Chapter 167: Family Reunion
Back in the classroom, Grace Winslow’s mind was still reeling from what Sean York had said.
"He’s liked you for many years."
’Archer Rhys has liked her for many years?’
’How is that possible?’
He had left without a word back then, and the two of them never contacted each other again.
’If he really liked me, how could he have just left without saying goodbye?’
’And how could he go ten years without sending a single word?’
If he hadn’t just up and left, disappearing for ten years, she would have never gotten involved with Caleb Forrest. She wouldn’t have bravely thrown herself into marrying Caleb, only to end up in such a miserable state.
In her past life, she never saw Archer Rhys again, right up until the day she died.
Even though she had met him in this life, Grace didn’t think anything would change.
Perhaps they were never meant to be. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have missed out on all those years.
’Since we missed our chance, I shouldn’t keep thinking about it.’
Grace reached up and patted her cheeks, forcing herself to calm down.
’My priority right now is studying. How can I let a man throw my thoughts into chaos?’
’Even if I were to think about romance, it should be after graduation.’
’Otherwise, what would be the point of being reborn?’
’Was I reborn just to find a better man than Caleb, get married again, and continue to be a dutiful wife and mother, wasting my entire life on marriage and family?’
’How would that be any different from my past life?’
The most foolish thing a woman can do is entrust her future and her life to a man she barely knows, hoping his conscience will be enough to make him treat her well for a lifetime.
She had been foolish once. That was enough. She would absolutely not be foolish again.
Grace quickly snapped out of her messy thoughts and began to study with single-minded focus, casting aside all distractions.
In April, Grace had her first break from school: the Qingming Festival holiday.
Meanwhile, the renovations on Irene Lynch’s shop were in their final stages.
Grace had previously written a letter home, and Hayley had replied that she would bring the children for a trip to Coronet before the grand opening.
The family hadn’t seen each other in a long time and missed one another quite a bit.
After class, Grace and Joanne Chase went back to their dorm, packed a few changes of clothes, and headed home together.
Lately, Joanne had been going home with Grace on the weekends to help Irene Lynch. She even found time to learn how to make some pastries from her.
Grace also noticed that Irene had developed many new items, some of which were medicinal pastries. She had heard of such things before, but Irene never had the chance to make them in the past. Now, she was making them look quite professional—not only were they beautiful, but their texture was also superb.
Irene didn’t say much about where she got the recipes for these pastries, and Grace didn’t ask.
On April 3rd, Hayley and her husband arrived at the Coronet train station with their two children, along with Nolan Winslow, his wife, and their two children.
Grace arranged for two cars to help pick them up.
Thankfully, Sean York was there to help; otherwise, things might not have gone so smoothly.
Recently, Sean York had been coming over to the house almost every day to help Irene Lynch.
He was especially diligent on the weekends.
Grace vaguely sensed that something unusual was developing between him and Joanne, but she didn’t say anything to burst their bubble.
"Grace, it’s been a while! You’ve gotten even prettier," Hayley couldn’t help but exclaim the moment she saw her.
Grace stepped forward and took her hand. "You’re getting more beautiful too, Second Sister-in-law. You have the air of a movie star."
"You’re just a sweet-talker," Hayley said, poking Grace’s forehead.
Grace chuckled and went to greet Lily Callahan.
Lily had gained some weight recently, and her complexion had improved a lot.
The baby was still little. Nolan Winslow had named her Evelyn Winslow, with the nickname Misty.
The little one was young and had probably had a rough journey on the train, so she was sound asleep.
Grace went over for a look and couldn’t resist reaching out to touch her little cheek. It was so soft and tender that she didn’t want to let go.
"If you like her so much, go have one of your own," Nolan Winslow teased when he saw Grace’s expression.
Grace shot him a glare. "With a mouth like that, Big Brother, how on earth did you manage to win over my sister-in-law?"
Lily Callahan covered her mouth, trying to hide a laugh. "Oh, he didn’t win me over. We were introduced by a matchmaker. I thought he was decent-looking and seemed honest, so I agreed."
Nolan Winslow scratched his head and didn’t dare say another word.
The group had brought a lot of things with them, big and small bags stuffed to the brim.
Irene Lynch and Gregory Winslow both came out to help carry everything.
It took quite a while to move all their belongings inside.
Hayley immediately spotted Joanne Chase. She pulled her over, looking her up and down before saying with a cheerful laugh, "You must be the little sister Grace mentioned in her letter, right? You’re so pretty. I’m your second sister-in-law. This is a little welcome gift for you. I hope you don’t mind."
As she spoke, she slipped a bracelet directly onto Joanne’s wrist.
Joanne didn’t even have time to refuse.
Lily Callahan also came over and gave her a welcome gift.
Naturally, Nolan Winslow and Brandon Winslow gave gifts as well.
Irene and Grace had already spoken to the family about adopting Joanne as a goddaughter, and no one had any objections.
Joanne was a bit flustered. She hadn’t prepared anything and felt a little embarrassed as she looked at the four Winslow children.
"Big Brother, Second Brother, let me take you to the backyard to get settled. The rooms are all ready. If you’re tired, you can rest for a bit. It’s not time for dinner yet, but if you’re hungry, have some pastries. Mom made them all. They’re going to be sold in the shop when it opens in a couple of days."
Grace broke the awkward atmosphere and led everyone to the back courtyard.
Once the family was settled, Nolan and the others, who were indeed tired, went to their respective rooms to rest.
The children, however, were full of energy and not sleepy at all. They pestered Grace to take them out to play.
Grace had no choice but to take the little ones out.
Joanne tagged along behind them, just in case anything unexpected happened.
Child traffickers were still rampant in those days. If you didn’t watch carefully for even a moment, a child could be snatched away.
"Well now, isn’t that Mrs. Lynch’s girl? Are these little ones from your family?" The neighbors had all gotten to know Irene Lynch well, so they recognized Grace and Joanne at a glance and came over with a smile to say hello.
They were instantly taken with the little Winslow children.
After all, everyone in the Winslow family was good-looking, each one more so than the last.
"Yes, they’re my brother’s children. They’re here to visit for a few days," Grace replied with a smile.
Ryan Winslow also stood by, politely greeting them alongside his younger siblings.
They were good-looking and sweet-tongued, which immediately brought smiles to the faces of the neighborhood elders, who stuffed their hands with candy and cookies.
After a walk around the block to familiarize themselves with the area, Grace saw that it was almost dinnertime and led them back home.
She was completely unaware of a pair of eyes in the shadows, staring intently at the group of five, filled with scheming thoughts.