They had been married for more than twenty years. Liberty knew very well how
much Duncan loved her. He had kept to his wedding vow— to always treat her well, cherish her for the rest of his life, and never let her be hurt or bullied again.
It was a wonderful thing growing old together like this.
"Once the children grow up and are independent, we won't need to worry about them so much anymore. They know what they're doing and what they should be doing.
"Jiggy doesn't need us to worry about her anymore, let alone Sonny."
Their son was already in his thirties and was even more reliable than she was. Duncan smiled and dropped the subject.
He was not worried about Sonny's marriage either. With Sonny's intelligence, he was sure to find a good wife.
"Next month is my mother's ninetieth birthday. Let's go home and celebrate with her."
Corey remained in good health despite her advanced age. She often said she intended to live to a hundred.
"Of course. Let's go back a week early and spend some quality time with both of them."
Liberty felt guilty whenever she thought about her in-laws. She and Duncan rarely had time to take care of them. She had taken their youngest son away from them, but even after they married, her in-laws never once blamed her. They treated her like their own daughter.
Whenever there was a holiday, she returned home as early as she could so the elderly couple would not spend too long a time waiting for them.
Corey had four sons. The other three lived nearby and were always around her. However, the one who was not by her side was the one she missed the most.
Now that her children had grown and had their own lives, Liberty wanted to return early for Corey's birthday and spend time with her and Derek. She could also visit Serenity while she was there. Their aunt Audrey was also getting on in years, and she hadn't visited her in a long time.
Audrey was slightly older than Corey and had celebrated her ninetieth birthday earlier in the year.
Those who had known the late Grandma May well had all learned her approach to maintaining good health. They knew how to live with happy heart. Of course, their comfortable circumstances helped too, with not much worries and could simply enjoy their fetirement.
"Great."
There was gratitude in Duncan's voice.
He had lived in Jensburg for many years and left his siblings and in-laws to care for their parents. Now that he was in his sixties, and his children were all grown up, gradually began to understand his parents' feelings. He also realized he should have taken care of them better.
He often wished he could go back and spend more time with them.
Knowing his wife understood him and had even suggested going back early to keep his parents company made him feel different. His heart felt lighter than ever.
"I'm sorry, Duncan."
"Why are you suddenly apologizing? Wait, are you seeing someone else? You can't leave me! I'm yours. My money is yours too. If you don't want me anymore, I'll have nothing left."
Liberty immediately smacked his arm, laughing as she scolded him. "What nonsense are you saying? How could I possibly have someone else?"
Duncan laughed. "I'm just teasing you. I trust that my wife will never leave me."
Then, his smile faded, and he said seriously, Honey, I don't like hearing you say those two words to me. You've never done anything wrong to me. Everything I've done has been my choice."
As expected of a married couple, Duncan immediately understood why Liberty apologized.
She felt guilty because he had followed her to Jensburg instead of staying by his parents' side to care for them.