Chapter 92 Meeting His Mother
Aidan leaned on the steering wheel for a moment before sitting up straight, taking a deep breath, and restarting the car. "Alison, I need you to go along with me tonight. I don't want to upset my mom, okay?" He explained, knowing his mom rarely made such requests, and he didn't want to disappoint her with the first woman he brought home.
"Alright," Alison agreed, sensing Aidan's heart was softening.
She hadn't been able to keep her promise to Jack in Paris, nor had she been good to Aidan.
But you can't fake being good to someone, and she couldn't keep pretending.
The car drove into the Maple Aroma Pavilion neighborhood, passing one villa after another. The garden-style architecture captivated her. This place was perfect for retirement.
Quiet and elegant.
On the black asphalt road, palm trees swayed gently, and clusters of purple bougainvillea peeked over the villa walls. The fragrance seemed to penetrate the car windows, filling her nose. It smelled wonderful.
The car slowed down.
As Aidan's Volvo entered the villa's gate and the automatic door closed behind them, Alison saw a maid open the glass door of the first-floor living room. In the dim light of dusk, a woman in a simple yet elegant cheongsam walked out gracefully. If Aidan hadn't told her beforehand that this was his mother, she wouldn't have believed it.
When they got out of the car, Aidan extended his hand to her.
Should she take it or not?
She hesitated for a moment.
Aidan whispered, "Just pretend it's a play, okay?"
If she hadn't heard it herself, she wouldn't have believed Aidan would beg her like this. But for his mother, he did.
She placed her hand in Aidan's, and he led her towards the woman on the steps, who exuded a classical charm.
The woman was beautiful, but different from Isabella's beauty. Isabella's beauty was natural and modern, while this woman's beauty had an ethereal quality, as if she didn't belong to this world.
"Mom!" Aidan stood in front of his mother, holding Alison's hand.
His mother stared at Alison, motionless. No one knew what she was thinking at that moment.
She just kept staring at Alison, not even blinking, like a statue.
Suddenly, his mother started trembling, even convulsing a bit, her legs going weak as she nearly collapsed. "Mom, what's wrong?" Aidan quickly let go of Alison's hand and caught his mother before she fell.
"A ghost... a ghost!" His mother pointed at Alison, screaming in fear.
"Mom, this is the person you asked me to bring. Mom, please don't shout." Aidan tried to comfort his mother, worried about Alison feeling awkward.
"A ghost... a ghost!" But his mother kept pointing at Alison and shouting.
Seeing this, Alison's face turned pale. She realized that this woman had mental issues.
"Aidan, take her inside. I'm fine, really," Alison said, trying to stay calm. She had always known that Jack and Aidan were cousins, but she didn't know Aidan's mother had mental health issues.
"Mom, let's go inside. I want to hear you play the piano," Aidan gently coaxed his mother.
"You like listening to me play?"
"Yeah, I love it."
His mother's attention finally shifted from Alison. She smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it. Your father used to love listening to me play. I'll play for him now."
In an instant, the woman seemed to transform, happily following Aidan into the hall like a joyful bird.
This villa was really spacious!
As they walked, Aidan turned back to Alison and said, "Don't worry, my mom is like this sometimes when she meets new people. Don't take it to heart."
Alison smiled slightly. She wouldn't hold it against someone like that.
In the hall, the woman sat gracefully at the piano. As soon as her fingers touched the keys, beautiful music filled the room.
Alison sat on the sofa, sipping the coffee the maid had just brought, feeling that everything was so wonderful.
But there was a faint sadness in the music, reflecting the pianist's mood.
Alison sensed that this woman wasn't happy.
Although she didn't know what the woman had been through, Alison could feel her unhappiness.
Aidan sat next to Alison, lost in his mother's music. Alison asked softly, "How long has she been like this?"
"Over seven years, ever since my father disappeared."
"Your father disappeared?" Alison was surprised. She hadn't known that Jack and Aidan's father was missing, not dead.
"Alison, please keep this to yourself."
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Since he trusted her enough to share this, she would keep it a secret.
The woman's fingers danced on the keys, playing one piece after another. The night and the music were enchanting.
But gradually, Alison sensed agitation in the music.
Finally, a heavy note struck, and the music became jarring. The woman stood up. "Son, where's your daddy? Why isn't he here?"
"Mom, he's on a business trip. He'll be back in a few days," Aidan said naturally, as if he'd said it many times before.
"Oh, a business trip. Silly me, I forgot." The woman tapped her head and looked at Aidan and Alison. Now, her gaze at Alison was no longer fearful but curious. "Son, who is this girl?"
"Mom, you asked me to bring my girlfriend home. Here she is."
"Aidan, why didn't you say so earlier! I'll have the maid prepare some snacks and fruit, especially those grapes. Clean them well for the girl to eat; they're good for the skin." The woman looked at Alison with a fondness.
Alison felt a bit embarrassed and tugged on Aidan's sleeve. "Aidan, don't trouble your mom. I'll just sit for a bit and then leave. I don't want to bother her."
"It's no trouble. She likes having something to do. Just relax," Aidan said, holding her hand tightly.