âNo need to answer.
Iâve seen enough.
If there were passion, you wouldnât bury yourself in work,â Sanford cut in, hitting a nerve.
Britton tried to argue but ended up looking away awkwardly.
Softening his tone, Sanford said, âI know youâre open-minded.
Letâs just chat as if we were friends today.
â
Britton stayed silent, letting Sanford talk.
âOur familyâs already top dog in Wragos.
We donât need alliances through marriage.
And hey, they donât always guarantee success, right?â
Sanford reasoned.
âI once loved a regular girl, but Mom got in the way and I compromised.
But later, I met Maggie and didnât want to give up on her.
She might just be the one.
â
After a pause, he added, âDad, Iâm not asking for a thumbs up now.
Just stay neutral for now.
Maggieâs great.
Mom might come around.
â
Sanfordâs words were earnest, strong, and brave.
Britton eyed his son, who was shining brighter than his younger days.
After a pause, he gave a quiet sigh and gave his shoulder a pat.
âEnough with the talk.
If I was old-school, Iâd be tougher than your mom,â he hinted, signaling he was cool with it all and staying neutral.
Sanford grinned.
âThanks, Dad.
â
Britton added, âBut, Sanford, just a reminder: tread carefully with Millie.
We donât want the Morenos getting all worked up.
â
Sanford nodded.
âGot it.
â
âAlright, go ahead.
â
âsure thing.
â
They wrapped up and headed into the hospital room.
Maggie stood by Janiyaâs bed, keeping vigil.
Despite mentally prepping herself to face Sanfordâs parents, she felt a knot of nerves.
She wondered what Britton and Sanford had talked about.
By the looks of it, no tempers had flared.
Sanford approached, giving her a reassuring smile, taking her hand.
Maggieâs eyes searched his face, curious.
Sanford gently traced her palm with his finger, silent.
Maggie was speechless.
Right now, he was still trying to charm her!