Victoria met the young couple as they came out. Gwh couldn''t hold back any longer and threw herself into her mother''s arms, her makeup ruined by tears. "There, there, it''s alright," Victoria soothed. "Go see your dad now. The patriarch is stable for the time being. If Chris and Celia saw you crying like this after visiting him, they''d think something terrible had happened."


    Victoria took out a tissue and gently dabbed the tears from Gwh''s eyes, a soft smile on her face. “Look at you, a grown woman about to be married, and you''re crying like a child."


    Her mother''sfort only made Gwh cry harder. When she finally managed topose herself, Hawthorne gave her shoulder a light touch. “Let''s get in the car."


    Celia and Chris stood beside Victoria, watching them go. "Did she have a fight with that man?” Celia asked quietly. "Something feels... weird.”


    Victoria sighed. Why are children so perceptive these days? "That''s enough, you two. Don''t you want your sister to be happy? Stop talking nonsense." In truth, Victoria felt a pit in her stomach, especially since learning about the woman named Patti Yale who was entangled with Hawthorne in Greenvale. It made her regret approving the marriage. But young people always had their share of romanticplications; perhaps this was a test of their bond. What''s meant to be will be. As a parent who had been through it all, she knew interfering in her children''s marriages was never a wise move.


    Chris and Celia exchanged a look. They knew something was off. Victoria took each of them by the hand and gently coaxed them back into the house.


    On the way to the hospital, neither Gwh nor Hawthorne spoke. Gwh was lost in thought, and finally, she couldn''t resist sending a message to Leonie, asking her to check on Connor at the hospital when she had a chance. Life felt a little dull without her niece around. Leonie wasn''t particrly bubbly betself, but wherever Gwh and Hawthorne fought, Leonie always knew the best ces to go to clear her head.


    The autumn wedding, originally nned for the festival, had been pushed back a week for reasons unknown. Mr. and Mrs. Everhart, along with Leonie and her brother, had been nning to travel to Starfall City, but now they were all waiting at home, hoping for good news.


    "You mean Connor, the guy you hit with your car? He''s in another ident? How does he keep getting hit by cars?" Leonie''s voice message chirped. Not wanting Hawthorne to hear, Gwh quickly converted it to text But Hawthorne''s height gave him an advantage, and sitting beside her, he easily nced over and saw the message. Since his wife was with him, he figured it was harmless for his niece to check on the boy, so he decided to turn a blind eye.


    Meanwhile, Gwh remained preupied. Leonie, having read the message, frowned. Ever since she''d heard of this Connor, he seemed to oft be in one ident after another. How could he be so unlucky Still,


    her aunt had asked, so she''d go. It kill her. Besides


    Wouldn


    She


    nned on giving that boy a piece of


    her mind. Her aunt and uncle were


    married now, and he needed to back off and stop whatever designs he had on her.