"Good things take time."
Claire comforted Mrs. Ingram.
Felix completely ignored his mother.
If he gave her even an ounce of attention, she would only become more dramatic.
Zara, however, was an expert at sweet-talking. "Mrs. Ingram, your son is incredibly handsome. I'm sure he'll find you a lovely daughter-in-law someday."
"He's got the looks, but unfortunately, he lacks the charm to win over a future mother-in-law."
This was Mrs. Ingram's biggest worry.
"Guys who are too smooth usually turn out to be players anyway. A mother-in-law might not even like that," Zara consoled her between delicate bites of her food.
Once everyone had finished eating, Mrs. Ingram reached over and took Claire's hand.
"Claire, you have no idea. Thank God you saved me. The pain was unbearable— worse than childbirth!"
Felix was speechless. Mom, that's not what you used to say.
She had always sworn that giving birth to him was the most agonizing experience of her life.
Claire completely understood where Mrs. Ingram was coming from.
Kidney stones were notoriously excruciating.
Many people were driven to the brink of madness by that intense, sudden agony.
It was clear Mrs. Ingram had lived a pampered life; it was perfectly normal that she had a lower tolerance for pain.
"Mrs. Ingram, anyone in that situation would have stepped up to help if they could."
"Please don't dwell on it."
But Felix's mother adamantly disagreed.
"People can be so cold these days. Not everyone would have stopped to help me."
"Most would just try to avoid the liability. Even as a medical student, without a formal Medical License, you could have easily faced a barrage of criticism for intervening."
"That's exactly why your hesitation-free willingness to help me is so incredibly precious."
Mrs. Ingram wasn't naive to the ways of the world.
Because she understood how cynical society had become, she didn't blame those who turned a blind eye.
But when someone did step up, her gratitude multiplied tenfold.
"I prepared a small token of appreciation. I hope you three girls won't mind it."
Although Claire was the one who
had primarily saved her, Mrs. Ingram
had graciously invited all three roommates to dinner and prepared
gifts for each of them. Content-
Claire and her friends immediately tried to decline. "We just came for dinner. There's really no need for gifts."
"Exactly, Mrs. Ingram. We only got to eat here because of Claire. How could we let
you spend more money on us?"
Skye shook her head vehemently.
She knew when it was appropriate to accept something and when it wasn't.
Zara, who lacked for nothing, was even more direct.
"Mrs. Ingram, I really can't accept this."
Mrs. Ingram instinctively looked at her son for backup.
Felix had no choice but to intervene. "Just take them. My mom made these by hand. They aren't expensive."
Only then did the three girls peer into the gift bags.
They found beautifully handcrafted floral bouquets. Paired with the elegant packaging, they looked absolutely stunning.....
Contel
"You can use them as decorations for your dorm or at home. Just don't judge my
crafting skills too harshly."
The girls were thrilled.
The handmade gifts might not have cost a fortune, but they were gorgeous!
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Ingram!"
Skye beamed, clutching her bouquet tightly.
Zara gracefully accepted hers as well.
Claire had no reason to refuse.
Besides, Mrs. Ingram was genuinely talented; Claire's bouquet was entirely
composed of stunning tulips.
It wasn't until Claire returned to net
she realized her bag
roomd more than just the
Wanting.
flowers. There was also a
There was a postcard, handwritten by Mrs. Ingram.
It expressed her deep gratitude and explained that the artwork was a personal gift.
Claire unrolled the canvas. It was a portrait of her.
The resemblance was uncanny!
At the bottom, Claire noticed the signature: Agave.