I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 190

When she had married him, they had faced immense pushback from all sides. Yet now, no one could possibly deny they were a match made in heaven, navigating life's storms perfectly together.

Sophie noticed the distinct wallpaper behind him and asked, "Are you at your parents' house?"

Gavin immediately maximized his video feed on the screen. She was incredibly observant—catching such a microscopic detail without missing a beat.

"Yeah, I flew in last night. I pulled an all-nighter for work the day before, so the moment I got here, I completely crashed. I didn't get the chance to video call you."

He wasn't intentionally hiding it from her. He just hadn't known how the battle would play out and didn't want to add to her mental load over a hypothetical failure.

But now, there was no harm in sharing. His mother hadn't formally surrendered, but he had successfully secured the unshakeable backing of both his father and grandmother.

"I made the Stuffed Savory Melon you taught me for dinner tonight. Grandma absolutely raved about it. She said she absolutely has to try the real version made by you next time."

"Is she doing well?"

Sophie had immediately deduced exactly why he had sacrificed his weekend to fly home. Her heart swelled with overwhelming emotion, though she deliberately kept her voice steady.

He didn't want her to feel guilty about all the battles he was fighting for her behind the scenes, so she played along, quietly locking his fierce devotion away in her heart.

"She's doing great. I went for a walk with her tonight, and she couldn't stop talking about you. She sun-dried all the Honeysuckle Vine you two picked together last time and told me to bring some back for you and Sarah."

Remembering her last visit, how his grandmother had warmly held her hand and spent hours recounting embarrassing stories from Gavin's childhood with such absolute radiant joy, Sophie felt a sudden, sharp lump form in her throat.

She had never experienced the unconditional, protective love of an older generation before. It was only by Rosemary's side that she finally understood what true familial warmth felt like.

"Tell her I miss her terribly too."

"I'll bring you home to see her during the October holidays," he promised, his voice impossibly tender.

"Okay," she replied with a radiant smile.

Gavin returned to Seattle exactly a week later.

Sophie drove to the airport to pick him up, with a tiny shadow in tow: Mia.

He had fully intended to pull Sophie into a crushing hug the moment he saw her, but upon noticing the little girl staring up at him with wide, curious eyes, he settled for resting his hand warmly on Sophie's shoulder.

"Did you miss me too, Mia?"

The little girl hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding obediently. "Uh-huh."

Instead of taking the passenger seat, Gavin climbed into the back to sit next to Mia.

"Where are Jason and Gwen? Enjoying a romantic getaway?"

As adorable as Mia was, Gavin couldn't completely suppress the tiny ping of disappointment that his highly anticipated reunion with Sophie was currently being heavily chaperoned.

"The woman he was living with literally packed her bags and vanished the second she realized how bad it was. They weren't legally married, so she had zero obligation to stay. My dad treated my uncle's son better than his own flesh and blood, but did my cousin step up? He showed his face at the hospital for five minutes and bolted. In the end, it all falls on me."

"I just feel like... life is so impossibly hard," Sophie whispered, looking down. "Why do people like me, and people like Gwen, constantly get hit with one disaster after another?"

She desperately reached out, slipping her hand into his, silently begging for an anchor.

"Don't think like that. As people get older, health crises are unfortunately inevitable. All these terrible things... they will eventually pass."

"Thank god Jason was there to help her face the storm. If she had to handle all of that alone, it would have completely broken her," she sighed heavily.

"From now on, whatever storm comes your way, I will be standing right beside you."

Gavin reached into his bag and pulled out an intricately carved rosewood box. When he popped it open, inside rested a pair of flawless alabaster jade bracelets. They were creamy, luminous, and incredibly exquisite.

"These are from my grandmother. She said they're her formal welcoming gift to her future granddaughter-in-law," he whispered softly against her ear.

Her mouth fell open in total shock. Before she could even process what was happening, he had already slipped the cool, heavy jade onto her wrists.

"She knew exactly how much you were wronged last time, and she specifically told me to give these to you on her behalf. Actually, she intended to give them to you the last time you visited."

Sophie tried desperately to give him a radiant smile, but the tears completely betrayed her, finally spilling over her lashes.