Chapter 913 Old Mrs. Fuller Is Almost at Her Limit
Toby’s frown softened. “It’s okay. I didn’t ask Mary to wake you up because I think it’s most important for you to rest.”
After all, Rose’s health would only recover after she had rested enough. However, it was true that she had been resting for a little too long! He always knew that she had a habit of taking an afternoon nap, and she had had this habit since she was young and had never changed for decades. Besides, her afternoon nap had always been only two hours, which was from one o’clock to three o’clock, and she had always gone to sleep and woke up on time.
Now, however, Rose had already been resting for four hours, from one o’clock to the current time. Although it was a good thing to be able to fall asleep, sometimes it was also not good to sleep for too long, especially for people of her age. If a person slept for too long, it was most probably because their body functions were getting worse and they spent less and less time awake.
Thinking that, Toby pursed his thin lips and looked at Rose’s head. As he looked at her hair that was as white as snow, he felt his heart ache. At that moment, he truly realized that Rose was turning old.
“Mary.” Toby retracted his gaze and looked at Mary, who was supporting Rose on the other side.
When Mary heard him calling for her, she immediately turned around. “Is there anything wrong, Young Master Toby?”
“Did Grandma only sleep for so long today, or has she been sleeping for this long recently?” Toby held Rose’s hand and asked, his throat tightening slightly.
Mary seemed to know the meaning behind his question, and looked at Rose with a flash of grief in her eyes.
Rose naturally understood, but she only smiled and said, “It’s okay, Mary. If Toby wants to know, just tell him.”
“Old Mrs. Fuller…”
“Toby will find out sooner or later anyway. It’s fine, just tell him.” Rose patted Mary on the back of her hand soothingly.
Mary opened her mouth, and after a while, she nodded with a small sob. “Okay, I’ll say it. Young Master Toby, Old Mrs. Fuller has indeed been taking longer and longer breaks recently, but they aren’t continuous. She only sleeps for this long every two or three days. On other days, it’s the same as usual; she only has a two-hour afternoon nap.”
When Toby heard that, his stiff expression relaxed a little. Although Rose had been resting longer and longer now, it wasn’t every day, which showed that her health had not deteriorated that badly yet. If she had been sleeping for this long every day, it would be really troublesome.
“Grandma.” After Toby helped Rose sit down in a wooden chair, he looked at her seriously and said, “Remember the nursing home I mentioned to you earlier? This time, no matter what you say, you have to go.”
Back then, after Rose was hospitalized, Tim told him that she only had two years left. Hence, Toby wanted to send her to the nursing home, hoping that she could live for a few more years.
Later, he told Rose about everything, including her physical condition, in hopes that she would listen to him and go to the nursing home. However, she rejected the idea, saying that the nursing home was not as comfortable as being at home, and refused to go there. He couldn’t win over her, and seeing that she was in good spirits, he thought it would be fine to go some time later.
However, he didn’t expect that the time Rose spent awake would start decreasing this early. The less time she was awake, it meant that her health was deteriorating faster. If this continued, she might not be able to hold on for two years. Therefore, this time, he would make Rose go no matter what; he would not let her have her way anymore.
When Mary heard Toby’s words, she nodded quickly. “Yes, Old Mrs. Fuller, Young Master Toby is right. You really have to go to the nursing home. With your current condition…”
Mary’s voice became more and more choked as she spoke, and she couldn’t finish her sentence in the end.
Rose looked at her serious-looking eldest grandson, then at the crying Mary, and sighed. “All right, you two. It’s not like this is a big deal. Life and death are fated, so this is very normal and I can accept it calmly. Besides, isn’t it enough that I’ve lived this age? If I keep hanging on, wouldn’t I turn out to be an old monster? Besides, Toby, didn’t I tell you before? I miss your grandfather. He has been waiting for me down there for so long. I don’t want him to have to wait for me any longer after preparing for my arrival. I’m afraid he will be impatient and leave first. When I go down there, I won’t be able to find him then.”
As Toby listened to the longing for his grandfather in Rose’s tone, his forceful words suddenly got stuck in his throat, and he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even know what to do!
He wanted her to go to the nursing home, but she was unwilling. Even if he forcibly sent her over, if she was in a bad mood, the treatment in the nursing home would not be effective. However, if she didn’t go and he obeyed her wishes, letting her stay, he would still feel the same pain in his heart while watching Rose’s gradually failing health. Hence, he really didn’t know what to do.
The same was true of Mary on the side, who was crying so much that she didn’t know if she should continue. Rose looked at Toby, who was frowning silently, and then at Mary, who was grieving on her own by the side, and knew that her words had upsetted them.
Thus, she smiled and gave two claps. “Okay, okay, let’s not talk about this anymore. Toby, why were you looking for me?”
Toby knew that Rose had deliberately changed the subject and didn’t want to continue dwelling on the matter. He pursed his lips and replied, “I came to confirm one thing with you.”
“Tell me,” Rose said with a nod, picking up her cup of tea and blowing on it gracefully.
Toby looked at her. “Grandma, I want to know, were you aware about my mother deliberately raising me to be Connor’s replacement in the past?”
As soon as he said that, Rose paused in her motions. Even Mary, who was massaging Rose’s shoulders, widened her eyes in shock.
Toby watched the reactions of the two elders, his eyes darkening. He remained silent, waiting for them to speak.
About two minutes later, Rose covered her cup without taking a sip and placed it on the small table beside her before looking at him seriously. “How did you know about this?”
“So it seems what I said is true?” Toby did not answer her rhetorical question.
Rose nodded before letting out another sigh. “It’s true. Your mother did do this. When I found out about it, I couldn’t believe how a mother could do such an unreasonable thing, but at that time, your mother had already passed away, so I couldn’t get angry or hold her accountable anymore. I could only swallow the secret angrily and not let you know. I knew very well that although you have been deliberately raised by your mother into a very gentle child, your nature and arrogance were still there, so it would be absolutely impossible for you to accept it. I figured once you found out about this, not only would you resent your mother, but you would do unthinkable things next.”
At this point, Rose’s expression became complicated. “Although I’m angry with your mother for doing something like this, I don’t want you to hate your mother and harbor any resentment toward her. No matter what, she brought you to life and gave you maternal love. Even if this love of hers contained selfish motives, nothing in the past was faked. So I would rather you don’t know anything and want your mother to remain as her best in your heart forever.”
She looked at him. “I originally thought that after your mother died, if I kept quiet, this matter would remain a secret, but I didn’t expect that you would still find out after I had deliberately hidden it for so long.”
Toby clenched his fists and replied in a deep voice, “As long as Connor is alive, this matter can’t be hidden forever.”
