“Since you refuse to worry about this yourself, your dad and I have no choice but to pick up the slack,” Henrietta said, matter-of-factly. “I told you before, if you're not in a rush to get married, you could at least have a child sooner. Your father's still in good shape, he can help you with the company, but someone needs to look after a baby, right? While I'm still young, I can help watch a grandchild."
Mabel looked at her in disbelief. "Don't you have your own career to focus on? Would you really just quit and stay home to babysit for me?"
Everyone knew Henrietta was just as capable as her husband and her own family had money too. The two of them were a true power couple, and with only Mabel as their daughter, they spoiled her endlessly.
Henrietta laughed. "At my age, sure, I could keep working hard for another ten or twenty years, but isn't it time for your generation to have the spotlight? Once you take over my part of the business, I'll finally get to relax. I need to get used to retirement life, or I'll have nothing to talk about with my friends."
Lately, most of Henrietta's close friends spent all their time discussing grandkids and parenting. When she was younger, she threw herself into her business and hardly ever related to those conversations. Now that she was older, her perspective was shifting. She actually wanted a little one around to spoil and play with.
Mabel couldn't even find the words to respond.
"If you're really that bored, why not just take Mochi home and let him keep you company," she suggested.
Mabel lived alone, surrounded by pets, and among them was Mochi, a stray dog she'd found and completely adored. If her mom wanted to adopt him, she'd reluctantly let him go.
"I'm talking about wanting a grandchild, and you're offering me a dog?" Henrietta replied, exasperated.
She practically shepherded Mabel upstairs to change. Mabel gave in, slipping into a new, modern cheongsam, pinning her hair up herself; the effect was effortlessly beautiful.
Henrietta looked her daughter over, clearly pleased. “Gorgeous. Our Mabel really is beautiful."
Flattered, Mabel grinned and then remembered something. "I always thought I was pretty, but the last time I went to Hearth & Kettle for dinner, I realized the girl who saved my cousin is truly stunning."
"You mean that girl from the James family?" Henrietta's memories clicked into place. She remembered that connection. Even though Claire turned out not to be their biological daughter she was still raised by the James family, and growing up in that environment definitely showed. If the girls from that family were so impressive, their sons might be just as remarkable.
"She's not technically a James anymore," Mabel went on. “I don't know about the real daughter, but the adopted one is unbelievably beautiful, and her presence is something else."
Mabel didn't hold back on her praise for Claire. "Remember Hearth & Kettle? I told you about that place.t was her biological grandmother's wedding gift and now Claire owns it With a fangily estate like that, shes honestly not missing out by leaving the James family."
"That means her own family must have some serious roots," Henrietta said, frowning in thought. Why did Octavia always claim her birth daughter grew up poor and suffered out in the countryside?
"Exactly! Our family's rich, but we don't even own an estate like that," Mabel said with obvious envy.
"Now, that's not true. Your
r
grandmother's family has money, our old house is nice too, but..." Henrietta trailed off there. In her mind, Hearth & Kettle was truly something special. If they ever floated it for sale, it would fetch well over a hundred million especially these days, with everyone clamoring for property in the new west side developments.