Chapter 226: So They Don’t Mind

Sitting tensely on the familiar sofa, Claire Grace wrung her hands nervously, her head bowed, unable to meet the warm, expectant gazes from across the room. Guilt weighed heavily on her, leaving her in a state of inner turmoil. 

Noticing her discomfort, Lucas Zeller leaned in close. Wrapping one arm around her shoulders and clasping her restless hands with his own, he silently reassured her. 

"Claire, you silly girl," Helen Zeller, Lucas's mother, began with a laugh, though her eyes gleamed with unshed tears. "You left without saying a word, leaving your father and me worried sick! We kept urging Lucas to find you, and when that didn't work, we decided to go to the U.S. ourselves!" 

"Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry. It was my fault." Claire's apology was sincere and heartfelt. "I've regretted my decision every day since. You've always treated me like your own daughter, caring for me so deeply. I… I'm truly sorry." 

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself," Thomas Zeller interjected, playfully chastising his wife. "The important thing is that you're back now. This is a joyous occasion! But let me tell you, Claire, if Lucas ever mistreats you, you come straight to me. I'll make sure he regrets it!" 

He shot a mock-glare at Lucas, his eyes full of feigned menace. 

"Wow, Dad!" Lucas exclaimed, feigning indignation as he leaned against Claire's shoulder. "You and Mom really have no loyalty to your own son, huh? Teaming up with my wife to gang up on me?" 

Lowering his voice, he whispered into Claire's ear, "See? They're so happy you're back. There's nothing to worry about, okay?" 

But Claire couldn't shake the thought echoing in her heart: *That's because they don't know I can't have children.* 

Helen waved Lucas aside and moved to sit beside Claire, taking her hands gently. "Claire, sweetheart, promise me something, will you? Promise you'll never leave us like that again. No more making us worry, okay?" 

"I…" Claire hesitated, meeting Helen's hopeful gaze. Her chest tightened with guilt. How could she make such a promise when there was still the looming fear that the truth might drive them away? What if, once they knew, they demanded she leave Lucas? 

"Claire," Helen's tone grew more serious. "If you truly believe we've treated you like family, why is it so hard to answer?" 

Caught off guard, Claire glanced over at Lucas, who was nodding encouragingly, urging her to agree. 

Thomas suddenly spoke up, his voice breaking the tension. "Is it because she's worried about something specific?" 

Helen exchanged a knowing look with her husband before turning to Lucas. "Lucas, your dad and I have a feeling this might have something to do with what you mentioned to us recently. Is that right?" 

Lucas nodded solemnly. "Yes, Mom. No matter what I say, she's still hesitant. I think we'll need your help to put her at ease so she can truly believe in us." 

"You blockhead!" Helen scolded, narrowing her eyes at Lucas. "Why didn't you explain sooner? I've been wondering this whole time why Claire seemed so reluctant." 

Turning back to Claire, Helen softened. "Sweetheart, I think I know what's been bothering you." 

"Huh?" Claire's eyes widened in surprise. 

"Oh, Claire," Helen said with a loving smile, tapping Claire's forehead affectionately. "It's the twenty-first century, yet your thinking is more old-fashioned than ours! You're worried we'll find out about your health issues and reject you, even push you to leave Lucas, aren't you?" 

What? They… already knew? Claire stared at Helen, utterly dumbfounded. 

Sensing her confusion, Helen quickly explained, "Lucas told us about this a week ago, when he called to let us know you'd be back." 

"Then… you… you're—" 

Helen cut her off with a teasing grin. "Going to kick you out of the family? Force you to divorce Lucas and find him someone else? If we even tried, Lucas would probably disown us, and your parents wouldn't forgive us either!" 

"What?" Claire's shock deepened. 

"Claire," Helen said warmly, pulling her into a hug and gently patting her back. "Did you really think our love for you was shallow? Parents who cherish their daughters don't judge them over things like this. If anything, we feel for the stress you've been under." 

"But I…" Claire stammered, her voice trembling. "I know how much you and Dad love children. That's why—" 

"Loving children doesn't mean we can't adopt," Thomas interjected with a chuckle. "We could have a dozen grandchildren that way if we wanted. But finding a daughter-in-law as perfect as you? That's a once-in-a-lifetime blessing. And to be honest, we already prepared ourselves for this possibility long before you even entered our family." 

"Prepared yourselves?" Claire blinked, utterly lost. 

"You forgot, didn't you?" Helen said, throwing Lucas an exaggerated eye-roll. "Back when that rascal lied to all of us about being seriously ill? That was when your dad and I decided that nothing else would matter as long as Lucas and his partner were happy." 

Helen's gaze softened as she turned back to Claire. "So, my dear, don't put so much pressure on yourself. What matters most to us is that you and Lucas are happy together. That's all we'll ever need." 

"Mom—" Claire choked on her words, her throat tightening with emotion. 

"Enough," Thomas said, waving his hand with a grin. "Look, all this talk has made Claire cry. What we need to focus on now is picking a date to finally throw the wedding you two have delayed for over a year. And it's going to be big and grand—no skimping!" 

"Dad," Lucas said with a laugh, "the wedding plans are already underway. We've even taken the photos. We were just waiting for you and Mom to come back." 

As Lucas met Claire's gaze, their eyes sparkled with a shared joy, the room bathed in the warmth of their happiness.