Chapter 345 Truly Gave Up on Francis
I stepped out the door, spotted Elissa's car, and hopped in with a grin. "Sorry for making you wait."
Elissa fired up the engine, her smile a bit mysterious. "No worries, I get it."
I buckled up, feeling a bit awkward about the topic at hand, especially since it was about me.
Trying to change the subject, I asked, "So, be honest, have you really moved on from Francis?"
Elissa raised her hand like she was taking an oath. "Absolutely."
Hearing that, I decided to drop it. Once I figured out what Francis really meant, we could talk more.
Francis had been hanging out at Brew Haven Cafe all day, but Elissa never showed.
He thought maybe he should've picked a bar instead. But a bar wasn't exactly the best place for a serious chat.
Now, he felt like he'd messed everything up.
"Drinking coffee alone?"
Francis didn't even need to look up; he knew that lazy, annoying voice.
Jerry plopped down across from him, grabbed a cup of coffee, took a sip, and teased, "You've been in a funk lately, huh?"
Francis shot him a cold look. "Do you need something or not?"
Jerry leaned back, clearly amused. "I mean, you're still under the weather. No wonder you're in a bad mood."
He knew exactly why Francis was upset but didn't bring it up.
Francis couldn't sit still and got up to leave.
Jerry tapped the table. "Come on, don't be mad. Hope's birthday is coming up. Can you help me out?"
"I'm busy," Francis snapped. Then something clicked. "Wait, you wouldn't be..."
Jerry nodded calmly. "Yep."
Elissa drove us to the outskirts of town.
I was a bit surprised. "Is the place to try on the dress out here?"
Elissa nodded. "This dress is from the wartime era. It witnessed a couple who fell in love during those chaotic times and got married, living happily together until they were a hundred. I think this dress suits you perfectly, and it looks a lot like your initial design. The couple has passed away, and now one of their great-grandchildren is taking care of the dress. This place used to be their home."
I asked, "They wouldn't let us make changes to such a sentimental dress, would they?"
Elissa snapped her fingers. "Nope. When the couple passed away, they said minor alterations were okay, but nothing that would change the original look completely."
I got it and asked, "So, how did you manage to get them to lend the dress?"
Elissa smiled. "At first, they didn't want to because they were afraid we wouldn't follow the rules and damage the dress. But when I showed them your photo, they agreed."
"Why?" I was puzzled.
Elissa pulled me inside.
The host came up to us and said, "From the photo, I thought you looked a lot like my great-grandmother. Seeing you in person, the resemblance is even stronger. I'm sure this dress will look perfect on you."
Elissa winked at me and said to the host, "Shall we try on the dress?"
"In that room," the host pointed.
Elissa led me in and closed the door behind us.
I immediately saw the dress hanging in the middle of the room.
"It's almost exactly what I imagined." I was thrilled.
Elissa grinned, "I knew you'd love it. Go ahead, try it on."
I slipped into the dress, expecting the waistline to be tight. I was ready to hold my breath so Elissa could button it up. I figured I could shed a few pounds before the wedding to make it fit perfectly. But to my surprise, it wasn't tight at all.
Elissa turned me towards the mirror, her eyes wide with amazement. "It fits perfectly! We might just need to loosen the bust area a bit. It suits you so well! You look stunning!"
I looked at myself in the mirror, feeling very satisfied. This was exactly the dress I had envisioned.
As for the suit, I didn't need Jerry to try it on to know he'd look great in it.
I said, "I don't think it needs any alterations. The bust area is a bit tight now, but it'll be fine soon."
Elissa nodded and opened the door to call the host.
The host came in and was pleasantly surprised. "It's like it was made for you. I won't lend this dress."
"Why not? We already agreed," Elissa asked, puzzled.
The host quickly explained, "I want to give it to you. If it fits you so perfectly, how can I not give it to you? My grandmother always said to find someone destined for it. We didn't know what that meant until we saw you today. This is fate."
Elissa was thrilled but after exchanging a look with me, she said, "But we can't just take it for free."
The host waved his hand dismissively. "It's just two pieces of clothing. They only seem valuable because of their age. It's really nothing."
How could it be nothing? The craftsmanship was exquisite, and the materials were top-notch. It was clearly from a wealthy family.
I said, "Some things can't be measured by value. This dress is still well-preserved and beautiful, showing how much you cherish it. Even if it can't be measured by value, I can't just take it for free."
The host waved his hand again. "I said it's a gift for someone destined. If you really feel bad, just promise me one thing."
"Go ahead," I said.
The host continued, "Take good care of this dress and I hope it finds another destined person through you."
"Okay." I didn't refuse anymore and agreed.
On the way back, I held onto the two dresses, reluctant to let go.
Elissa looked at me and smiled. "You really have to thank me for this."
I nodded. "Of course."
Back at Tranquil Haven, as soon as we got off the elevator, we heard the sound of renovations next door.
Elissa heard it too and said, "If I had known the house next door was for sale, I would have bought it to be your neighbor."
Elissa and I had just sat down when Madison came in with Celestia, smiling. "You're back. Did you hear the renovation noise next door?"
I chuckled, "Mom, did you take Celestia to check out the commotion?"
Madison shook her head. "No, we went to see our new house."
"What?" Elissa and I asked simultaneously.
Madison explained, "I originally wanted you to move to Serenity Manor, but Jerry wouldn't agree. So, I thought of buying a house nearby to take care of Celestia and give you and Jerry some space. Jerry thought our current house was too small, so he bought the one next door. We'll connect them later, so everyone has their own space. It'll be easier to take care of Celestia, and she'll have more room to play."
I already thought they were going overboard with all the entertainment stuff in the house. Now they bought the house next door too, like they were planning to build an amusement park. But the main thing that stuck with me was Madison saying she wanted to move out to give Jerry and me some space.
No wonder Madison seemed a bit off when I left today. I was in such a rush, I didn't have time to ask. Now, it felt even more awkward to bring it up.
Elissa came to my rescue. "Everyone needs their own space, no matter the relationship. I think having your own space is super important. Buying the place next door is perfect. I can come over to play with Celestia, and if it's late, I can crash next door and chat about gossip with Madison. It's great."
Madison smiled. "I really don't know why you like listening to gossip."
Elissa raised an eyebrow. "Out of curiosity."
Madison shook her head affectionately. "Alright, I'll tell you a couple of stories during dinner to satisfy you."
Elissa took a step back, linking her arm with mine, and whispered, "Don't take this too much to heart. Everyone has their own habits. Even if you have a great relationship, you need some space. This solution is perfect, a win-win. Jerry is really considerate. When will I get a boyfriend like that?"
Elissa's comforting words made me feel relieved.
Originally, Madison wanted to live with me more, but to give Jerry and me space, she had to move out. I felt bad about it.
Now, with her just next door, we had space but weren't far apart. It was actually quite nice.
However, I still thought that building a playground for Celestia at home seemed a bit over the top. The property management here was excellent, and the playground facilities downstairs were more than enough. Not having one at home wouldn't make a difference.
After dinner, I talked to Jerry about it.
Jerry hugged me as we walked into the room. "It's Mom's wish. We shouldn't stop her. You don't want Mom to be upset, do you?"
That left me speechless.
Jerry continued, "I see Mom is really happy doing these things. Her being able to forget about the explosion and truly relax is what you want, right? She's very relaxed now."
"You're so considerate." I gave him a sideways glance and pinched the soft flesh on his waist.
But he suddenly pinned me down on the bed. "Are you hinting at something?"
I wanted to retort, but Jerry's kiss sealed my lips tightly.
Meanwhile, Elissa was in a good mood and went to the bar for a drink.
Jared knew that Francis had already arrived and assumed the two had planned to meet. He immediately came over and, seeing Elissa in the lobby, looked puzzled, "Why not go straight up? Francis is already in the private room."
Elissa was confused. "Why should I go up if Mr. Peterson is in the private room?"
Jared scratched his head. "Didn't you guys plan this? With Hope's birthday coming up and Jerry proposing, aren't you supposed to discuss the details?"
Elissa was exasperated by Jared's lack of intelligence. "How do you know about this?"
"What's there to hide? It's a big happy event," Jared said. "I need to help too. I may talk a lot, but I don't blab about important things."
Elissa had nothing more to say. "Mr. Blake, go up and discuss with Mr. Peterson. I'm not involved in the proposal."
Jared was puzzled. "Are you and Francis having a fight?"
"Why would we be fighting?" Elissa denied immediately.
Jared plopped down next to Elissa and ordered drinks. "I have nothing to say to him. It's more fun drinking with you."
Elissa just wanted to be alone, or more precisely, didn't want to drink with Jared, which was boring.
Jared didn't pick up on Elissa's annoyance and even shared in the group chat: [Two days in a row, isn't this fate?]
He attached a picture of Elissa drinking.
Jerry didn't have time to check his phone, but Francis glanced at it.
Seeing the familiar background with Elissa, he got up to leave but turned back at the door of the private room.
He thought, 'She has made it clear she wants to distance herself from me. Why should I go looking for trouble?'
Elissa didn't enjoy her drink and found an excuse to leave.
Back home, she couldn't sleep and opened another bottle of wine.
Bored, she scrolled through Facebook and saw Jared's post: [Took cephalosporin and drank, ended up in the hospital. Thanks to my friend for the experience.]
Anyone familiar would know Jared was talking about Francis.
Elissa immediately thought about the medicine she had someone buy. Did it contain cephalosporin? She didn't want to be blamed!
However, she didn't know Jared was joking on Facebook.
No matter how angry Francis was, he wouldn't be stupid enough to end his life. He just hadn't taken his medicine, was still feverish, and passed out from drinking.
Jared took Francis to the hospital and posted another photo, a selfie with Francis.
Elissa opened the picture and saw Francis lying on the hospital bed, pale and even his lips were white. She felt really bad.
On a whim, she changed clothes and took a cab to the hospital.
Half an hour later, she arrived at the hospital and found Francis's room, only to hear soft voices inside.
Through the half-open door, she saw Francis's first love feeding him porridge.
Elissa lowered her eyes, smiled self-deprecatingly, and threw the porridge she brought into the trash.
Back home, she collapsed on the couch, feeling she had been foolish.
Francis had kissed her forcefully, and while she was angry, she wondered if he liked her a bit.
When he called her to buy medicine while sick, she thought maybe there was something developing. But in the end, he was with his first love.
It had been raining for three days in Maple Valley, and it finally cooled down after the long heatwave.
The party for my birthday and Celestia's birth had arrived.
Elissa had arranged for the party to be held on the lawn.
The weather was perfect, a beautiful sunny day.
"Hope!" Nolan ran over to me and asked, "Where's Celestia?"
Ever since Nolan met Celestia, he always wanted to see her. But with school and extracurricular activities, he hadn't seen her in a while.
I pointed behind me. "Go find your aunt."
Nolan immediately ran towards Madison with his little legs.
Sophia came up to me and handed me a gift. "Jerry can get all the rare treasures in the world, so I got you something practical. Buy whatever you want."
I took it and felt something was off with the envelope.
Sophia said, "A blank check. Fill it in as you like. Don't worry, it's Neil's money."
I laughed and accepted it. "I'll fill in a big amount then!"
"Whatever makes you happy." Sophia was very generous. Then she suddenly said, "Something interesting is happening."
I followed Sophia's gaze and my face changed.
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