Chapter 989: The very gift of life

[SKYLINE PLAZA]

Penny scrunched up her nose, shaking her head in disbelief. "First things first, I’m not worried about their love lives. I don’t care. Grandma just... she misunderstood me and I didn’t have the heart to tell her that they’re a hopeless bunch."

Allison and Zoren smiled at her before they both chuckled. Their reaction made Penny’s brows rise.

"What?" Penny asked, pouting a little as she darted her eyes between the two of them. "I’m telling the truth!"

"We know that," Allison replied, her laughter subsiding as she cast Zoren a knowing look. "We both know you’re too busy to worry about that, especially when it comes to your brothers."

"Then why...?"

"Mom simply doesn’t want them polluting the house and pouring their bad energy in here," Zoren explained. "Those are her words, not mine."

Allison shrugged nonchalantly when Zoren cast her a quick glance. After their meal the night before and their agreement, Zoren went to Allison to tell her that it was probably his grandmother’s idea. Knowing Old Mrs. Pierson, Zoren didn’t want his wife to be in trouble because of his grandmother. To his surprise, Allison was already aware of that.

Why would Penny worry about her brothers?

Penny was already too busy and had a lot on her plate. She might not have verbally detailed everything to her mother, but Allison knew her daughter’s life was more hectic than it seemed. Considering Penny ran a huge company, the Prime Group, and married into one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Anteca, Allison wasn’t ignorant.

Allison had also been the matriarch of the Bennet Family at one point. If not for Charles, she would’ve lived a life of pressure just to meet people’s expectations of the Bennet family’s matriarch.

"Besides, it’s time for them to think about their future," Allison explained nonchalantly. "Since all three of them are on break, they should at least try dating women in their prime. Although I’m more hopeful that Haines will meet someone he’ll want to spend the rest of his life with."

"Mom, are you tired of having a third wheel all these years?" Penny asked out of pure curiosity.

Allison flashed her daughter a gentle smile. "Why would I get tired of having your uncle Haines around? He’s been very helpful and has always been a great support for your father and me. If not for him, I would’ve long given up on your father in the early days of our relationship."

"Huh?" Penny tilted her head while Zoren’s ears perked up. "You almost broke up with Dad? I never heard about that... but then again..."

Penny trailed off, looking up as she imagined her father. Even Zoren looked up, imagining Charles in his prime.

"Is he a playboy?" Zoren murmured while rubbing his chin. "He sometimes reminds me of Ray."

"It’s a good thing your father-in-law isn’t here to hear that," Allison chuckled, watching Zoren innocently look in her direction. "Otherwise, you’d be spending the next three hours listening to how faithful and pure he was." She smirked. "Anyway, my relationship with your dad hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows. There were days we couldn’t see eye to eye and times when I didn’t understand him."

Her lips curled into a smile as she took the opportunity to impart some wisdom to her daughter and Zoren. "Marriage isn’t a fairytale. It requires love, selflessness, patience, understanding, and falling in love as many times as it takes with the same person. At some point, it becomes about choosing the person you want to struggle with, the one you want to go through all the ups and downs with — it’ll be a choice you make every day."

"So you two..." Allison paused, studying Zoren’s and Penny’s faces.

"You’re still in the honeymoon stage, but when the time comes that you don’t see eye to eye anymore and everything becomes difficult, ask yourself one question," Allison continued, pausing as she nodded at Penny and Zoren. "Is this person worth fighting for? If the answer is yes, then there you go."

Penny and Zoren slowly smiled at her before looking at each other. They nodded in understanding, smiling and appreciating what Allison was trying to tell them.

"Don’t worry about us not seeing eye to eye. I have bad eyesight to begin with," Zoren reassured, making his mother-in-law and Penny laugh. "Why? I’m telling the truth."

"Oh, Zoren." Allison shook her head. "I’m not worried at all."

Penny beamed. "Me neither," she giggled. "I’m not worried about that either."

This time, it was Zoren who raised his brows, darting his eyes between his wife and mother-in-law. After a moment, he shrugged and chuckled along with them. He might not fully understand what was funny about the truth he uttered, but he would stay true to his words.

If being with Penny was his choice, he was certain she would be stuck with him forever. There was no way in hell or even in heaven that he would ever let go of her. Even if the Gods and the devil themselves asked him to, he wouldn’t.

---

After the brief breakfast, Allison told Penny to go back to her room and rest some more. Penny had a high fever the night before, and Allison was worried that Penny would fall sick again if she didn’t rest enough. Penny asked for just a short break, and they agreed.

This explains why Penny was idling in the kitchen while Allison did the dishes. Zoren, on the other hand, went out to feed Renny and find Chunchun.

Leaning on the counter and watching Allison do the dishes, Penny smacked her lips. "Thanks, Mom."

"Hmm?" Allison turned her head toward Penny, her eyes briefly leaving the dishes. "Why are you thanking me? I just made you breakfast — like usual."

"For not asking about last night."

This time, Allison settled her gaze on her daughter. A gentle smile immediately formed on her face, and she nodded in understanding.

"You don’t have to thank me for that," Allison said. "But I have to tell you that when things get overwhelming for you, you can always come home to me and your father."

Penny pursed her lips and nodded. "I will... next time."

"Our home is always open to you; it’s also your home and your husband’s."

"Thank you, Mom." Penny’s eyes softened, her heart filled with gratitude as she thought about why she hadn’t gone to anyone when things were too overwhelming for her.

In the past, Allison and Charles hadn’t been around at times like these, since they had both reunited in the paradise above. So when Penny was overwhelmed, she had been used to shutting herself in her room or crying herself to sleep.

Slowly, Penny pushed herself away from the counter and hugged her mother from behind. Resting her chin on Allison’s shoulder, the latter glanced over her shoulder and chuckled.

"I love you, Mom," Penny whispered, her eyes shining beautifully at Allison.

Allison smiled. "If you do, then you should visit us more often," she replied.

"Mom, you’re not like this before. When I tell you I love you, you always tell me you love me back. But now, you sound like Aunt Jessa."

"Haha, I’ve been spending every day with her for the past few years, so it rubs off," Allison quipped before tilting her head toward Penny. "I love you, my princess."

Penny giggled, keeping her arms locked around Allison while the latter continued to do the dishes.

Last night, the information Penny had heard from Finn overwhelmed her. To think that Finn even held back meant there was more to it. But at the end of the day, this was neither the past nor the future; it was the present. The very gift of life.

Though the goal was still far, she had come a long way.