Chapter 86 Mother and Son at Odds
Old lady Abbott's fixation was tied to a regret concerning George. It wasn't until after George had passed away that Old lady Abbott began to show signs of dementia.
Old lady Abbott clamored about going to the Parks Family to ask for a young woman's hand in marriage, and Finnegan placated her, "Grandma, it's already very late, and we haven’t prepared anything for a proposal visit. It wouldn’t be proper. We’ll pick another day when we have the gifts ready to visit the Parks Family."
These words were solely to appease the old lady.
By tomorrow, Old lady Abbott may very well forget about it all.
Her memory wasn't reliable. What was said one moment could be gone the next.
Old lady Abbott pondered and found sense in his words and said. "My grandson is right. We must prepare a proper dowry. We can't tarnish the Abbott family’s reputation for lack of decorum."
"Grandma, there’s a chill in the air, let's go inside," Finnegan coaxed, guiding Old lady Abbott back into the house. In the Abbott household, she was the only one who could command such patience from him, his tone as gentle as one uses with children.
No sooner had they stepped inside than Old lady Abbott, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, whispered, producing a handful of candy stealthily from behind, "Look what Grandma has for you, my boy. Candies - your mom’s not home, she doesn’t need to know. We'll just sneak a few, alright?"
Looking at the candies, a warmth crept into Finnegan’s eyes as he grinned, "Okay, we won’t tell Mom. I’ll take them."
As a child, when Finnegan craved sweets, strict rules at home prohibited him from having any. Old lady Abbott would often stash away a few candies to satisfy his cravings.
Old lady Abbott, still a child at heart, pouted, "Just leave one for grandma, just one."
The old lady was battling hypertension and diabetes. She wasn't supposed to have sweets.
Finnegan took all the candies, saying, "Grandma, I’ll trade you something else for it. Remember, the doctor said no sugar for you. Please, you need to listen."
"Finnegan..." Old lady Abbott began to protest.
"Do you want me to find you a granddaughter-in-law or not?" he teased.
That hit the mark.
Old lady Abbott instantly complied, "Okay, no candy for me then. I want a granddaughter-in-law."
Finnegan smiled, gently herding the old lady to watch TV. Quietly, he gave the candies to the housekeeper, warning in an icy tone, "I don’t want to see these around the house again. Grandma can’t have sugar."
The housekeeper nodded, rattled, "Yes, Mr. Abbott, it won't happen again."
This time, even the housekeeper was clueless about where the old lady had gotten the candy. Luckily she gave them up, for she couldn't bear the responsibility should anything happen.
Finnegan said, "Keep an eye on Grandma, she's getting on in years and her memory isn't what it used to be. Take extra care of her."
After giving his instructions, Finnegan noticed the old lady was occupied with the TV and headed upstairs. He decided he would stay at the old mansion tonight.
Having just taken a shower and changed clothes, Finnegan's bedroom door swung open from the outside.
"Finnegan, you're back," a distinguished-looking woman said as she entered with a smile on her face.
The esteemed lady was none other than Finnegan's mother, Celia Gallagher.
Finnegan gave her a lackluster glance and replied coolly, "Mom."
The chill in his voice revealed an apparent strain in their relationship, which was one reason Finnegan was reluctant to return to the family home.
Celia Gallagher had been eager to see her son, and at the news of Finnegan's return, she immediately excused herself from her card game and rushed back.
Unfazed by her son's coldness, Celia said with a smile, "Finnegan, you've lost weight. I'll have Mary cook some of your favorite dishes tonight and make you a nourishing soup to build you back up. How's the injury from your car accident? Let me have a look."
As she reached out to part his hair and inspect the wounds, Finnegan frowned and stepped away, "Mom, if there's nothing important, please leave."
The smile froze on Celia's face, struggling to maintain her composure, "Finnegan, I'm just worried about you."
"No need," Finnegan's voice was as cold as ever.
Celia's eyes started to moisten, she dabbed the corner of her eyes and mustered another smile, saying, "Finnegan, you're not getting any younger. I just wanted to ask if there's someone special in your life. I heard about that woman from Orchid Garden who was sent away – she really wasn't right for you. She’s even nothing compared to Grace Parker back in the day. I ran into Aunt Parks the other day, her daughter Niamh is tall and graceful, and there's always been the understanding between our families...”
"Enough," Finnegan's eyes grew colder, “Mom, don't meddle in my affairs."
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