Chapter 347 Alternative Boyfriend
Jerry gently wiped away my tears, and took Celestia from my arms. "You can cry for two minutes. Any longer, and it'll hurt your eyes."
I hugged him, pressing my face into his shoulder. "I'm done crying."
Jerry patted my back and whispered, "Take care of Mom."
I let go and turned around. Madison opened her mouth but didn't say anything.
I saw her about to leave and reached out to support her.
Madison waved her hand. "You should talk to your grandma a bit more. I'll head down first."
I still held onto her and said, "I've said everything I needed to. Let's go home together."
Madison's lips moved slightly, and I linked arms with her, slowly walking down the steps.
Jerry followed behind, holding Celestia.
Back at Tranquil Haven, he didn't head to the office but went straight to the kitchen to cook.
Jerry reminded me, "Hope, keep Mom company."
I knew Jerry stayed home to cook to help ease the atmosphere at home.
Jerry always knew that Madison and I blamed ourselves.
Even though it seemed like everything was fine on the surface, as if we had moved on, whenever Claire was mentioned, that guilt would start to grow.
After seeing Claire, it reached its peak.
We always wondered if the accident would have happened if we hadn't held the banquet and given Sarah the opportunity. Then, all these subsequent events wouldn't have occurred.
"Mom..." I sat next to Madison, and for some reason, we both looked at Celestia in the crib.
We didn't speak for a long time.
When Jerry brought out the dishes, he glanced over at us.
I met his gaze, and he raised an eyebrow at me.
My gloom miraculously dissipated by half.
I turned to Madison. "Mom, let's remove the shackles we've placed on ourselves."
Madison poked Celestia's cheek. The baby, not understanding much yet, smiled at her, drooling.
Madison smiled too, holding my hand. "Alright, I want to live healthily, see you and Jerry happy, and watch Celestia grow up. If possible, I want to see Celestia find her own happiness."
At this point, I had a sudden idea. "Mom, now that you have some free time, why not try dating?"
Madison poked my forehead. "What are you thinking? Do you think I'm a kid like you? Dating at my age?"
"Why not?" I said, "As long as you want to, you can date at any age."
Madison shook her head. "I've been used to being alone for so many years. I don't want someone to disrupt my current life rhythm."
I wouldn't force her, but I could do something.
After dinner, Madison took Celestia out for a walk, and I helped Jerry clean up the table.
While putting dishes into the dishwasher, I mentioned the idea.
Jerry closed the dishwasher, pressed the start button, and hugged me as we walked out of the kitchen.
It wasn't until we reached the bedroom that he spoke, "Your idea is a good one. If Mom starts dating, it might divert some of her attention and stop her from feeling guilty. But it's not easy to implement. We can't force Mom to date. All these years, there haven't even been any rumors, let alone any ambiguous relationships."
I thought of someone and said, "You know the actor Garry Glenn, right?"
Jerry nodded. "Yeah, he's worked with Mom for like half his career."
I said, "Exactly, and he never responds to rumors about him and Mom, but he shuts down all other rumors. Unmarried and childless at his age, either there's something off, or he's waiting for someone to open their heart."
Jerry pinched my cheek. "Didn't know you were such a detective."
I had heard it all from Elissa.
Back then, we didn't know Madison was my biological mom.
Elissa was a fan and loved gossip, always chatting with me about it.
When we talked about Madison and Garry, we never thought they'd have anything to do with us one day.
I said, "I think we should give it a shot."
Jerry agreed, "You and Elissa can set it up. I won't get involved. If you hit a snag, let me know."
I hugged him. "Jerry, thank you."
I knew he wanted me to stop feeling guilty too.
Jerry hugged me as we lay down, a slight smile on his lips. "Show me your gratitude in a more practical way."
The next day, I arranged to meet Elissa.
Of course, I didn't get up until noon.
I told Madison I wouldn't be home for lunch and hurried out.
As soon as I got downstairs, I saw Elissa leaning against her car.
She saw me too and opened the back door for me.
I was puzzled. "What's going on?"
Elissa pushed me into the car, and I realized there was someone in the driver's seat.
The guy greeted me warmly, "Hey there."
I looked at Elissa, as if asking, "What's this about?"
Elissa flipped her hair and introduced, "Efren Britton."
I smiled and nodded as a greeting, then quietly asked Elissa, "A new friend?"
Elissa beamed. "My new young boyfriend."
At the end of the birthday party, I had asked Elissa. Elissa said if it weren't for helping Jerry propose to me, she wouldn't have even wanted to see Francis. But Elissa and I had been friends for so many years, so I could tell she hadn't completely moved on.
However, I didn't plan to help clear up their misunderstanding, because what Francis did wasn't very likable either. If he wanted to be with Elissa, he needed to suffer a bit.
"That's great. As long as you're happy," I said.
Elissa winked at me and said, "Isn't it a coincidence? You mentioned wanting to set up Madison and Garry, and Efren is in the same crew as Garry."
I was surprised. "He's an actor?"
"Not graduated yet," Elissa said. "He just got an opportunity to join a crew, so it's like an internship."
I chuckled, "That really is a coincidence."
We passed by a physical store on our way.
The thought that how small the world was came to me when I saw Francis at the store entrance.
Even more coincidentally, Efren had just bought Elissa her favorite iced coffee.
Elissa was busy replying to a message, her fingers flying over the screen.
Efren opened the coffee cup and fed Elissa a sip.
Elissa took a sip, turned to him, and smiled. "Good boy."
Elissa could ignore Francis, but since I saw him, I had to say hello.
Not liking what Francis did was one thing, but he did help a lot.
"Mr. Peterson," I called out.
Francis withdrew his gaze from Elissa and responded to me, "Yeah, are you out shopping with friends?"
Even though his voice was a bit cold, I could still sense his politeness towards me.
I kept a polite smile. "Just checking out the store and doing some shopping."
As soon as I finished speaking, a gentle female voice called out, "Francis."
Seeing me, Jessa gave me a gentle smile. "Hope, we meet again."
Since she was smiling at me, I could only respond politely, "Hello."
Jessa was about to say something to me when Elissa pulled me away. "We have things to do. Don't waste time here."
I nodded to Francis and let Elissa drag me away.
Efren's eyes were big and bright, filled with the innocence of someone new to society. "Elissa, was that your friend just now?"
Before I could answer, Elissa hooked her arm around his neck and said, "Why so curious? You don't need to know about people who aren't important to you."
Efren obediently nodded. "I'll listen to you. If you don't want me to know, I won't ask."
Efren and Francis were completely different types.
Although Elissa's tastes were unpredictable, they wouldn't vary this much.
Probably, she still couldn't let go of her feelings.
Francis stood there, only looking away when Elissa was out of sight.
"Francis, you don't look well. Is your illness not better yet? Do you need to see a doctor?" Jessa asked with concern, her gentle tone seemingly able to soothe all bad emotions, but not Francis's.
Thinking of Elissa hooking her arm around Efren's neck, looking so intimate, Francis felt suffocated.
Loosening his tie, he felt a tickle in his throat. He clenched his fist and pressed it to his lips, but couldn't suppress it, coughing a few times.
Jessa quickly handed him some water. "Francis, have some water."
Francis waved her off. "Have the driver take you home. I have things to do."
Jessa didn't show any emotion, still gently concerned. "If you really don't feel well, don't push yourself. Go to the hospital if you need to. If you need me to take care of you, just call me. I'm always available."
Francis waved her off and walked away briskly.
Jessa's fingers turned white as she gripped the cup, silently mouthing Elissa's name.
Elissa and I shopped around, and she ended up buying a lot of things for Celestia.
I couldn't stop her and could only sigh helplessly.
Elissa put her arm around my shoulder and said, "Don't be jealous. I still love you the most."
"Cut it out." I pulled away from her and advised, "Kids grow fast. Celestia is not fully formed yet. What you buy now might not fit in a few days."
Elissa disagreed, "As long as she wears it once. It's all about the experience. Celestia has to look pretty every minute."
I couldn't argue with her and just pulled her away. "I can't stay out too long. We have business to attend to."
"Alright."
Elissa paid, and Efren, being very considerate and gentlemanly, carried all the bags.
I wanted to help carry a few, but he wouldn't let me.
Efren said, "Let me handle this physical work. It's good exercise. You know, we actors need to manage our bodies."
I was about to speak when Elissa said, "I brought him along not just because of Garry, but also to help carry the bags."
After saying that to me, she turned and winked at Efren. "I'll treat you to a big meal later."
Efren laughed heartily. "Thank you, Elissa."
"You're welcome," Elissa replied.
We stood in front of the elevator.
I felt a gaze on us. Turning around, I saw Francis standing next to me.
Since he wasn't a stranger, I had to speak, "Mr. Peterson, are you heading downstairs?"
Francis glanced at Elissa before replying to me, "I'm done here, heading to the underground parking."
He was leaving.
I said, "We're also going to the underground parking. Same elevator."
Just as I finished speaking, Efren suddenly said, "Elissa, my back is itching. Can you scratch it for me? My hands are full."
Without hesitation, Elissa started scratching.
Efren said, "Elissa, it doesn't work through the coat."
Efren's pitiful voice and sincere eyes made it hard not to feel soft-hearted.
I usually didn't like people younger than me, so I felt nothing. But Elissa seemed to enjoy it.
She directly reached into his collar and asked, "Is it here?"
Efren smiled. "A bit lower."
I didn't know if it was my imagination, but it felt like he was provoking Francis.
Efren shouldn't know about Francis and Elissa's relationship. Elissa probably wouldn't tell her new boyfriend about her past crush.
The elevator doors opened.
"Alright, Elissa, let's get in the elevator." Efren said, holding the elevator door and guiding Elissa in, also protecting me.
Once I was in, he let go of the door and entered.
The three of us were in the elevator, with Francis outside.
I thought Francis wasn't coming with us.
Unexpectedly, just as the doors were about to close, he suddenly reached out and stopped them, making my heart skip a beat.
Francis walked in calmly and pressed the button for the basement level.
The air instantly filled with a subtle tension.
I coughed lightly and took out my phone to play with.
Elissa and Efren stood in the corner, clearly keeping their distance from Francis.
Francis stood by the elevator buttons, back straight, eyes forward.
I was in the corner behind him, quietly taking a photo and sending it to Jerry: [This is so awkward.]
Jerry must not be busy, as he replied instantly: [Is that Elissa's new boyfriend?]
I: [A potential one, but it might not work out.]
Jerry: [Got it, a backup boyfriend.]
I explained: [He's in the same crew as Garry, so he can find out what's going on with Garry.]
Jerry: [Do what you need to do. Remember, if you have any trouble, come to me. I'll solve it for you.]
I: [Okay.]
The elevator arrived, and I put away my phone.
The doors slowly opened. But Francis didn't move.
Efren turned his back to Francis, using his foot to hold the door, and said to Elissa, "Elissa, let's go."
Elissa stepped over his foot and walked out.
Due to the narrow space, there was some slight physical contact.
Efren had already exited but still held the door with his foot, waiting for me.
I smiled politely. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Efren replied.
Francis's fingers hovered over his phone, then released, sending a voice message.
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