No More Waiting, She Chooses Love
Chapter 713

Kids just love presents, don't they? As soon as they heard the word, they scattered like a flock of birds, rushing over to Mack, all of them eagerly reaching out for their gifts.

Watching the children be so bold and carefree around him made it obvious that Mack was a frequent visitor; they were all so comfortable with him.

I sat up and tried to fix my hair, which the kids had tousled, and wiped off the slobber from their kisses.

Mack walked over and handed me a tissue. "These kids are quite the handful, aren't they?"

"Yeah, but they're adorable. Being around them makes me feel like I'm young again," I replied, my gaze drifting to where Phipps and Susie stood not too far away, seemingly deep in conversation. "Susie's had her moments too; she's ended up in tears more than once," Mack remarked, drawing my attention.

From his evasive glance, I could tell he was uncomfortable, clearly dodging the real issue.

I knew what he was avoiding, but I asked anyway, "Have you figured out your feelings for Susie yet?"

"Susie and Judie are different," Mack replied, sidestepping the question.

But I understood what he meant. He was trying to convey that he knew the difference between Susie and Judie, even if Susie had Judie's heart beating inside her.

Since he put it that way, I didn't press further. Instead, I asked, "Aren't you curious why Judie and I look alike?"

He glanced at my face briefly before quickly looking away, "You're not related to her, are you?"

I chuckled, "You guessed right."

After explaining my relationship with Judie, Mack was visibly shocked, then mused, "If Judie were still here, she would have been so happy. She always talked about how lonely she felt without siblings." Yeah, if Judie were still alive, we could have been as close as real sisters.

But life is cruel like that, rarely giving us what we wish for.

After talking about Judie, I mentioned sending Susie off to college, but Mack suddenly fell silent.

Sensing something was off, I asked, "What's up? You don't want Susie to go to college? Worried she won't keep up, or is it something else?"

"It's not that," Mack quickly reassured, "You know, it's fascinating how people connect in mysterious ways."

I knew he had more to say, "Go on, tell me what's so fascinating."

"After Susie got Judie's heart, she started liking things Judie used to like, even her study subjects," Mack wasn't wrong; Susie had mentioned something similar to me before.

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His point was clear, but I pressed for clarity, "So, you're suggesting Judie is still around, just living through Susie?" Mack sighed, "I don't know, and I don't want to think that way, but sometimes Susie does things that make me wonder..." He trailed off, but his implication was clear.

"Does that bother you?" I asked.

Mack nodded, "I wish I could see them as separate individuals."

He didn't want to treat Susie as a stand-in for Judie, but Susie's habits, reminiscent of Judie's, tormented him.

"Why not consider them as one? Wouldn't that be easier?" I suggested.

"It's a thought, but it's hard," Mack confessed.

"If you want to avoid the hassle, you could maintain your distance from Susie and stop thinking about Judie, as if she's completely gone from this world," I proposed, though it sounded harsh.

They say you truly die when the ones who loved you forget you. But for Mack, blurring the lines between his love for Susie and the heart she carries, it's a source of pain. And for Susie, falling deeper might mean there's no turning back.