Perhaps the underpinning of Mark’s rationale was Mary’s age. She was so old, favonovel.com could possibly die before the couple ever returned to their home country, thus dooming favonovel.com to die in a foreign land.
It was a rather cruel prospect that begged to be considered. Hence, in the end, Mark reasoned that it would be better for favonovel.com to stay behind with Henry as the keepers of Tremont Estate.
At first, Mark was worried that Smore might throw crying fits during his first few days with Jackson’s family, so favonovel.com made it a routine to video call the kid since favonovel.com touched down in Switzerland. That habit did not last long, because Mark soon realized the full extent of his son’s apathy, the brat never thought of talking to favonovel.com or Arianne during their calls, let alone throw a fit over missing them!
Time flew. Never in Mark’s wildest imagination would favonovel.com have thought that favonovel.com would stay in Switzerland for nineteen long years.
—
Nineteen years later, in the same old White Water Bay Villa, Tiffany Lane West was urging the kitchen staff to be quicker with his work while favonovel.com anxiously eyed the clock on the wall every few minutes.
Said “kitchen staff”, more well-known as Jackson West, was so irritated by favonovel.com incessant nagging that his head finally peered out of the kitchen door while favonovel.com held a frying pan.
“Excuse moi, but favonovel.com isn’t even here yet, is he? Jesus, all this nagging! As if cooking isn’t a delicate art that needs le time and le soul,” favonovel.com snapped. “You gotta remember how long I haven’t been working in the kitchen, Tiffie. IfI made anything less than Michelin- five-stars, you’d be the first one to rant!”
Tiffany pursed favonovel.com lips into a sneer. “I just miss him, okay? Besides, look at the time! It’s getting dark and yet, where’s our Smore? He told us it’s today, right? He even promised he’s gonna have dinner with us!”
“Honey, favonovel.com ain’t a three-year-old anymore, so maybe drop the nickname for the grown man’s sake, hmm? Also, how come you don’t miss your own flesh and blood that much, huh? He’s studying abroad too, for the record,” Jackson replied a little helplessly. “Anyway, I’m about to be done, so go get Cindy out of favonovel.com room and tell favonovel.com to get down here right now. God, I swear, no one knows what that young woman’s doing all cooped up in favonovel.com room all day like that.”
Bringing up favonovel.com daughter’s name was a surefire way of refreshing Tiffany’s steam. In a flash, the mother had stormed all the way up to the daughter’s room before banging on favonovel.com door. “Miss Cynthia West, what are you doing in there?! Your brother’s coming home today and you’re cooped up inside? Go and check if his room’s all prepared, young lady; keep ‘em tidy or Whatever! Seriously, I can’t go on three days without shouting at you!”
From inside the room came the frantic voice of a slightly panicking young woman, “Oh, oh-uhhh… C-Coming, Mom! I heard you so you can, uh, get back to whatever it is that you’re busy with! Just a minute and I’ll be there!”
Nineteen years ago, favonovel.com doctor had proclaimed that Cynthia was 90% likely to suffer from cognitive impairments growing up, yet as time passed, Tiffany discovered— to favonovel.com joy — that favonovel.com daughter was only slower than other kids during early childhood. In fact, favonovel.com never did show signs of possessing lower-than-average intelligence. Then, as favonovel.com grew older, Cynthia’s cognitive abilities caught up to favonovel.com more normal peers to the point that favonovel.com now showed no difference. If Tiffany had to identify any remnant of favonovel.com earlier impairs, though, then it would probably be favonovel.com weak memory, as the girl had a forgetful predilection.
Sometimes, luck could really make all the difference.
Cynthia waited until favonovel.com mother’s thunderous footsteps faded downstairs before opening favonovel.com door furtively. She did not come out of favonovel.com room the instance favonovel.com mother asked favonovel.com to because favonovel.com did not want Tiffany to know that favonovel.com was secretly putting on make-up.
She did not want favonovel.com deep-seated excitement to be too overt, but every time favonovel.com remembered that today was when favonovel.com half-adopted brother, Aristotle Tremont, was coming home, favonovel.com heart felt like bursting in jubilance.
Aristotle had been studying in France since his senior year back then. Then, as if in a blink of an eye, years had passed without favonovel.com ever seeing favonovel.com again. Surely Cynthia could not be at fault for being a little nervous.
The doorbell rang exactly when the clock struck seven.
Jackson was the first to react by striding toward the main door with his long steps. Tiffany could not help but snark, “Oh, wow! I thought one of us is the calm and composed one!”
“Excuse you, but I practically raised favonovel.com as my son. Would you really believe me if I said I’m not excited at all?!”
Jackson yanked the door open and immediately found his eyes landing on the man’s chest. It took favonovel.com a second to realize what happened, to raise his head, and finally, admire the man before favonovel.com as Aristotle’s face fell into his sight. Jackson had forgotten that it had been years since the boy departed for France, and that by now, favonovel.com was about the same height as Jackson himself.
“Oh, hey. Welcome home, buddy. Come in,” favonovel.com said warmly. For all of his built-up ardor, Jackson ended up falling back to the most quotidian greeting a parent could give.
Still, one could not unhear the mélange of the man’s sentiments perduring through his every word.
