Halley frowned, her little face scrunching up in concern. “Granville likes her too–he even shared his chicken wings with her at dinner! She’s going to get swept away if this keeps up!”
“What?” Ivy couldn’t help but laugh. “So why didn’t you share your chicken wings with her?”
“Everyone only got two, and I was still hungry!”
Ivy burst out laughing, thinking, No wonder this little guy’s put on some extra pounds lately.
Jamison, who had overheard the entire exchange, snorted and said dryly, “See? Eating too much not only makes you gain weight, you might lose your girlfriend too.”
“Shut it!” Ivy scolded, trying not to laugh.
Honestly, couldn’t he see the kid was already upset? And here he was, pouring salt in the wound. Grown men could be so childish sometimes–it was almost comical. That evening, the family dinner was lively and warm.
Adela Ludwig had been recuperating at home for a week and was recovering well–she could finally get out of bed and move around a bit.
The Ludwig siblings were all together under one roof.
Carla Ludwig, however, had arrived alone. Her husband and son were nowhere to be seen.
Ivy couldn’t have been happier–she had no desire to see Micah Shepherd. Still, curiosity got the better of her. Had they really sent him overseas?
She quietly asked Jamison about it, and he replied, “No. Both I and my brother wanted to send him away for a couple years–let him toughen up a bit. But the Shepherds wouldn’t agree, and we can’t exactly force them. Still, I put my foot down: he’s not allowed at the family house anymore.”
“No wonder,” Ivy nodded thoughtfully. “I thought maybe he’d finally seen the light.”
Jamison gave a short, humorless laugh. “If only he learned his lesson that easily, he wouldn’t keep getting into trouble.”
Chapter 523
Truth be told, Jamison was surprised Micah hadn’t shown up this time–maybe the kid was finally starting to feel some consequences.
In reality, Carla hadn’t even told her son about the family dinner. She’d sent her husband and son off to some social event instead.
The meal was cheerful, everyone in good spirits.
Except for Carla, who sat through the whole dinner with a sour expression, saying nothing at all.
No one brought up her son’s absence–not Danny, not their mother. They didn’t even pretend to ask after him, which only made Carla feel worse, though she kept her feelings carefully hidden.
Halley, bubbly as ever, kept everyone entertained.
Halfway through the meal, the family matriarch turned to Jamison and asked suddenly, “How’s your treatment going? Are you getting better?”
Jamison set down his fork and launched straight into his usual story. “Still ongoing. The doctor says it’ll take some time–I have to recover slowly.”
“Really? Don’t you dare lie to me,” the old lady said sternly, her face serious.
Ivy jumped in to help. “Mom, I’m keeping a close eye on him–he hasn’t lied to you. His condition is a bit complicated. We have to figure out the root cause before we can treat it. He’s seeing both Western and traditional doctors, and we’re doing everything we can. He’s being treated very seriously, I promise.”
Jamison glanced over at her, thinking to himself, This girl really knows how to spin a story–even I’m starting to believe I’m getting treated, and I know I’m not. How does she know all these details?
Ivy caught his look and shot him a confident, reassuring smile. Of course she knew–she was just describing her own treatment process and swapping in a new patient.
The elders nodded along, fully convinced. “As long as you’re getting treated, that’s what matters. Stick with it, don’t lose hope. You’re still young, you’ll get better for sure.”
Across the table, Thad Ludwig exchanged a knowing look with his wife. Sooner or later, the truth would come out, and who knew how the matriarch would react then?
Halley, noticing the sudden shift in conversation, perked up and asked curiously, “Aunt Ivy, is Uncle Jamison sick? What kind of sickness does he have?”