Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
“Miss Nixon,” she called out.
She looked visibly worried as she approached and was panting slightly. Leila, puzzled, inquired, “Do you need something?”
The servant hurried to explain, “Mrs. White found out you were leaving and sent me to invite you to breakfast. She mentioned that despite your urgent commitments, she couldn’t bear the thought of you leaving on an empty stomach.”
Leila was taken aback and asked, “She wakes up this early? Please, don’t bother. She’s elderly and doesn’t need to strain herself to bid me goodbye or have breakfast with me. She should rest. I’ll make sure to visit another time.”
The servant gave a small, bitter smile.
“Miss Nixon, you might not realize this, but Mrs. White didn’t get up early for you. Mrs. White has been through a lot. Her son and daughter-in-law died years ago, followed by her grandson’s demise. Her husband is still alive but has been bedridden for years. For years, she has dealt with her loneliness here, without the support of her family.”
Pausing, the servant swallowed hard before continuing, “Mrs. White has had trouble sleeping well for ages. It’s normal for her to be sleepless through the night. She has lost her appetite and has become increasingly frail. I bet you’ve noticed she struggles to move around and seems to have lost her zest for life. Seeing you has really brightened her mood. Today marked the first time she’s actually asked for breakfast.”
Learning about Gracelyn’s tragic past, Leila felt a wave of compassion. Gracelyn’s invitation to breakfast seemed nothing more than a gesture of kindness. Leaving without joining Gracelyn could deepen her sadness.
Leila couldn’t just decline. So, she smiled and said, “Well, I’m a bit hungry. Could you please show me the way?”
The servant offered a genuine smile and quickly showed Leila the way.
In the dining room, Gracelyn was sitting alone. Her gaze fixed on the window, as if she was expecting something. But she said nothing. Breakfast was laid out on the table. However, Gracelyn hadn’t touched her food, seemingly waiting for Leila to join her.
The dining room was dimly lit. Seeing Gracelyn partly shrouded in darkness, Leila felt a pang of sadness. It was hard for her to fathom how Gracelyn had endured over the years. Gracelyn had sunk into her grief daily without socializing.
Leila could relate to Gracelyn’s pain. Had she been in Gracelyn’s shoes, she might not have been able to endure the impacts of such tragedies. As Leila stepped into the dining room, she made sure to wear a warm, inviting smile. She greeted Gracelyn with warmth, “Good morning, Mrs. White.”
At the sound of Leila’s voice, Gracelyn turned, and her face lit up.
“Leila!” she called out affectionately, waving eagerly as if greeting a dear family member.
Gracelyn smiled radiantly, clearly excited.
Leila took a seat next to her and explained with a smile, “I had planned to take a morning walk and then join you for lunch. I didn’t expect you to be up so early.”
Gracelyn responded with a bitter smile, “I no longer have any zest for life. Resting or staying up-it’s all the same.”
Realizing she had touched on a delicate subject, Leila quickly steered the conversation elsewhere.
“You know, if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have skipped breakfast. Now that we’re on the topic, I’m actually pretty hungry. And these are all my favorite breakfast dishes.” With Leila there, the mood at the table was light and cheerful. Smiles now graced Gracelyn’s face. This was a rare change from her usual distant and detached expression.
But every now and then, when Gracelyn looked at Leila, her expression would grow complex, as if she saw someone else through Leila.
Leila picked up on the shift in Gracelyn’s demeanor and understood that as people aged, the fear of being alone often lingered persistently. After pondering for a moment, Leila shared her idea with Gracelyn.
“Mrs. White, once I wrap up my current projects, how about you and your husband come and stay with me? I have three kids who you would love their company, and it would certainly make the house more lively.”
The Sinclair and White families had a long history of closeness. For Leila, helping to care for Gracelyn and her husband wasn’t a burden. It was a way to help. She found it difficult to watch her old friends endure such hardship.
Leila remembered how, after her parents and grandparents perished in that car crash, the White family had taken care of her for some days. They had even helped organize the funeral. Their kindness during that time had left a deep impression on her.
Leila had thought it through carefully. She had plenty of estates. While she remained cautious, she doubted Gracelyn and her husband, two elderly and fragile people, could bring any harm..
Upon hearing Leila’s words, Gracelyn did not immediately agree but instead let out a long sigh.
“You are truly a kind soul,” she commented. Leila gently patted Gracelyn on the back.
“Mrs. White, it’s the right thing to do. My paternal grandparents had long gone. While my maternal grandfather is still around, I still find myself missing my paternal grandparents. If you and your husband come to stay with my family, it would remind me of them. We could all enjoy our time together.”
Tears quickly filled Gracelyn’s eyes as she listened to Leila.
Leila tenderly wiped away her tears.
Gracelyn shook her head and declined.
“No, I can’t go with you, nor can my husband. We’ve grown accustomed to our life here. Though it’s lonely, we have enough money.”
Leila chose not to push further. Instead, she reassured Gracelyn, “That’s okay. I’ll make sure to visit you often. Just remember to look after yourselves, eat well, and take your medications on time.”
Suddenly, Gracelyn clasped Leila’s hand eagerly. There was a regal spark in her cloudy eyes.
“My dear, be honest with me. Do you really wish to stay with us?”
Leila was initially puzzled by this question, assuming Gracelyn was testing her sincerity about the idea of living together. So, she nodded earnestly and replied, “When I see you, I feel a strong connection, and I truly want to take care of you.”
A radiant smile spread across Gracelyn’s face as she repeatedly expressed her happiness.
Then, dismissing the topic with a wave of her hand, Gracelyn suggested, “Let’s not discuss this now. Let’s eat before our meal gets cold.”
Leila nodded.
Meanwhile, in a guestroom of the White family’s house, Landon had been recuperating for a few days and was showing significant improvement. He could occasionally get out of bed and move around.
He had sustained severe injuries when he fell off the cliff. His limbs were broken. Healing would typically take a considerable amount of time.
In practical terms, Landon wasn’t expected to recover for a few months. But he was already bearing the pain to begin his rehabilitation exercises, driven by his eagerness to return to Leila’s side after his recovery.
Just then, his usual caregiver entered the room and couldn’t resist commenting, “Mr. Collins, you are certainly pushing yourself. Are you eager to heal and rejoin your family?”
At the mention of his family, Landon, who was normally reserved, smiled warmly and nodded.
“Yes.”
The caregiver suddenly recalled something.
“It’s wonderful to have a family. Think about Mr. and Mrs. White. They’ve felt isolated here for years. Now, they finally have a visitor.”
Landon failed to connect the visitor to Leila and dismissed the news as some gossip to kill the time. He was in such a good mood today and spoke more than usual.
“Could it be some distant relative coming to visit? I often see them alone here. It seems quite lonely.”
“Lonely. It would be excellent to have someone who cares for them around.”
The caregiver shook his head and replied, “That’s not the case.”
The caregiver perked up, settling beside Landon with enthusiasm as he began to recount the story.
“Just yesterday, a woman who seemed to be in her mid-twenties, radiantly beautiful, like a star straight out of the movies, showed up. I couldn’t figure out why she was at the base of the mountain, bundled up in a jacket, asking for warm coffee because she was freezing. Immediately, when she stepped inside and saw Gracelyn, they realized it was a coincidence that they were neighbors in the past.”
Landon listened intently, his thoughts drifting to Leila. A fleeting thought crossed his mind. What if she had braved the perilous descent, scaling down the cliff to find him?
Unable to hold back, Landon asked, “What did she look like? Can you describe her? Did she say why she was near the cliff?”
The caregiver chuckled.
“I haven’t seen her, so I can’t say for sure. But someone mentioned she claimed to be sightseeing, got lost, and ended up here. It is unlikely that she is your wife because I heard she used to be childhood sweethearts with the White family’s grandson who passed away years ago.”
Landon’s heart sank. The glimmer of hope faded from his eyes. He mulled it over and realized it was indeed impossible. If the woman who had ties to the White family were Leila, Gracelyn would have recognized Leila immediately and found out she was married to him.
Landon knew Gracelyn harbored a deep grudge against him, making it hard to believe she wouldn’t act on it. It would be effortless for Gracelyn to discover what he looked like, yet she had apparently done nothing all these days. Perhaps he was just overthinking everything.
The caregiver continued, “If you’re curious, I can arrange for you to meet her. It’d be a good excuse to get out and stretch your legs.”
Landon shook his head, his interest dissipating. Certain it wasn’t Leila, the urge to meet that person faded entirely.
“No. Since she’s a guest, it’s better not to disturb her.”