words of her mother, Addy Tesdal, to Wayne.
"Does this mean she's accepted me?" Wayne's face lit up with joy, and he hugged Rosalynn tighter, "I've won over my mother-in-law!"
"Show-off," Rosalynn muttered under her breath, returning Wayne's embrace, "Don't get too cocky. My mom's no pushover. Keep in line and she'll accept you, but if you mess up, she might haunt your dreams! "Deal," whispered Wayne, his voice tender, "If I mess up again, I'll hire a bunch of boxers myself to give me a good thrashing myself on her behalf!"
The sourness in Rosalynn's heart dissolved amidst Wayne's playful banter.
Glancing at the time, she noted it was almost eight.
"Let's get up, freshen up, and grab some breakfast before heading back to H City. We still need to pick up the sunflowers at the apartment."
Wayne playfully resisted, pulling Rosalynn back down onto the bed, "Five more minutes!"
Rosalynn laughed, indulging him for another five minutes before they both got up to start their day.
They set out for breakfast, passing by the gardenia bushes. Wayne suddenly let go of Rosalynn's hand and, with unexpected reverence, pressed his palms together in a gesture of prayer. Rosalynn paused, then chuckled, mimicking Wayne's actions with her own hands clasped, "Gardenias, may you always bloom in vibrant health, bursting with blossoms every year!"
Finishing her little prayer, she took Wayne's hand again, urging him on.
"Come on, we'd better hurry if we want to catch the diner's brunch. If we're late, they'll close!"
They rushed off, and the gardenia, as if understanding, gently shook its leaves and quietly sprouted two more buds.
Gravel Lane was not isolated, nestled right next to the bustling CBD of L City, yet it was ripe with the scent of everyday life.
Early in the morning, the breakfast joints were alive with steam, the air infused with the tantalizing aroma of food, enough to make anyone's mouth water.
Passersby with fresh groceries fanned themselves with palm-leaf fans, chatting with shopkeepers as they made their way home.
Every so often, they'd encounter a cute dog or two.
Wayne would always remark, "But Max is still the cutest."
Speaking of Max, Wayne mused, "You know, Max was probably the first one at home to sense something was off about me."
"Right," Rosalynn recalled, "Back in Norhaven, Max went from adoring you to being super wary and defensive. It was like if you got too close to Cory and Ivy, he was ready to bare his teeth." "Mhm," Wayne nodded, pulling out his smartphone.
"What are you looking for on Amazon now?"
"I'm gonna buy Max a truckload of canned food!"
Rosalynn rolled her eyes and snatched the phone from Wayne's hand, "Jaime just got him a truckload, your share can wait for next time. That dog's gonna turn into a pig at this rate!"
Ever since Max had a near-death experience saving Ivy Jared, the family had seen him in a new light, treating him with a special kind of reverence.