A Second Chance at Forever (Eleanor and Bernard) novel Chapter 1507

Peterson’s wedding was over, Eleanor packed up with the two kids and after crashing at the Sharps' for a few days, they headed back to their homeland.

Life resumed its usual pace. The only hitch was the silent tension between father and son, but otherwise, things were running pretty smoothly.

George, Pearce Hooper, and Evelyn Ziegler would occasionally drop in to visit Nina. Fate had intertwined their lives because of her, and they’d often bump into each other. Eventually, they just teamed up, making it a ritual to check in on her together.

Pearce was still the same old dude, gaming, collecting gold, living that laid-back slacker life. But at the same time, he ran Ethan and Emilia’s company like a tight ship.

To avoid hopping between countries, Pearce merged the two family businesses and set up shop right where Emilia and Ethan’s love story began. He rechristened it E&E Architecture Inc., the company’s brochure a testament to a top-tier designers’ romance.

Thanks to his marketing, everyone knew their story. Some felt bad for Emilia, others mourned Ethan’s loss. There was a lot of back and forth, but no one could really judge the timing of their love – one arrived too early, the other too late.

As for George, he was getting on in years and had hung up his scalpel. After passing on his wisdom to his students, he embraced the good life – fishing, sipping coffee, and soaking up nature’s splendor. His one constant was the annual pilgrimage with Pearce and Evelyn to see Nina. George’s life was uncomplicated, free from the pursuit of a partner.

The trio had its share of heartache, especially Evelyn. She didn't live to see Nina grow up; cancer took her down. Chemo was hell, and she chose euthanasia.

Before she passed, she left the Hooper and Ziegler fortunes to Nina. At twelve, Nina became the third richest girl in A Country, set for life.

On Evelyn’s final day, Eleanor brought Nina to say goodbye. The once haughty and imperious Evelyn was now a shadow of her former self, her hair gone, her face marked, and her body wasted away.

Knowing Nina was coming, she put on makeup, trying to mask the exhaustion in her eyes.

Even so, when she saw Nina, she managed a gentle smile. “Nina…”

Her trembling hand reached out, gripping Nina’s arm. “Granny made many mistakes in her youth, hurt your mother, harmed your father. I’m sorry to them, and to you…”