I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 209

Seeing Gavin and Sophie sitting across the table, nodding solemnly at his wife like two obedient students, Graham couldn't help but chuckle.

"Your mother is stealing my job. I'm usually the one giving the students life lectures."

He was typically a man of great authority, but his joke instantly broke the heavy atmosphere.

Noticing Gavin smiling fondly at Sophie, Graham continued, "Your mother can be intense, but she's absolutely right. Bumps in the road are inevitable. Sometimes in a marriage, one of you will be moving faster than the other. The fast one needs to stop and wait, and the slow one needs to quicken their pace to catch up. A marriage requires not just love, but strategy and wisdom."

Sophie and Gavin nodded again, just like perfect students.

Sarah sat quietly to the side, watching Graham and Gillian impart their wisdom to the couple, her eyes growing hot with unshed tears.

Only parents this reasonable and wise could have raised someone as compassionate and tolerant as Gavin.

Over the past year, she had watched her daughter blossom under Gavin's steady presence, transforming from a girl with sorrow in her eyes to someone whose face was always lit up with joy. She felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward him.

With in-laws like this, Sophie's future would undoubtedly be a happy one.

Sarah had never met the right person, but her daughter had. The blessings Sarah had missed out on, her daughter had finally found.

Lost in her emotional thoughts, Sarah suddenly realized everyone was staring at her. Blushing furiously in her confusion, she looked at Sophie for help.

"Gillian was asking if you had any financial expectations or wedding traditions you'd like us to honor," Sophie gently prompted her.

Sarah had been so deep in thought she completely missed Gillian asking the question twice.

"No expectations at all. As long as Gavin and Sophie live a happy life together, I don't need a single thing," Sarah quickly clarified.

She truly didn't want anything. All she cared about was her daughter's happiness.

"We aren't completely familiar with the customs here, so if you don't have any specific requests, we'll just handle everything according to our family's traditions."

"That sounds wonderful to me."

Sarah nodded with a bright smile, not even bothering to ask what those traditions entailed.

"Have you two looked at houses yet? If you found the right one, we can put down the deposit today. Renovations and furniture shopping take a lot of time."

Gillian looked expectantly at Gavin and Sophie.

Gavin remembered exactly how much she loved terraces. Back when he visited her family home, she had always made time to sit out on the patio with her grandmother every morning and evening.

She also adored the glass-roofed attic in her old house. When they had looked up at the stars from that attic, she told him how much she dreamed of owning a place just like it.

"That price..." Sarah hesitated, looking nervously at Sophie.

"Gavin and I can split it fifty-fifty."

Sophie truly loved the place. It was her absolute dream home.

She'd be getting her year-end bonus soon, so they could put down the deposit now and cover the rest of the down payment by winter.

Gillian smiled warmly at Sophie, then reached over and flicked Gavin lightly on the forehead. "Are you not embarrassed?"

Gavin chuckled, leaning in to whisper to Sophie, "With my mother around, she'd never let me spend my woman's money."

Operating with her signature terrifying efficiency, Gillian spent her seven-day vacation recreating her romantic honeymoon, meeting the in-laws, and buying her son a luxury penthouse.

With all major tasks flawlessly executed, she and Graham flew back home, completely satisfied.