After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

Chapter 80

Nora’s grip on the phone tightened slightly.

She had anticipated resistance, but hearing it still made something twist in her chest.

“Grandma’s birthday only comes once a year, Alex. You can visit Aunt Linda anytime,” she said, keeping her voice even.

A sigh came from the other side. “I guess…” He didn’t sound convinced.

Nora closed her eyes briefly.

She knew pressing him further would only make him more resistant, so instead, she decided on another approach.

Later that evening, she found Arnold at his cottage, sitting in his usual chair, flipping idly through an old book. He barely looked up when she entered.

“Can you talk to Alex?” she asked without preamble.

Arnold turned a page, his face impassive. “About what?”

“Grandma’s birthday. He’s reluctant to come. Maybe if you talk to him, he’ll reconsider,” she said, crossing her arms.

Arnold finally glanced at her, studying her for a moment. “And you’re not going to ask me to come?”

Nora looked away. “That’s not what this is about.”

He exhaled through his nose, closing the book. “Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll talk to him.”

That was all she needed. She left without another word, walking back home with Alex. They barely spoke, and though she tried to brush off the lingering discomfort, it clung to her like a shadow.

Saturday arrived with a quiet kind of joy.

The house was filled with the warm scent of baked pastries and fresh flowers, the soft murmur of family members exchanging laughter and greetings.

Nora watched as her uncle Alexander presented his carefully chosen gift to Grandma, a beautifully embroidered shawl in her favorite shade of deep blue.

her, Alex shifted awkwardly, hands empty.

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Chapter 80

gentle

about you, dear?” she asked with a smile, expecting

Nora with a

he admitted. His shoulders tensed, as if bracing for disappointment.

of

“You’re still a kid, Alex. What Mom and Dad prepare

tension In Alex’s frame melted almost instantly. “Oh,”

oblivious to the way Nora’s expression cooled ever

only remembering the date but counting down the days, eagerly anticipating it as if it

it, made it a

to buy a gift, he could have drawn something–he was more than capable of sketching a heartfelt piece.

he hadn’t thought of it. Not even once.

that had made her reluctant

thoughts swirling beneath the surface like an unmoving tide. Some things, she

herbal wine she had prepared and handed

unwrapped the package, the faint yet distinct fragrance of

air.

Grandma murmured,

nodded. “Yes, Grandma. I knew you would

old lady’s gaze as she looked at her

some help,” Nora admitted with a small

delighted chuckle escaped Grandma’s lips as she turned the wine pot

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Chapter 80

her tone laced with nostalgia. “Back then, only the most esteemed elders of the

rippled through the family.

exchanged glances, impressed that Nora had managed to acquire

here today, but he asked me to pass on the gift to you, a work

a finely crafted piece, depicting an ancient oak tree with twisting branches and roots that told a silent