âGood evening. I apologize for intruding so late, but I just got off the plane and donât have any relatives or friends around here. I hope itâs not too much trouble to bother Balfour.â
âAre you the kid from the Lewis family?â Alyssa asked, though her tone was one of certainty.
After Mara nodded, a polite smile graced Alyssaâs face..
âSo, youâre Mara. Werenât you recuperating abroad due to your health? What brings you back all of a sudden?â
Mara replied with a smile, âIâve been getting better over the past few years, and I just missed home, you know? The people and things. I hope Iâm not causing any inconvenience.â
It was well-known that Maraâs sister had passed away young trying to save Balfour, and ever since, Alyssa and Dean had done their best to look after the Lewis family children.
Alyssa always felt a pang of regret about it.
âItâs always a pleasure to have you over, dear. If it were daytime, we would make sure you were well taken care of! Itâs just that itâs late, and Balfour has to head to the hospital to look after Ivy. Iâm afraid weâre not quite up to playing host.â
Mara waved her hand with a smile. âGrandma Alyssa, youâre too kind. Weâve known each other for so long, thereâs no need for any special treatment! And Balfour, if youâve got other things to take care of, donât let me keep you. Iâll settle in and rest soon enough.â
Alyssa realized that Mara had no intention of leaving. Thus, she shot Balfour a look, slightly annoyed.
Why had he thought to let this young woman stay at their house?
With so many places out there, could they not have just found her a spot where she could stay on her own?
What if Ivy came back and saw this? Would she not get the wrong idea?
âBalfour does have things to do, but thereâs still time to get you settled into another place. Heâs done quite well for himself here at home; got plenty of places you could pick from. You could stay wherever you like without anyone bothering you,â Alyssa said with a warm smile, leaving Mara no room to decline.
Mara glanced at Balfour, who opened his mouth to insist she stay, but then Alyssa shot him another look.
âItâs so late. It would not be right to have Balfour running around. How about I stay with you for a few nights instead? Living by yourselves, thereâs always something to worry about. If I stay, Balfour can take care of Ivy without fretting over you two, right?â
Balfour hesitated at first, but Maraâs words made sense. Having her stay would allow him to focus on Ivy with a little more peace of mind.
âLet her stay to help look after you,â he said. âItâll ease my mind while Iâm taking care of Ivy. Ever since the incident, you two have been on edge, hardly sleeping. Now, with Mara here, you can really rest up.â
If no outsiders were around, Alyssa would have given Balfour a piece of her mind, this silly boy.
Their sleepless nights were out of concern for Ivy. Once she recovered and came home, what was there to worry about?
But with Ivy just admitted to the hospital and another woman showing up at home, if Ivy found out, she would be truly heartbroken.
Yet, with Mara looking like she had already settled in, there was little left to say. Hence, Alyssa pretended to agree, âItâs lovely to have you stay. Itâs just that we might be imposing on you. Youâre our guest; we should be taking care of you, not the other way around.â