I must admit, Rose was quite insightful. I agreed with what she said.


    Rose continued, "It''s okay to have feelings, but you shouldn''t be stubborn. A truly smart woman knows when to stop and when to bend. Punishing each other for the time spent together is both torture and relief. You wanted to punish him, didn''t you?"


    Lauren looked at Rose in astonishment, her eyes filled with hopeful light.


    "If he has hurt you, this grudge can only be settled when you''re with him. Silly girl. Try and understand what I''m saying."


    Rose poked Lauren''s head and gestured to us. "Let''s go. We''ll chat while we eat. The little girl must be starving after ying at the kindergarten. Dinner is ready."


    Sure enough, Ava devoured her dinner. I felt as if I had been neglecting my daughter too muchtely.


    Watching her enjoy her meal, I asked, "Was the lunch at the kindergarten not yummy?"


    She looked at me with big, twinkling eyes and said in a cute voice, "Of course, our home-cooked dinner is much better, so I ate very little for lunch."


    Jenny quickly added, "She ate a lot of yummy food too!"


    Everyone burst intoughter.


    Looking at Ava, I smiled. "My daughter, you''re such a little foodie."


    "What do you think was delicious at the kindergarten?" As asked, looking at her.


    She didn''t hesitate and replied quickly, "They cook dishes we don''t make at home, and those are the delicious ones."


    I pressed on, "Such as?"


    Like a little hamster, she turned, still chewing on her food. "My favorite is chicken tenders. It smells so good. I can eat a lot of it."


    Jenny chimed in, "And mini quiches!"


    These were the two dishes our family''s chef had never made.


    As immediately instructed the chef, "Make chicken tenders for dinner from now on."


    Ava quickly swallowed her food and said, "Daddy, chicken wings are delicious too."


    "Okay. I will take you and Jenny to eat them together," As promised indulgently.


    Ava asked me, "Mommy, when will Grandmae back? They''reing back, right?"


    "Of course," I said confidently. "They went to sell the house in their hometown, so it might take a little longer. But they will definitelye back. Just be patient and wait."


    "Does that mean we can''t go back to the small town again?" Ava''s question suddenly made me feel a hint of nostalgia.


    Pondering, I said, "It''s not that we can''t go back. We can visit it, but we can''t stay there for a long time."


    "Then, we won''t have our home there anymore, right? But Jenny hasn''t been there yet. She said she had never seen snow."


    Ava''s words made me suddenly feel


    a touch of homesickness. I hadn''t called my parents for two days, and I didn''t know how things were going on their end or whether the house affairs were going smoothly.


    All these recent events in Gerby had been quite tumultuous. Every time I thought of Beatrice still in a difficult situation, I felt anxious.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    It seemed that needed to call my parentster to inquire. If things didn''t go smoothly, I would entrust the Phillips family to handle it. There was no need for them to wait there until the house was sold beforeing back.


    After dinner, I took the children to y in the yard.


    Lauren continued chatting with Rose, and didn''t interrupt them. thought Rose might advise her, and perhaps she would listen. After all, that olddy''s perspective on things was quite different.


    I knew deep down that Lauren still had a lingering affection for Oliver. It was just that she couldn''t get past that hurdle herself, and this hurdle could only be crossed by her and no one else.