Chapter 7 Beloved Daughter In Law

• Declan’s family home was nothing short of grand. The front gate stood more than two meters high, surrounded by walls covered in vines with tiny green leaves. Once inside the front yard, it was easy to spot a separate building from the main house, which served as a garage. There was also a small gazebo at the front, complete with a fish pond.
• When Sarah opened the large front door, a housekeeper hurried toward her. A longtime housekeeper who had worked for Declan’s family for years. Sarah knew the forty seven years old woman well. After marrying Declan, Sarah had actually lived in this grand house for several months while waiting for renovations on Declan’s private residence to be completed.
• “Miss Sarah, oh dear, I’m sorry I was late opening the door,” she said apologetically, lowering her head.
• “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it,” Sarah replied with a warm smile. “How are you, Lily?”
• “I’m healthy. Although, as you can see, I’m getting bigger by the day.” She chuckled, spreading both arms beside her body.
• “Lily, could you please bring a bowl and a spoon to Mom’s room? She ordered soup.”
• Fifteen minutes after leaving Declan’s house, Norah had called her husband and asked him to buy her favorite soup. Alex had immediately agreed, hoping the food would help restore his wife’s appetite.
• “Of course, Miss.” Lily nodded quickly.
• Sarah glanced at the large clock in the living room before heading toward the master bedroom on the first floor. It was already ten past ten. Of course, her mother-in-law wouldn’t be asleep yet. As far as Sarah knew, the stylish middle aged woman rarely went to bed before ten at night.
• “Mothers not asleep yet, right?”
• “No, Miss. I just came from Madam’s room.”
• “All right, I’ll go straight to the room. And could you take my things upstairs later?” Sarah nodded toward the travel bag she had left beside the living room table.
• “Consider it done, Miss.” Lily gave her a thumbs-up.
• Without wasting another second, Sarah hurried toward her in laws’ bedroom. She knocked several times and entered after hearing her mother-in-law’s faint voice.
• “Mom….”
• “Hiii, my beautiful girl,” Norah replied with a wide smile. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
• This was one of the reasons Sarah loved Declan’s parents so dearly. Every time she visited them, she was welcomed with genuine warmth and affection. Norah, especially, had always spoiled her like a queen. The woman had also been a close friend of Sarah’s late mother.
• “Sorry for making you wait so long.” Sarah sat on the edge of the bed after placing the plastic bag containing the soup on the bedside table. “What’s wrong, Mom?”
• “I don’t know, Sarah. My head has felt so heavy since yesterday. I think my vertigo is acting up again.” Norah rubbed her temple with one hand.
• “Have you seen a doctor?”
• Her mother in law simply shook her head.
• Oh…wait. Her former mother in law.
• “If I go to the doctor, they’ll probably make it sound worse than it really is. Then I’ll just end up worrying about it.”
• “If you’re not feeling well, you should see a doctor, Mom. At least you’ll know what’s causing it. You shouldn’t let it go on for too long.”
• “I think I was sick because she misses you, Sarah. Look…” She smiled. “The moment you arrived, I already felt better.” Norah sat upright, leaning against the headboard with several pillows supporting her back.
• “You’re impossible, Mom. If you miss me, you can always call.”
• “Declan is impossible to reach. He’s as busy as the president’s personal security detail.”
• “You could call me.”
• “You’re no different. Whenever I call, you’re always busy at the salon. Besides, talking over the phone isn’t the same as seeing you in person.”
• Norah flashed her dimples as she reached out and gently tucked a strand of Sarah’s long hair behind her ear.
• “Well, now we’re together. I’m staying tonight.”
• “Stay for a long time, okay?”
• “Yes. I’ll stay until you get tired of looking at me,” Sarah joked, gently patting the back of the hand of the woman she had come to regard as her own mother.
• A knock on the bedroom door made the two women from different generations turn at the same time. Lily entered carrying a bowl and glasses of water for her employers.
• “Thank you, Lily. You can go rest now. I’ll take everything to the kitchen later,” Sarah said, and the housekeeper nodded.
• “Eat first, Mom. You said you wanted the tripe soup. Father had to wait in line for quite a while to get it.” Sarah poured the soup into a bowl containing a small serving of white rice.
• “Hmm… feed me, Sarah.”
• “Of course. Anything for my beautiful mom.” Sarah giggled as she stirred the still-hot soup.
• “Your mom must be so proud to have a beautiful and obedient daughter like you, dear.” Norah gazed intently at her beloved daughter-in-law.
• Sarah lowered her head at the mention of her mother’s. Emma had passed away a year earlier after suffering from heart disease for many years. Emma and Norah had been best friends since their teenage years. They had eventually decided to arrange a marriage between their children, hoping it would strengthen the bond between their families.
• Sadly, it was Declan, the son Norah loved so dearly who chose to break that bond.
• “I’m proud too, Mom. I’m lucky to have a kind mother like you who became a mother to me after mine was gone,” Sarah murmured, forcing a smile.
• “Are you eating properly too? You look thinner. Have you been busy at the salon?”
• Sarah shook her head. “No .... Mia helps me with most things at the salon. Ahh… come on, open up.” The beautiful woman lifted another spoonful and began patiently feeding her mother in law.
• Several minutes passed. Sarah smiled in relief when Norah finally finished her meal. Sarah eventually ate with her as well.
• “See? I’m gets better the moment her daughter comes home.”
• Alex suddenly entered the bedroom, grinning widely as he watched the interaction between his wife and daughter inlaw. Sarah merely smiled, standing stiffly as her father in law approached.
• “Dad, you can sleep in the next room tonight. I wants to sleep with Sarah.”
• “But, Mom—”
• “It’s okay. I only came in to get my t-shirt. I was planning to sleep in the other room anyway. Once your mother gets her beloved daughter-in-law here, she’ll want to gossip all night.”
• His pause made Sarah smile awkwardly. “All right, Dad.”
• “Has Declan contacted you?” Alex asked again.
• “I haven’t checked my phone yet,” Sarah answered quickly.
• Alex simply shook his head in disbelief. “Good grief … That boy. Even after getting married, he still disappears on his parents.”
• “He’s not disappearing. Declan is working hard to provide for his family.”
• “You’re so whipped. You’ve been defending Declan all night.”
• “You really love Declan, don’t you?” Norah teased Sarah. “Whenever your father gets annoyed with his son, you’re always the first one to defend him.”
• But this time, Norah’s smile failed to reach Sarah. The longhaired woman lowered her head as she listened to her daughter words. A dull ache spread through her chest as she remembered the man who had once held her heart captive yet was no longer her husband.
• It was true. She had loved Declan deeply. She had fallen completely in love with him. But all the love and care she had given him had never been enough to soften his heart.
• “Why are you crying?”
• Norah leaned closer when she noticed Sarah hurriedly wiping away the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.
• “I’m fine.”
• “Then why are you crying?”
• “I just… I just…” Sarah tilted her face upward, trying to keep the tears from spilling over again.
• “Yes, I love him so much,” she continued, clutching her aching chest. “And I … I also loves you two so much. You’ve both treated me like… like your own daughter.”
• Her voice broke as she began to sob softly.
• “Awww… my poor baby. Come here, come here…” Norah opened her arms and immediately pulled Sarah into a tight embrace.
• “I love you too, sweetheart. I’m so grateful that Declan was blessed with a wife like you.”
• “I’m sorry, Mom,” Sarah whispered in her arms.
• “Sorry for what?”
• Sarah buried her face deeper into Norah’s embrace. Because I can no longer be Mama’s beloved daughter-in-law.
• ***