Chapter 509

Teresa suddenly felt sorry for him. She was supposed to head straight back to Nareigh after getting off the highway, but suddenly, she remembered Gordon’s old house and took a different turn.

Donald and Jennifer were driving ahead of Teresa. They glanced in the mirror and saw her heading the other way, toward Jaymero.

Donald said, “Where is Teresa off to? Isn’t she heading back to Nareigh?”

Jennifer had always assumed Teresa’s car was right behind Donald’s, but when she turned to look, it was already long out of sight. She said, “Give me your phone. I’ll call her.”

“Sure.” Donald handed his phone to Jennifer without a second thought.

“Sorry. The subscriber you dialed cannot be connected at the moment.” Jennifer frowned as she listened to the busy signal.

Teresa connected to Bluetooth and called Miriam as she drove. Edward sent the funeral location to Miriam, and she forwarded it to Teresa.

It looked familiar, just as Teresa remembered. She started the GPS and found that she had 120 miles to go to Jaxmere. Thankfully, traffic was light today. She estimated it would take her about two and a half hours to get there.

Teresa thought for a moment and called Miriam again. “Could you look after Michael tonight? I don’t think I’ll make it back.”

“Sure. Just stay safe,” Miriam replied.

“Thanks, Miriam.” After hanging up, Teresa stepped on the gas. She honestly didn’t know why she acted on impulse, taking the opposite direction instead of heading back to Nareigh.

She thought, ‘Maybe that’s life. Life is just full of choices, and once you pick one, that’s it. It’s like driving on the highway where you can’t just turn around.’

Maybe it was because Jonathan said he wasn’t okay, or maybe it was because she had also suffered the pain of losing her family. She could deeply empathize with him.

He couldn’t be there for her when she lost her grandparents. And after he finally came back, he pulled her into his arms and told her it would be okay.

For the first time, she realized that a hug could mean the world when people were at their lowest.

The funeral was to be held in their hometown, which threw a wrench into all prior arrangements. Jonathan was constantly on the phone, dealing with everything.

Edward saw how hard Jonathan was working and felt bad just standing around, so he started helping with the flowers.

Irene and Heidi had been busy for a few days and were a bit tired, so they went to wash their faces.

Fiona sat alone in the house, holding a photo of Gordon.

Edward took Heidi’s seat and gently said, “Grandma, why don’t you go get some rest? Jonathan will take care of this.”

Fiona glanced at Edward and shook her head slightly.

Edward had caught a bit of a cold and had been coughing. He had been doted on by his parents since birth, and this was the first time he had experienced the death of a loved one.

Worried that he might feel uncomfortable, Heidi said, “Why don’t you go rest for a while?”

Heidi had Edward come back late to shield him from seeing Gordon’s body. She was afraid that his terrible look would scare Edward.

“Mom, I’m fine, and I can help,” Edward said confidently.

Irene snorted. “It’s good he wants to help. Jonathan has been working around the clock for the past few days.”

Heidi pursed her lips and said nothing more.

Jonathan was busy preparing for the funeral. He only managed to message Teresa during quick lunch breaks and kept going without stopping.

His phone was on silent mode. He told everyone at work to hold off–no pressing issues for the next three days, and no calls unless absolutely necessary.

“Edward.” Jonathan called out to him, “Help me with these flowers.”

“Got it.” Edward nodded, thinking, ‘Finally, I can do something.'

Many people arrived to offer their condolences. Jonathan noticed that Fiona hadn’t eaten anything all day, so he brought her some food.

Fiona looked up at Jonathan and said, “I’m not hungry. Thanks.”

“Grab a bite, or you’ll wear yourself out. I’ve taken care of everything at your school. The kids are doing just fine. Don’t worry,” said Jonathan.

Fiona patted Jonathan on his shoulder and said, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Jonathan said. With his gentle reassurance, Fiona finally took a few bites.

Aside from the breakdown she had when she just came back, Fiona had now calmed down.

There hadn’t been any recent photos of Gordon in years. The few photos he had were all taken before he got Alzheimer’s. Back then, his eyes were bright, though clouded with sorrow.

Fiona stared at Gordon’s picture and murmured, “Is there anything else you wanted to tell me? You were always nagging when you were alive.” She paused for a moment and continued, “Come to me in my dreams if possible.”

By the time Teresa arrived, it was already evening. The roads after the highway were winding, so she followed the GPS slowly.

As dusk fell, Gordon’s house was brightly lit. Neighbors whispered among themselves that he had always been reclusive, living alone with hardly a visit from his children.

No one expected such a grand funeral after his death. Luxury cars lined the entrance, guarded by suited bodyguards. The people who came to the funeral were all dressed appropriately, holding flowers, and they looked like they were of no ordinary means.

Teresa parked her car at the corner of the main road. The narrow alleys beyond were too tight for cars to pass, so she had no choice but to continue on foot. Even from a distance, she could see Gordon’s house.

Just as Teresa was about to arrive, she suddenly realized that she had forgotten to bring some flowers with her. She drove to a nearby shop, bought some lilies, and went back to her car.

By the time she finished, it was already past six, and the sky had turned completely dark. As Teresa followed the crowd toward the entrance, Edward, who had gone out to smoke, saw her.

Edward was surprised. “Teresa? What are you doing here?”

“I heard about your grandfather passing away,” Teresa said, offering an apologetic smile as she handed him the flowers. “Would you mind taking this in for me? Tell Jonathan I’m sorry for your loss.”

Edward took the flowers from Teresa and said, “Teresa, you should come in. Jonathan is inside.”