Chapter 471 Do We Need to Introduce Ourselves?
To celebrate Alexander’s discharge as well as Courtney’s birthday, Oliver had arranged a barbeque party at Duncan’s ancestral home and invited all of their close friends. Gale and Cameron arrived with their son and daughter while Bill brought a pregnant Natasha along. Alicia was invited too, but no one knew whether she would show up.
Gale’s youngest daughter, Apple, was not even a hundred days old. She waved her hands vigorously while lying in the cradle, as if she wanted to play with everyone, but her body was too small for her to wiggle out of the cradle.
Apart from Apple, Josephine was the youngest of the children. She was curious about babies and stood beside the stroller all the time to observe Apple.
“She’s so small.”
“Yes.” Cameron looked at Josephine with a gentle expression and continued, “You were even smaller than her when you were born.”
Josephine nodded in response. Seemingly thinking, she said, “It’s amazing that humans can grow from this small to this large.”
Hearing that, Cameron couldn’t help but caress the child’s head. “Can you help me to look after Apple for a while? I need to check when dinner is ready.”
“Sure.” Josephine gave a nod. She then sat quietly on the stool in front of the baby stroller to stare at Apple.
The barbeque stand had been set up in front of the swimming pool, and both Gale and Bill were working on it. As Alexander was still recovering, they did not ask him to help. Instead, he was in the house helping Courtney prepare the desserts.
Seeing that, Cameron walked to Gale and signaled him to look inside the house.
“Do you think that Courtney and Alexander are about to reconcile?”
After hearing her words, Gale took a glance at the house and thoughtfully nodded. “That’s what I feel as well, but Alex is still suffering from brain injuries and he may not remember this. Why not try to be a middleman later?”
“That’s exactly what I intend to do.”
They both immediately saw eye to eye.
Oliver approached them with a stick of grilled meat in his hand and asked, “What are you all talking about?”
“You came at the right time. We’ve got something to tell you.”
The both of them told Oliver thereafter what they had just discussed.
“Would that be appropriate?” Oliver was hesitant about the idea. “Alexander has not regained his memory yet. Wouldn’t it be unfair to Courtney?”
“Of course not.” Cameron, who had a candid personality, said bluntly, “Their situations have always been confusing; that’s how they have gotten to who they are today. If everything was clear, the relationship would have ended long ago. We should just let them be together now, in case all of us onlookers suffer.”
Since she was on this subject, she couldn’t help but start ranting. “I tried so hard to keep everything about her from Alexander that I can’t even sleep well at night, worrying that I would blurt it out in my dreams and Gale would overhear.”
“How dare you bring this up!” With his brow raised, Gale said, “I haven’t settled our scores in this. How dare you hide it from me! Do you still treat me as your husband?”
“Well, if you don’t want to be my husband, there’re lots of people lining up for such an opportunity and to become my children’s father.
“Hey, you are being overboard.”
Seeing them in this manner, Oliver was at a loss for words.
Meanwhile, Bill was assisting Natasha in getting outside for some fresh air. She was already in her seventh month of pregnancy, so her stomach was as round as a ball. Yet, she was still as energetic as ever and working on Citron Apparel’s search for a new supplier.
“I’m fine; you don’t need to stay by my side. Go and help them out. All the children are hungry.”
However, he remained cautious with a stern face, seemingly anxious over every step she took.
“Be careful. The path is uneven.”
“This is a pebbled path. It would never be even, Bill.”
“You should go back into the house. There’s too much smoke here.”
“But the house is too humid, and too much air conditioning is bad for the child.”
“Oh, you’re right.”
Tess, who was standing beside and looking at them all this while, teased him. “Bill, I guess you’ll have a mental breakdown after Natasha gives birth.”
Hearing that, Bill raised his head and said with an indifferent expression, “You’re just the pot calling the kettle black. When you’re pregnant, Oliver will be more worried than I am now.”
“That’s impossible,” she certainly replied. “The guys from the Duncans would not be this attentive. Look at Alexander, his wife gave birth to three children but he was never by her side.”
“Don’t twist the truth; he couldn’t because of the circumstances at the time. If Courtney had a fourth child in the future, he would never leave her side.”
Tess gave a look of disbelief.
“These kids, can they just stop fooling around?” Alicia arrived late, and seeing that the courtyard was in a mess, she caught hold of Ethan and warned, “Be careful. You’ll be dead if you knock Natasha.”
Ethan was Gale’s eldest son. Just after he heard what Alicia said, he stuck out his tongue to her and escaped by removing his shirt and leaving it in Alicia’s grasp.
“Where’s your shirt, Ethan? Stop there!” Cameron ran after him immediately.
Everyone laughed seeing that. At that moment, it was really lively in the courtyard.
In the evening, the barbequed dishes were served one after another. Warm yellow lights brightened in the yard and shone into the house through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making the interior appear warm.
Everyone was here except for Old Master Duncan, who was recuperating in the hospital. All of them were sitting together around the dining table.
“Do we have to introduce ourselves to you, our brother who has forgotten about us?” Gale teasingly looked at Alexander.
To that, Alexander gave a mocking glare, as if he were looking at a moron. “Courtney has told me about every one of you.”
He began calling out everyone’s name from his left. When he arrived at Alicia, he followed Courtney’s lead and addressed her as Aunt Alicia, which caused everyone to exchange glances.
Cameron immediately gave Gale a hint, which he picked up on. “It’s Courtney’s birthday today, and also to celebrate Alexander’s survival and discharge, let’s cheer,” he said, raising his glass.
All of them followed.
After that, he cleared his throat and started saying, “Life is short, and what matters most is who we spend it with. Look at us––everyone we love, including our friends, elders, and children, is living happily. Though I may sound unambitious, what I have now is already sufficient for me.”
Everyone was waiting for what he was about to continue.
“So, it’s important to treasure the time and the people you have now.”
Alexander raised his head and nodded in agreement. As if he thought of something, he then said, “What you said is true.”
Gale was elated to hear that. “Right? You understood what I meant?”
“Of course.” Alexander then looked at Oliver and said, “You should start preparing for your marriage with Tessa. I heard from Courtney that our family has been chasing you for it. You’re so inconsiderate; Grandpa is in such poor health, yet you still refuse to listen to his words.”
“What? What has this got to do with me?” Oliver was shocked. “Isn’t Alexander the subject of this topic?”
The moment he finished his words, everyone fell into silence.
Tess glared at him resentfully as if she was looking at a moron.
Courtney and Alexander, on the other hand, looked at each other and laughed. “Why is it about us? We’re already married.”
