Victoria was left speechless. How could someone so young already see the world this way? After a moment''s thought, she decided it must be the Langford blood— this innate instinct to weigh pros and cons above all else.
Even if these children came from her own womb, there was nothing she could do about the Langford knack for strategic thinking. In fact, Victoria found herself wondering if her own retirement might be closer than she imagined.
Old Mr. Langford idly rolled the walnut in his palm, silently hoping his great- granddaughter hadn''t chosen the wrong person after all.
Fate, he mused, truly works in mysterious ways.
Gwh spent several days with Chris and Celia, making sure to visit all the ces she''d promised them over the phone. She bought gifts for her younger siblings, too. But when evening came, instead of returning to Victoria''s house, she went back to the new home she shared with Hawthorne.
The days were filled with noise andughter, passing in the blink of an eye. Yet each night, as she stepped into the quiet vi and the garden lights flickered on, a strange emptiness would settle in her chest.
Sometimes she''d chat with Leonie Everhart, but Hawthorne always called promptly at eight. Their conversations weren''t long orplicated-he''d ask about her day, and she would do most of the talking, while he listened, asionally chiming in. Oddly enough, Gwh realized they talked more now than when they were actually together.
Hawthorne never rushed her off the phone-if she didn''t hang up, he''d stay on the line, quietly keeping herpany. More than once, Gwh had drifted off to sleep mid-conversation, only to wake and find Hawthorne still there, the call still connected.
She''d quickly murmur goodnight, and only then would he finally head to bed.
Night after night, the pair fell asleep with their phones pressed to their ears, and the days no longer felt quite so slow.
Five days passed like this. Gwh was still keeping Chris and Celiapany, but by now, her little brother and sister were no longer bouncing off the walls with excitement every time she appeared.
"Big sis, is he still not back yet?" Celia blurted, a note of impatience in her voice.
She had to admit, at first she hadn''t liked Hawthorne at all-resented how he''d suddenly be a part of Gwh''s life, even felt a bit hostile toward him. But now that their marriage certificate was signed, the man had disappeared for nearly a week. Where was he?
"Did he run off?" Chris asked, frowning. At sixteen, he was already well over six feet tall, with a lean, athletic build and an air of effortlessposure as he sat on the sofa in all ck.
Three mugs of coffee rested on the table. Gwh sipped hers-not as good as Hawthorne''s, she thought, but still enjoyable and finished it off with a smile.
Evenings were still spent talking to Hawthorne, sometimes over video chat. She didn''t really feel his
e not in a physical sens
''e''
Except of course, for the little things: the warmth of his presence, the way he took care of her. She''d
only shared a bed with him once, but already found herself missing his embrace.
She''d half-expected something to happen that night; in the end, nothing did. Whether she felt disappointed or simply wistful, she wasn''t sure.
But they were married now-what woulde, woulde. It was only a matter
of time, and she found herself looking forward to it.
"He''s not going anywhere," Gwh replied with a soft smile. Celia and Chris exchanged a nce-big sister had been in a good moodtely, every single day.
They''d never seen her like this
before. She used to carry the weight
1.n
of the world on her shoulders; now even when she seemed lost in thought, her whole demeanor was lighter. Even their visits to see Dad went smoothly-Gwh''s emotions much more steady than before.
Chris set his mug down, finally unable to hold back any longer.
"Alright, enough. If you want to go to Greenvale, Celia and I can go with you. That
man''s been gone for days now-what, he thinks he can just marry a Langford woman and disappear whenever he pleases?"