Chapter 503
“It’s all right!” Sophie responded.
I made that choice myself, so I will follow through with it no matter how hard it gets.
“That’s good to hear! Remember, I will always support you no matter what you do,” Josiah replied.
He felt incredibly proud to have a granddaughter as strong and capable as Sophie. Although he did not know how much time he had left to live, he was determined to use the rest of it to support her fully.
“Grandpa, if living here makes you unhappy, then why don’t you come to live with me instead?” Sophie asked as she helped Josiah over to the couch.
She did not understand why he insisted on staying there when he had the option to move out.
The elderly man shook his head. “I will never give up on this household, no matter what.”
I can’t possibly run away from my responsibilities, especially when my days are numbered. Besides, I’m partly responsible for the way this household turned out, so I need to manage it myself. I mustn’t burden Soph any further!
“I know what you mean, but there are things that you simply can’t force,” she coaxed.
Not everyone will gratefully repay the kindness they receive. There are people who will always blame others if things don’t work in their favor.
“All right. I’ll take your advice into consideration. By the way, Tanny, how is your recovery going?” Josiah then voiced.
He felt bad for not visiting Tristan after finding out about his injury.
“I’m mostly healed now, Old Mr. Tanner. It’s nothing to worry about,” Tristan replied as he walked up to the elderly man.
“I didn’t manage to pay you a visit. You’re not mad at me, are you?” In truth, Josiah was not particularly busy with anything. He merely did not go to the hospital because he was not feeling well.
“What are you saying, Old Mr. Tanner? I would never be mad at you! It’s just a minor injury, and I’m mostly healed now.”
“I’m glad to hear that. You have to be more careful from now on, okay? Bear in mind that you’re not single anymore; you have Sophie to look after. She would be distressed if anything were to happen to you.”
It wasn’t easy for my dear granddaughter to open up to him and accept his love. Thus, he has to be safe and sound.
Tristan held Sophie’s hand as he replied, “I will, Old Mr. Tanner. I promise to be more careful from now on.”
He had learned to value his well-being more ever since he got together with Sophie.
After all, his life no longer belonged to him alone. It was also hers.
Josiah was gratified to see the two of them being so affectionate with each other.
He believed that Sophie would know what was best for her.
Besides, Tristan had never let them down even once.
“I just hope I’ll be able to see you two get married,” Josiah commented in a melancholy manner.
I know my condition best. Most of my internal organs aren’t functioning well after that major surgery I had, so who knows how much longer I have to live? Even so, I don’t want to worry Soph by telling her about this. I just hope that she’ll be able to handle everything on her own after I’m gone.
With that in mind, he said, “Soph, I need you to go upstairs and fetch me something.”
Josiah purposely made Sophie leave so that he and Tristan were the only ones in the living room.
“Old Mr. Tanner, are you feeling unwell lately?” Tristan asked, finding the elderly man’s behavior odd beyond words.
“Tanny, you have to take good care of Sophie after I die. Do you hear me?” Josiah said.
Tristan was at a loss for words.
I knew it! Old Mr. Tanner really is having some issues with his health! He means the world to Sophie, so she’ll definitely be devastated if he dies!
“Don’t overthink it, Old Mr. Tanner. You should go see a doctor if you’re feeling unwell,” Tristan reassured him.
Given how advanced the medical field is nowadays, there has to be a way to treat his condition, so he shouldn’t be so pessimistic about it.
“There’s nothing wrong with my health, so that won’t be necessary. I just need you to promise me you’ll look after Sophie.”
Once again, Josiah expressed his wish to entrust Sophie to Tristan.
He hoped that the younger man would not let him down.
“Old Mr. Tanner, rest assured that I won’t let anyone bully Sophie as long as I’m around,” Tristan declared.
“Mmh,” Josiah responded with a single word.
It was common for people his age to dwell upon something endlessly. There was no way they could get it off their minds.
Ever since they left the Tanner residence, Sophie had been thinking about arranging for Josiah to make a trip to the hospital.
Noticing that she was distracted, Tristan held her hand and asked, “What’s on your mind?”
“Don’t you think my grandpa acted very strangely today?”
“It’s normal for the elderly to behave in that way. You know that he adores you the most, so there’s nothing strange about him asking you to visit him,” was all Tristan could say, for he did not want to upset her.
“Is that so? Could I be overthinking it? Oh, well… I sure hope so…”
Sophie knew it was common for old people to have health issues but found it hard to shake off her concern about Josiah’s well-being as he meant the world to her.
On that day, Ysabelle was holding a press conference for the release of her new album. Sophie had promised to be there, so she and Tristan headed to the press conference together.
Ysabelle had just finished changing and applying her makeup when the two of them arrived. Felix was holding her bag in one hand and a thermos flask in the other.
“I told you to stay hydrated, didn’t I? Do you have any idea how important it is to take good care of your throat as a singer? Here, drink some more water!” The man nagged at her as a mother would.
Ysabelle was rendered speechless by his behavior.
“Felix, it’s just a press conference. You don’t have to be so nervous about it,” she said in the end.
“I’m not nervous at all! Why would I even be nervous?”
That amused her.
How can he bring himself to claim that he isn’t nervous?
“Thank you for staying by my side all this while, Felix,” Ysabelle said, sounding like a mature adult all of a sudden.
Felix froze for a good few seconds before replying, “I’m not used to you being so nice to me all of a sudden, Ysabelle.”
Again, she could not come up with a response.
Yup, he’s definitely a masochist!
At the sight of Sophie walking toward them, Ysabelle rose to her feet.
“Sophie! You’re finally here! I was starting to think you wouldn’t come!” she exclaimed. It was a very important day for her, so she wanted those she cared about to be by her side.
“There’s no need to be nervous. I’m sure you can handle this,” Sophie said. The two of them had worked really hard on perfecting the first album, so she was confident that everything would be all right.
Ysabelle replied, “Yeah, I’m not nervous. I might be a little nervous initially, but I’m surprisingly calm now.”
The outcome is beyond my control, so I might as well try to enjoy the process. After all, this is something that I love to do. I shouldn’t stress myself out worrying about it.
“You’re all grown up now, Ysabelle,” Sophie remarked with a smile.
Ysabelle reached out and gave her a tight hug.
“Thanks for staying by my side all this while!”
For Ysabelle, meeting Sophie during her final year of high school was the best thing that had ever happened to her. If it were not for Sophie, she would not have known what she wanted to pursue in life.
“I’m grateful to have you by my side, too, Ysabelle.”
Sophie was not a very sociable person, but Ysabelle was the only one who was never afraid of her, always siding with her in everything.
The two girls shared a truly mutual friendship where both sides played their respective parts equally.
