Alia was slightly stunned, nodding repeatedly, "Alright!" After speaking, she bent down to place the bouquet and turned to walk away.
Thomas Smith waited until Alia walked away before he awkwardly changed his position, sitting down on the ground.
He stared at the photograph for a long ti, and when he finally spoke, his eyes were bloodshot and wet, "Chloe... I’m sorry, I’m late. I always thought... you must have been living happily and joyfully these years. But unexpectedly, when I returned, we were already worlds apart."
"Back then, I returned ho for a visit, t with you, and then returned to the team. Shortly afterward, I received an urgent mission... It happened so suddenly. I only had ti to leave a letter before leaving on the mission... I was seriously injured, in a coma for a long ti, and everyone thought I wouldn’t survive. Even if I did, I’d never open my eyes again..."
"I lay there for months, as if dead... but I eventually woke up. I couldn’t bear to leave this world like that, to lose you like that. But after waking up, I faced..."
The man paused his hoarse voice, clutching his right leg, with veins bulging on the back of his hand from exertion.
"It took two years to return to the Ancient Town, to co back and see you. I had imagined how it would be to see you again, so excited I hadn’t slept all night, but yet... before seeing you, Old Mason told you were already married and even had a child..."
"Chloe, I don’t bla you... it was my fault. I disappeared for so long; you must have thought I didn’t want you anymore, you must have been very sad and disappointed... so you didn’t even reply to my letters."
"You are so smart; how could you not see that the man did not truly love you? Were you angry with , so you casually married soone to punish yourself? Fool... hurting yourself like this, how silly..."
"Hearing your daughter say that your marriage was unhappy, and she couldn’t grow up in a warm family, do you know... how much it hurt my heart, like when that bullet pierced my chest all those years ago... She told that man treated you poorly, and her as well... Do you know what I thought?"
He chuckled self-mockingly, looking at the black and white figure on the tombstone through the blurred mist in his eyes and said hoarsely, "I foolishly fantasized... maybe, the child is mine. Then I thought, were you pregnant with my child and couldn’t find , and as a Norton Family lady, you couldn’t have a child out of wedlock... So you hurriedly married soone else, and that man was conveniently after your family background—"
"Isn’t it ridiculous? We only had that one ti; it’s impossible, right? It was my fault; I shouldn’t have done that; I violated discipline and was improper... that’s why I was punished, almost never returning from the battlefield."
"I think... even if you could have my child, you hated so much, you wouldn’t have had it... How could I have dared to think that? I hurt you, I let you down, and heaven punished for it..."
"Chloe, did you know, I will never be a father in this lifeti. So it’s good that you didn’t follow ; otherwise... you wouldn’t have had the right to be a mother either. Fate plays tricks... I was ant to be like this; it implicated you, sorry..."
Thomas Smith rambled towards the end. He spoke of whatever ca to mind, without logic, mostly murmuring words of regret and apologies.
Down the hill, Alia stood in the shade of a tree, occasionally looking up at the stairs on the mountain, not seeing Thomas Smith coming down for a long ti.
She was curious about what Uncle Smith was saying to her mother, but politely refrained from disturbing.
The phone rang, and she looked at the caller ID, frowning slightly.
This guy... can’t live without her, huh?
If he doesn’t see her for a while, he calls!
"Hello, what is it?"
Her tone was indifferent, Christopher was even colder and more indifferent than she was, "Where did you go? It’s already noon, and you’re not back yet."
"I’m out discussing matters."
"Discussing what?"
"Figuring out how to raise money!" Now that the huge funding issue was resolved, Alia spoke with a sense of ease and casualness, her tone a bit smug.
But Christopher didn’t feel reassured at all, his attitude even more serious, "Where are you raising money? Who are you with? Alia Garcia, did you forget everything I told you yesterday? I’ll worry about these things, you don’t have to take care of it!"
She was initially going to surprise Christopher, but who knew that before she could say a word, he was already barking like a bucket of cold water poured over her head, freezing her relaxed and relieved face.
She paused, suppressing the impulse to hang up, and explained, "I’m at the cetery, accompanying Uncle Smith to visit my mother, unable to rush back by noon. Have soone order food for you."
"You’re with Thomas Smith? Did you borrow money from him?"
Christopher, who seed to get angry out of nowhere, was aggressive.
Hearing this, Alia also snapped back hard, "Yes! I borrowed money from him, what do you want?"
"Do you know him well? Just borrowing money like that, aren’t you afraid he has any motives? Businessn of his level never act without benefits, do you think he’s a great philanthropist? Alia Garcia, you’re a mother now! You’re not so naive young girl, use your brain, alright?"
While Christopher’s previous attitude just displeased Alia, these malicious slanders and taunts completely ignited her anger.
"Christopher, when can you stop asuring others with the heart of a sinister person? Doctor Smith perford your surgery, you acted all awkward and strange! Mr. Smith is willing to help us, yet you think he’s up to no good, with hidden motives! Is there no one in this world worthy of your respect and praise?"
"Of course, there are, but isn’t it odd for soone to be good to you for no reason?"
"I don’t think so! He deeply loved my mother, and even after so many years, he still rembers her. I respect him, admire him, and see him as an elder. Besides, I’m not accepting this help for free—I will work hard to give back!"
Alia finished her words angrily, and before there could be a reply, she saw Secretary Little Williams, who was sitting in the car, suddenly open the door and quickly walk towards the mountain.
She turned and saw Thomas Smith coming down.
However, for so reason, he walked with a bit of a limp and slowly.
After Secretary Little Williams went up, trying to support him, he gently waved it off.
Alia thought he was just getting old and had squatted too long at her mother’s grave, so his legs were numb; she didn’t think much of it, quickly told Christopher briefly, and hung up the phone.
"Uncle Smith, are you... okay?" Alia walked up the steps quickly, seeing Thomas Smith’s red-rimd eyes, she was startled and asked with concern.
Thomas Smith smiled, his usual loving expression, "I’m fine, I said a lot of things to your mother from my heart, it’s been bottled up for many years, saying it out loud... it makes feel a lot better."
"That’s good, if my mom’s spirit is watching over us, hearing your words, she must be at peace too." These were Alia’s heartfelt words.
In her view, her mother’s marriage was extrely unfortunate, and life was short.
If her mother knew in the afterlife that her lover from life had co to see her and rembered her all along, she would surely be gratified, and those sufferings might be slightly alleviated.
They went down the mountain together, and before they got in the car, Alia’s phone rang again.
Looking down at it, it was still Christopher!
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