The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 295 Start Anew

Once Isla reached the hospital, Joanna was packing up for Aron. He was looking pale,, almost like all the blood was flushed out of his body, after the fluid infusion was almost over.

She drew herself closer to Aron as she gathered up some courage and expressed her concern, "How are you feeling now? You look rather pale. Why don't.... you consider spending another night here until your condition stabilizes."

"I assure you I feel much better than I look." Aron passed a warm smile to Isla. Within the next second Joanna addressed Isla while packing up, "The doctor just now thoroughly checked Aron's condition, which confirmed his earlier diagnosis that Aron's has fully recovered and is ready for immediate discharge."

"Grandma, please let me help you with that." Isla was just moving forward towards Joanna to help her, but she declined the offer, "No, thanks. I think it is better if you talk to Aron, while I finish this quickly before going ahead with the discharge procedure with Mike. After that, we can begin celebrating Aron's excellent recovery by having dinner together."

Meanwhile, Aron ignored that line of talk and changed the topic as Isla had still not responded to Joanna's considerate offer, "Has your company's recent business endeavors concluded successfully?"

"It went very well!" Isla nodded with a content smile. She recalled the entire account of the day to Aron with enthusiasm, "Karma has prevailed. All the injustices which happened to Autumn in the past finally paved the way to her present glory, honor and happiness."

"Is that how it is?" Aron replied with a smile as he decided to take advantage of Joanna's absence to speak his mind, "Isla, there is a matter.... which I want to discuss with you immediately." "Please feel free to share what you have to say." Isla replied while peeling an apple for Aron as she was perched on the edge of his bed.

"So what I was thinking was that..." Aron mustered the courage to speak his mind, "Because of our eventful relationship, I want.... to marry you as soon as possible, and we are old enough to make the decision as well."

Aron released a sigh and continued to address Isla, "I hope to meet your parents and put an end to the negative relations we have been sharing, even though they may blame me for making you suffer so much."

"Are you.... serious?" Isla's judgement was clouded with doubt about Aron's sudden determination. There is a long path spanning over sometime between a romantic relationship and a marriage. However, Aron and Isla had just mellowed their romance long before getting married to each other naturally and justifiably.

Meanwhile, just thinking about the impending doom of her parents disappointment with Aron, Isla became immensely upset.

"I have reflected and thought about it over and over again." Aron thought he deserved all the difficulties Isla's parents would impose upon him and would silently bear through it all.

Isla managed to nod indicating her approval, "Ok, I will arrange for a meeting between you all when I see fit."

Upon finishing Aron's discharge formalities, Mike and Joanna were just about to enter the room when Aron nearly finished his fluid infusion. He was happy to see his grandparents warming up towards Isla. After all, Aron's grandparents learned to respect their grandson's decision and determination to marry Isla.

Back home, Isla had proved to be of excellent help in the kitchen as she and Joanna prepped for a dinner feast. Joanna proposed dining at home and ordered the maid to buy some ingredients. "Grandma, please go and take some rest and leave the cooking to me. You must be tired after all the running around in the hospital." She thought Joanna was too old to bother with cooking.

"I just feel guilty that you have to slave in the kitchen to prepare a meal for us!" Joanna felt awfully guilty at the sight of Isla preparing the dinner.

Both of them did not relent, and Isla concluded their argument, "Grandma, why don't you give me a hand to present this delicious dinner?"

"It... sounds perfect." Joanna was willing to test Isla's cooking, as after all she did think of time when she would want to entrust Isla with the responsibility to take care of Aron whenever she passed away. Despite cooking after a rather long time, Isla was adept at preparing braised beef brisket with tomato, bean curd soup and stewed pork with brown sauce-the three dishes not only full of depth with flavor but sophisticated, as well as two light vegetables, which won her the approval and satisfaction from Joanna.

"It is a delight and a surprise to see you cooking so well." Joanna began a conversation with Isla, who responded with a smile, "I came to Y City to begin my university life at the age of eighteen, and since then I have been living here. I would have resigned myself at the mercy of fast food and take-outs had I not learned to cook. Accordingly I also bought a recipe book to prepare and practice making some homely traditional dishes."

"Sometimes the most simple looking dishes require the most practice and struggle." Joanna had initial disbelief and denial of Isla, because Becky was her perfect daughter-in-law. However the situation turned to Isla's advantage....

But Joanna remained doubtful of good company of Isla and Aron, as her misunderstanding toward Isla was melting away.

Meanwhile, she found that Isla was dripping with kindness and polite attention towards Aron during that period. Therefore a hint of prejudice gave way to her approval and inclination.

"You must be tired with your struggles here!" Joanna expressed her concern.

Isla responded with a calm smile, "At times. But I have always maintained the hope that everything can be handled better by being calm. During the long periods of striving and accomplishment, I can face hardships with composure."

"With reference to Becky, I wonder..." Isla found it hard to concentrate and cook properly after Joanna's mention of Becky disturbed and troubled her. Actually Isla had almost forgotten her existence.

"She...." Isla forced a smile, "Becky was my childhood friend who succumbed to short temper but her heart was in the right place. And I used to give way to her unconditionally in consideration of consanguinity, which contributed to her growing arrogance and aggressiveness leading to our current bad blood.

Isla smiled gently. However, Aron was her beloved who held more significance than her toys or hairpins. By no means would she share him with Becky.

"Now I have to dismiss Becky as someone who is insignificant after all those unpleasant encounters through the years." Isla replied with an indifferent smile, while pouring out the mushroom-seasoned vegetable, and asking everyone else to join for dinner, "Well done, please let us dine together."

On reflecting upon Isla boundless energy and magnanimity, she realized Becky was more evil than she had realized.

But now it was a thing of the past and she had to start afresh. She hoped in the following days Isla and Aron would live in happiness.