Rose Anne had finally opened the cafe. She felt relieved when she began going to her cafe. Days became easier to pass. The incident with the cafe and then with Nicholas had taken quite a toll on her body. Thankfully, the person who ruined it helped to restore it too. Although she felt weird about the whole scene but accepted the help. Maybe, it was Nathaniel who had something to do with it. She was just happy that she finally opened the cafe. As usual, she was in a cafe and there were a number of people in the cafe. Since it was open after many days, the usual customers were talking with her and asking about her. They were always worried about Roseanne and the cafe. Roseanne was surveying the cafe when a customer who just entered from the door collided with her. The woman said as soon as she felt that Roseanne would be falling on her, “Hey, be careful.” However, the collision happened before she could make a difference. “I am sorry,” Roseanne whispered. She did not expect to cau
The next day Ellora visited the cafe again despite having a bad encounter there. She had coffee and continued the book that she was reading. She stayed there for more than four hours. When she was leaving she asked a waitress, “Where is that girl who showed me around yesterday?”Ellora wanted to meet Roseanne but she didn't see her anywhere. The barista had no idea who this lady was asking about. There were many redheads around. Which one in particular was she asking about? She asked very politely, “I am sorry mam, may I know what her name is?”Ellora said, “She did not tell me her name.”It was only now Ellora realised that she didn't ask that girl her name. “Can you tell me how she looks,” The barista asked. Ellora began explaining Roseanne's facial features, “Umm she is a redhead and has very bright blue eyes.”“And?” The barista said. As Ellora began describing her facial features, a face formed in her mind and she began realising something. The barista replied, “Oh, that's
After that day Ellora began visiting the cafe only to observe the girl, named Roseanne. She wanted to ignore it but each incident was bringing her closer to Roseanne. The suppressed emotions were finally finding an outlet. It had been five years since Anne died but she could not grieve for her. One day, Roseanne accompanied her for coffee. Ellora finally found an open chance to scrutinise Roseanne. She was finding similarities between Roseanne and Anne Rose. "Do you come here alone every day?” Roseanne questioned as she took a seat, holding the cup of cold coffee in her hand. “Yes.” Ellora answered, “I came to visit my son here but since he is busy with work all day. I have no entertainment and this place serves as one. It is a very lovely place.”“Yes, ”Roseanne said with a smile. This place was her pride. She put a lot of effort into making this place a dream come true. She turned people’s ideas for peace in a bookstore and coffee shop into a business idea. “Are you the manager
“Are you feeling alright?” Roseanne asked Ellora as the latter stopped crying. There was an air of awkwardness between the two of them after the crying session. Ellora did not realize that she would lose control of her emotions in front of Roseanne in such a bad way. She nodded her head, “Yes.”Taking a deep breath, she added, “I am sorry for troubling you. It's that I just could not control my emotions.”Her hidden emotions surfaced outside today.Roseanne softly smiled, “It’s okay. I understand.”Until this moment, she never tried to understand that her death might have affected anyone. She thought that she was only leaving Nicholas. But seeing Ellora crying for her broke her heart. When she was pushed into depression, she could not see any light in her life. She couldn't see that there were people who loved her or cared for her. Even if she could see people caring for her, it was her inferiority complex that would hit her each time and make her think how anybody could like her. Sh
When Nicholas reached the hospital, he saw Roseanne was waiting in the lobby. She seemed stressed about his mother as she was constantly walking back and forth. When she saw Nicholas, she walked to him immediately. Roseanne explained to him, “The doctors said that she is fine but she will be awake in some time.”The doctors were not explaining anything to her as she was not a family member. On constant imploring, she found out that Ellora was not in any grave danger. “What happened to her?” Nicholas asked her. This morning, when he met his mother, she seemed like her usual self. He did not notice her being sick. What happened in a couple of hours that she had to be hospitalized? Roseanne said, “They did not tell me. They were waiting for you.” Taking a pause she said, I will take you to the doctor’s cabin and he will explain you.”She took him to the doctor’s cabin who explained that Ellora fainted because of high blood pressure. The doctor told him, “The patient seemed to be unde
“Will it be okay if I see her?” Roseanne asked him in hesitation. Nicholas told her, “Yes, you can come with me.”He did not understand why she needed to be very formal with her. She could just drop this formality between them and everything would be normal. Roseanne shook her head, “No, Mr Hart. You meet your mother first, I will see her later.”Nicholas didn't force her. He went inside to see his mother. Sometimes, he wished he could know what was going on inside her head. Later, Roseanne Joined Nicholas after giving mother and son some alone time. She did not want to interrupt the emotional moment between mother and son. Ellora was pleasantly surprised to see Roseanne behind her son, “Roseanne, you came to see me?”Nicholas answered, “You fainted in her cafe, mom.”Suddenly, the events of the day began getting clear to her. When she woke up, everything was hazy. She did not properly remember anything. Seeing Roseanne made her recall everything, “Oh, I am sorry for worrying you
When Roseanne entered the kitchen, she poured water for Ellora. As she was returning to the room, she happened to see Nicholas on the way. Unspoken rage came to her as she said to him, “You should not leave your mother alone in this situation.”Just yesterday, he was talking about being such a bad son and today he went out, leaving his sick mother at home. Was his sadness even real? Nicholas tried to explain, “I didn't want to. I had work—”Roseanne was in no mood to listen to his bullshit. She scolded him by saying, “Mr Hart, is work more important than the health of your mother?”“How much more money do you want?”She asked him. He was richer than any man on the planet. Still, he wanted to earn more. For this stupid goal, he was ready to leave his mother all alone. Nicholas said, “It's not always about money”She asked, angrily, “Then, what's it about? Ego? Honour? Prestige.”She further said, “Our parents aren't always here for us. We should take care of them while we can. Not eve
“Have you ever been to Roseanne’s house?” Ellora asked her son who was reading reports. “What shall I bring for the children?”She had recovered a lot in the last week. Roseanne and Nicholas were taking turns to make her feel better. The kids were visiting her every day. They would take her for walks to the beach and entertain her. She felt very good in their company. Nicholas looked from his laptop and said, “No, I have not been to her place. And the kids love anything sweet.”“Hmm,” Ellora reacted. “What is going on with you and her?”It was not that she could not notice how her son would act around Roseanne each time she was here. He would try to draw her attention by annoying her. Although Roseanne would give him attention, it was mainly to scold him or give him a long lecture. He would not speak a word each time she was lecturing her. Nicholas quickly reacted. “What is going on between us?”“You like her,” Ellora quickly said. It was written all over his face. “What do you mea
EpilogueThree Years Later“Dr. Hart?”Abella turned around to see a nurse hurrying toward her.“The patient in the NICU is responding to the medication,” the nurse informed her. “Could you check on her?”Without hesitation, Abella rushed to the NICU, her heart throbbing fast. That morning, the baby girl’s condition had been critical, but now, as she looked into those tiny, bright eyes, she felt a wave of relief.“Hey there, sweetheart,” Abella cooed, smiling warmly. “You’re such a fighter. You fought so hard to be here with your mom and dad.”The baby stared up at her, and Abella’s heart melted.“Yes, you’re such a strong, big girl,” she whispered, gently touching the baby’s hand.Outside the NICU, the parents expressed their gratitude; their tearful smiles reminded Abella why she had chosen this path. In moments like these, she was reminded of how beautiful it was to help save these little angels. But there were also the heartbreaking days, the ones where some angels didn’t make it.
Meanwhile, Kate and Rhys were sitting with Anne.“Why is Aunt suddenly changing colors?” Rhys asked.“Because she knows she was wrong and wants back what she lost,” Kate said matter-of-factly.Anne chuckled. “Kate, as much as I love your straightforward attitude, I’d appreciate it if you toned it down in front of Emery. She is… well, very touchy and fussy.”Kate shrugged. “MIL, I have a complaint. Coco and Sia had a girls’ day without me! Can you imagine? I’m trying to be as cool as them, but they left me out!”Rhys suppressed a chuckle. “Yes, Mom, they left my dear Kate out.”Anne played along. “That’s terrible, I’ll scold them,”“Yes, scold them well,” Kate agreed, then added mischievously, “but don’t tell them I snitched. Just say it was Rhys.”Anne smiled. “Alright, dear.” Then, she glanced at Kate. “I saw you have been spending time with Abella. How’s that going? I know you two weren’t close.”Kate sighed. “Everyone coddles her too much. She is living in disillusionment. Coco and
It was a beautiful day that was filled with love, laughter, and cherished memories. Anne and Nicholas’s wedding anniversary had brought the entire family together, and the house was buzzing with warmth and joy.Nicholas turned to Anne as his eyes were soft with affection. “We have been together for forty years,” he said, a gentle smile on his lips.Anne smiled back, a touch of nostalgia in her gaze. “Yes, we made it this far.”Leaning in, Nicholas pressed a tender kiss to her lips. “Thank you for giving me the chance to be your husband.”Anne’s voice was barely above a whisper as she responded, “Thank you for fighting for us.”Just then, Leon and Coco appeared out of nowhere while wrapping their arms around their parents in a tight hug. “If anyone deserves the credit, it’s us!” Leon declared with a grin. “We made sure you two ended up together.”Nicholas and Anne exchanged amused glances before nodding. “Yes,” Nicholas agreed, “and we’re very thankful for your scheming. Turns out, it w
“Did you match into your preferred branch of residency?” Madam Facci asked, excitement filling her voice.Abella swallowed. “Ma, I’m still checking the results,” she admitted. “I’m scared.”“You have nothing to be scared of, my dear. Just look,” she heard. With a deep breath, Abella entered her credentials for the residency match. Her eyes darted across the screen as the words appeared before her.“I…” Her voice caught in her throat.“What is it?” Madam Facci asked eagerly.“Pediatrics…” Abella whispered in disbelief.A joyful gasp came from the other end. “Oh my god! I am so happy for you, dear!”Abella’s chest tightened as she read the rest. “With NYU…” she murmured. “If I accept it, I will have to stay in New York.”Was she ready for this?Madam Facci’s voice was warm and reassuring. “Whatever you choose, we are proud of you. You’ve worked hard for this. Don’t overthink it, just enjoy this moment. You did it, Abella. I’m so, so proud of you.”That evening, the entire family gather
Augustus Hart was born a healthy, chubby baby with a bald head, looking absolutely perfect in every way. His arrival was so sudden that only Callum and Estelle were present at the hospital when her water broke. They barely had time to inform anyone, but Abella rushed over as soon as she found out.The moment Callum stepped out of the delivery room and saw his sister waiting outside, a wave of emotions hit him all at once. Without hesitation, he pulled her into a tight hug.“Congratulations, brother. I’m so proud of you,” Abella whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek.Callum let out a shaky breath, still overwhelmed. “When did you get here?”“Just now,” she said with a smile. “How’s Estelle?”“Tired,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Still cursing me.”Abella chuckled. “And the baby?”“Just perfect,” Callum said, his eyes softening. “Come inside. She is going to be so happy to see you.”When Estelle saw Abella, she let out a small gasp before pulling her into a long, tight
After her divorce, Abella didn’t leave the country. Cillian had given her a staggering sum in alimony, even going as far as naming half of his assets to her, but she refused to take a single dime. She had her own inheritance. More money than she could ever need. But what could wealth do? It couldn’t buy her happiness. It couldn’t fill the void in her heart.Cillian knew her too well; he didn’t push her to accept anything. He let her go, even when it shattered him.When her mother lived in Italy with Coco and Leon, alongside her uncle Nate, she had bought a beautiful bungalow. It had never been sold, left untouched over the years. When Abella married Cillian, Leon had given her the key to that house as a quiet token of their family’s past. There were two bungalows beside each other, one where her mother had raised her two older siblings, and the other where her father had stayed, the place where her parents had met and reunited. One had been passed down to Charlotte, the other to Leon.
Cillian stared at her, his throat tightening as he heard the finality in her voice. He had imagined this conversation a thousand different ways, but none of them had prepared him for the calm and almost serene acceptance in her eyes.“Abella…” He whispered her name like a prayer, like a plea. “Can we please rethink this?”Abella smiled. It was a soft, bittersweet smile that made his chest ache.“Cillian, there is nothing to rethink,” she said gently. “Alessandro came to see me. He told me that he was leaving the country with his mother. He said he doesn’t want to come between us, that he would be happy if you called him once in a while and only if it was okay with me.” She let out a humorless chuckle. “That’s too big of a burden for me to carry. I mean, I don’t care how you navigate your relationship with your son. But I will give you one piece of advice: don’t be a jerk. Don’t hurt one more person. You have already hurt me, you have hurt him, and you have hurt his mother. Stop making
Cillian reached for her hand, his grip firm but trembling as well. “Abella, please listen to me. I’m sorry. I made a mistake by not telling you the truth. Can you please forgive me?” His voice cracked with desperation.She looked at him, her expression unreadable. “I don’t know,” she said softly.Cillian’s breath hitched, and he tried again. “Please, I’ll change. I’ll work on myself. Just give me a chance.” His hands clenched at his sides as if willing himself not to break apart. “I don’t want to see you like this, so shattered. You mean so fucking much to me. Please.”But to Abella, his words felt like echoes in an empty room. They were hollow and weightless. Once upon a time, she had longed to hear them, had dreamed of a moment where he would look at her like this, beg for her, choose her. But now? Now, they felt unimportant. They meant nothing.She exhaled, rubbing her temple. “I heard you. But my head is splitting apart, Cillian. Can you please just go back to your house? I just w
Madam Facci looked at her son, her expression undecipherable. She had seen Cillian walk through storms without flinching, but today, he stood before her looking utterly wrecked. His usually sharp eyes were bloodshot, his arm wound had reopened, staining his sleeve with fresh blood, yet none of that seemed to matter to him or anyone at this point.“What do you want, Cillian?” she asked, her voice firm but not unkind.“I’m here to see Abella,” he said. His voice was hoarse, almost desperate.Madam Facci crossed her arms. “I’m sure you have no idea what happened last night.”“I know,” he admitted, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. “I just want to explain things to her. She is overthinking this, and there is nothing much to overthink. I just—” He exhaled sharply. “I just want to make everything okay.”A wry smile tugged at Madam Facci’s lips, but there was no amusement in her eyes. “Son,” she said, “we can never tell someone what is worth overthinking or not. For you, th