The last shred of Mable's anxiety vanished completely.
So this young girl really was part of the same clan. That meant zero competition.
Who knows, she might even end up being Yolanda's sister-in-law in the future. Best to get on her good side now.
"In that case, let me ask you something. Does Dewitt have a girlfriend out in the city?"
"You see, my cousin is interested in meeting him, but she's worried he might already have someone, which would just cause a huge misunderstanding."
"It's better to get the facts straight now so we can mentally prepare."
Claire hadn't expected the woman to be so incredibly blunt. She shook her head. "I haven't heard anything about him having a girlfriend."
"But my cousin works all the way out in Kaston. Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this blind date?"
Claire herself could never stomach an international long-distance relationship, though she couldn't speak for anyone else.
Mable shot Yolanda a look, signaling her to keep quiet and let her handle the talking.
Yolanda hesitated. "It's fine. If he goes away for work, I can stay here and take care of his parents for him."
"It's just that after we get married, I might need to take care of my own parents too. I don't know if he would be okay with that."
This Yolanda really was honest to a fault.
She was literally negotiating her marriage terms in front of a total stranger.
While Pearce and Patti might appreciate a straightforward girl like this, Dewitt probably wouldn't feel the same.
"You're marrying him, not selling yourself into servitude. No matter who you marry, you absolutely have the right to care for your own parents."
"As long as Dewitt wants to be with you, I'm sure he won't have any issues with that."
"But, are you entirely sure you actually like him?"
"If you marry someone you don't love, and he's out of the country while you're stuck in your hometown..."
"You wouldn't just be looking after his parents. You'd likely have to face the brutal reality of pregnancy and raising a child all by yourself."
"It's nearly impossible not to break down and build resentment under those conditions."
Claire was just laying out the harsh reality.
Yolanda had no idea how to respond.
She barely knew a thing about Dewitt, Sure, he wasn't hard on the eyes but he hardly inspired a deep sense of trust either. .net>
She looked over at Mable.
It seemed her cousin had faced these exact same struggles.
Except her husband was in the military, not in a foreign country.
Mable let out a heavy sigh. "Everything you just said... I've lived through it."
"My husband is off serving in the military, and I manage everything at home by myself."
"He didn't even make it back for his own grandfather's funeral. I had to handle the entire thing."
"But if a man doesn't go out there
and fight for a
for a living how is he
supposed to afford kids and
"
FindNovel.net
"A marriage is built by both partners. It requires effort and sacrifice from both sides."
"When things got suffocatingly hard at home, of course I resented him."
"But his shoulders carry the weight of his country, as well as the heavy burden of our family."
"He doesn't dare stop for even a second. He has to keep climbing."
"Isn't that just as exhausting?"
"My Yolanda has always been incredibly mature. She'll understand how hard it is for
a man out there."
Claire had nothing left to say.
They had clearly thought this through from every angle.
If she kept pushing, it would look like she was purposely trying to sabotage the match.
"Then you guys should give it a shot. He's a really good guy." *Just maybe a little short-tempered.*
But looking at these two, temperament clearly wasn't their top priority anyway.
"Awesome, thank you so much! What's your name?" Mable finally remembered to ask. "My last name is Sutton. I'm Mable and this is my cousin, Yolanda Yates.