Alyssa immediately understood the real thorn in Ivyâs heart. It wasnât that she minded Mara still living there. She was upset that Balfour hadnât informed her in advance, completely omitting her from his considerations.
And after all the years of acquaintance between Balfour and Mara, Ivy doubted herself, her confidence in their relationship shaken.
âI get what youâre saying, sweetie, but Balfour not telling you, thatâs on me,â Alyssa said, her voice tinged with regret. âLet me apologize for that, okay? As for him and Mara, to be honest, they do have a bit of history. There was an incident a while back, and if it werenât for Ms. Lewisâs sister, Balfour might not be standing here with us today, hale and hearty. Thatâs why heâs always looked out for Ms. Lewis.
Before her sister passed, she asked Balfour to take good care of Mara. I wonât lie to you and say thereâs nothing between them, but hereâs something I want you to consider-if there was really something going on between those two, why would they have waited for you to come along?â
Alyssa knew her grandson, Balfour, well; he wasnât the type to shrink back from taking action.
If he really had feelings for Mara, he surely would have confessed to her long ago.
The revelation of Balfour and Maraâs past took Ivy by surprise.
Alyssaâs words brought a bittersweet smile to lvyâs face.
If only they were truly husband and wife by now, Ivy could take comfort in Alyssaâs assurances. But they werenât, were they?
She couldnât understand why Balfour didnât just turn to Mara to help him with the marriage, to give his grandparents peace of mind.
Sometimes love blinds the lovers themselves. When Alyssa observed Balfour and Ivy together, she couldnât see anyone else breaking into their bubble-not even Mara, despite her years of acquaintance with Balfour.
Yet Ivy and Balfour seemed utterly oblivious, unable to see the depth of each otherâs feelings.
Nonetheless, Alyssa firmly believed that true affection existed between them, and that time would prove everything.
âDonât worry, my dear. I see things clearly, and he cares about you more,â Alyssa said, her words meant to be reassuring.
But Ivy felt as if she was being placated, and she just offered a polite smile. âGrandma, you donât need to worry about me and Balfour. Weâre both adults; we can handle our own affairs.â
Alyssa sighed, a look of concern crossing her face. âItâs not worry, my dear. Itâs that I might not be around to fuss over such things for much longer. You young people always think you can see right through everything, but when youâre in the thick of it, things can get pretty murky. I just donât want you two stubborn kids to misunderstand each other and regret it later. Promise me something, Ivy. No matter what happens, even if Balfour makes a big mistake, will you give him a change to explain?â
Ivy looked at her, taken aback by her concern.
âWhy are you so worried?â
Alyssa shook her head, simply insisting that she agree to her request.
âI know my grandson, so I know how stubborn he can be. He might be a big shot in the business world, but when it comes to matters of the heart, heâs as clueless as a block of wood. I just want him to have a shot at happiness. In the future, just give him a chance to explain himself before you write him off, okay? Think of it as doing yourself a favor, too.â
Ivy, taken aback by Alyssaâs sudden seriousness, was slow to react but eventually nodded. with a smile.
âBut Grandma, you know as well as I do that sometimes itâs not a matter of me not wanting toâ¦â