With the holidays just around the corner, Eleanor spent the day at home with her daughter. That afternoon, she called Magdalen to let her know they would being over for dinner. Magdalen was overjoyed.


    "How thoughtful of you! Please,e. It''s been too long," she said warmly.


    Around three, Eleanor picked up a gift and headed over to the Goodwin Manor with her daughter. A maid opened the door, greeting them with a smile. "Miss Sutton, wee. Pleasee in."


    "Great-grandma, we''re here!" Evelyn shouted, running into the living room like a little butterfly.


    The old woman was watching the news on the sofa. At the sound of Evelyn''s voice, she beamed. "Is that my little Evelyn? Come here to Great-grandma."


    Evelyn ran into her arms and gave her a big hug. "It''s me, Great-grandma!"


    "My, you''ve grown again," Magdalen said, measuring her with her hand before stroking her head. She looked up as Eleanor walked in, her face full of affection. "Ellie, you''re here."


    "Grandma, how have you been feeling?" Eleanor asked, handing the gift to a maid and sitting down beside her.


    "I''m doing well, just the usual aches and pains," Magdalen said, studying her granddaughter-inw. "Good, you haven''t lost any more weight."


    In the winter, people tended to put on a few pounds, and Eleanor''s naturally oval face looked a bit fuller.


    n called this afternoon to see if you had arrived yet. It seems you two spokest night," Magdalen mentioned.


    Eleanor nodded. "Yes, he called me."


    Magdalen sighed. "That boy has so much on his mind." She looked at Eleanor, her eyes holding a hint of gentle probing. She patted her hand. "Ellie, I know things between you andn are over, but I can see that he still cares deeply for you and Evelyn."


    Eleanor looked down, saying nothing. He could care about his daughter, but she wished he would stop caring about her.


    "Grandma, let''s leave the past in the past," Eleanor said, her voice soft but firm. "Right now, all I want is to raise Evelyn well and focus on my research."


    "Mommy, can I go y upstairs?" Evelyn asked, running over.


    "Of course, you can, sweetie," Magdalen said with a smile. "This is your second home, after all."


    Evelyn''s eyes lit up, and she scampered up the stairs.


    Magdalen watched her go, then turned back to Eleanor''s calm, resolute expression. She knew


    ve


    Eleanor had truly moved on. Shen et


    sighed her heart aching for


    Eleanor''s strength and at the same time, frustrated with her emotionally inépt grandson.


    "You''re right. You''re finally here. Let''s not talk about all that," Magdalen said, changing the subject. "I''ve seen your name on the news several


    times recently. You''re truly remarkable."


    Eleanor smiled faintly. Magdalen, couldn''t help but add, "If you had continued your research right after Evelyn was born, you wouldn''t have wasted all those years. You''d be even more sessful by now


    Eleanor felt a sense of resignation. The old woman always seemed to circle back to the same topics.


    Of course, she couldn''t tell her that those years hadn''t been wasted at all; she had simply been working in secret, away from the Goodwin family''s knowledge.


    As the maids prepared avish holiday dinner in the kitchen, a loud crash echoed from upstairs.


    "Grandma, I''ll go check," Eleanor said, jumping to her feet and rushing up the stairs, terrified her daughter had fallen.


    "Evelyn!" she called out anxiously.


    "I''m in here, Mommy," Evelyn''s small voice came fromn''s study.


    Eleanor hurried in to find her daughter looking guilty, wringing her little hands. "Mommy, I didn''t mean to."


    Eleanor looked at the floor and saw a thick stack of files fromn''s desk scattered everywhere.


    "Are you hurt?" she asked, her concern for her daughter overriding everything else.