That afternoon, Elliot and Avery stopped by, having heard from Layla that she planned to move in with Eric. They realized that Eric had agreed to a relationship with Layla, and their new status warranted a discussion.
Avery did not have much to say to Eric as he would be too busy recovering, and this meant that Layla would be dominating the relationship.
Eric had always spoiled Layla and would give up on whatever he wanted in favor of whatever she wanted.
Once the two arrived, Mrs. Santos hurried out to ask if they had eaten.
"We have, so don't worry about us. Sit down and take a break!" Avery pulled Mrs. Santos down to sit next to her. "Elliot and I came over because Layla said she is going to move in with Eric. It's good that they decided to be together. They know each other well, and because of that, we aren't worried about them getting into arguments in the future."
Mrs. Santos smiled weakly. "Eric is lucky to be loved by Layla. She is such a brilliant and beautiful girl, and everyone loves her! Our Eric just isn't lucky enough, I suppose!" she sighed. "We don't even know how long he gets to be with Layla."
Avery understood her concern. "Don't overthink this. They will take however long they have with one another."
"Yeah," Mrs. Santos said and offered enthusiastically, "Why don't you stay for dinner? Eric can't head out right now, so it's best to dine here at home."
Avery nodded. "Wouldn't that be too much work for you?"
"Of course, not. I bought a lot of groceries today, and the servant will help, so it's no trouble at all." Mr. Santos smiled.
"Good. About Layla and Eric, Elliot and I feel the same. We won't interfere with what they do in life, but if they need help, we will do our best to support them," Avery said.
Mrs. Santos nodded in contentment. "I feel the same. Young people should have their own lives, so we won't interfere either. It's just that considering Eric's condition, Layla will have a tough time from now on."
"Is there any other way to fight rejection other than taking medicine?" Mrs. Santos desperately wished that her son could have the life of an ordinary person.
"That's the only option for the moment. Under no circumstances can he stop the medication. He needs to check in with the hospital every once in a while, and if he responds well, the doctor will lessen the dose." Avery had been consulting the doctors in Aryadelle since her return. "This is already the best-case scenario. Once the dose is lessened, he can live like a normal person and can have his own children."
Both Mrs. Santos and Layla beamed at her words.
"Again, that's the best-case scenario, and it's still too early to draw any conclusions. There's no rush, though. I'm sure he will get there as long as he takes care of himself."
After chatting for a while, Layla dragged Mr. Santos and Elliot into a game of poker as they had already sorted everything but it was still too early for dinner.
"Ivy, do you want to join us?" Layla asked.
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