Chapter 226: The Warmth Of Family

That evening, the Foster family gathered around the dining table.

After a week of Isobel’s absence, the long table felt complete again.

Julian sat at the head, with Leanne beside him. Morgan occupied the seat opposite his father while Kristine sat beside him. Judy sat beside her mother while Isobel, beside Kristine.

Warm dishes covered the table—braised meat, vegetables, soup, freshly baked pasta, and several desserts Leanne had insisted on preparing herself.

There was laughter between mouthfuls, teasing between siblings, and the occasional interruption whenever someone tried to tell a story.

It was ordinary.

And somehow, that made it extraordinary to Isobel.

She sat quietly, listening to the easy conversation around her. Every so often, someone would turn to her and include her in the discussion, as though she had always belonged at this table.

A strange warmth spread through her chest.

Not only had she finally found her mother’s family, but she also had a home to go back to at the Foster’s mansion.

Her eyes grew misty.

She quickly lowered her gaze and pretended to be interested in the dessert in front of her.

She had barely taken another spoonful when Julian cleared his throat.

"Isobel."

She looked up.

Julian rested his hands on the table, his expression warm but serious.

"We’ve decided to hold a celebration at the end of the month."

Isobel blinked.

"A celebration?"

"Yes." A proud smile touched his face. "We’ll officially introduce you to everyone as a member of the Foster family."

The words made her heart stumble.

For a moment, she simply stared at him.

"The end of the month," Julian continued. "It will be a proper celebration. Our relatives, friends, and business associates will all be there. Everyone will know that you are my daughter."

Isobel’s fingers tightened around her spoon.

She should have been happy.

And she was.

But something inside her resisted.

She spent her entire life as Isobel Lancey. That name belonged to her mother, the name she had carried through every hardship and every lonely year.

To suddenly become a Foster felt, somehow, like she was leaving her mother behind.

Morgan noticed the hesitation immediately.

He leaned back in his chair and studied her face, as though he could read the hesitation she was trying to hide.

"Sis, you don’t have to give up being a Lancey."

Sis.

The word caught her off guard.

It had slipped from Morgan’s lips so naturally, without hesitation or awkwardness, as though he had been calling her that all his life.

Isobel looked at him, her heart giving a small, unexpected flutter.

Morgan smiled gently.

"You can be both."

She remained silent.

"You can be Isobel Lancey Foster," he continued. "Being a Foster doesn’t erase where you came from. And being a Lancey doesn’t mean you don’t belong here."

His words settled over her like a quiet reassurance.

Isobel’s eyes shimmered again.

Her brother really did know how to read her.

He always seemed to know exactly what she needed to hear.

A small smile finally appeared on her lips.

"Then... let’s do that."

Julian’s expression softened with relief.

"Of course." He nodded. "We’ll have Cindy arrange everything."

..

Later that night, after dinner, Leanne found her standing alone on the balcony.

The lights from the house spilled through the open doors behind them, while the night air carried the faint scent of flowers from the garden.

Leanne walked over and stood beside her.

"What are your thinking?"

Isobel smiled faintly.

"About my name."

Leanne understood immediately.

"You think taking the Foster name means you’re abandoning your mother."

Isobel lowered her eyes.

"It’s not that. I’m just so used to being called a Lancey." She hesitated, her fingers tightening slightly around the edge of her dress. "Besides... I’m afraid this is all just a dream."

"It isn’t."

Leanne gently took her hand.

The warmth of her touch made Isobel look up.

"Your mother gave you the name Lancey because she wanted you to carry a part of her with you. She wanted you to know where you came from."

Isobel swallowed, her throat suddenly tight.

"And now you’re afraid that if you become a Foster, you’ll somehow be leaving her behind."

Isobel stared at Leanne, a complicated mixture of emotions filling her eyes.

She had never expected to hear those words from her.

What a kind and magnanimous woman.

Leanne had every reason to resent her because she resembled her mother so much. And Rosella was the woman who, without even knowing it, had become the other woman in her husband’s life. Yet there was not even a trace of bitterness in Leanne’s voice.

Instead, she was comforting her, the daughter.

That realization made Isobel’s heart ache.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

Leanne gently brushed it away with her thumb.

"Isobel, loving one family doesn’t mean you’ll forget the other, or that you’ll love them any less."

She gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Your mother may not have had the chance to raise you, but she is still a part of you. Nothing—not a new surname, not a celebration, not even the passing of time—can ever take that away."

Isobel looked at her, her eyes glistening.

For a moment, she couldn’t find the words to respond.

She had spent so many years believing that choosing one family meant losing another.

But perhaps it didn’t have to be that way.

Perhaps she didn’t have to choose at all.

Leanne smiled through the tears gathering in her own eyes.

"And now you have another family who loves you, too."

Isobel’s lips trembled.

"For years, I wondered what it would have been like to have a mother who could hold me when I was afraid. Someone who would worry when I came home late. Someone who would tell me to eat more because I looked too thin."

Leanne laughed softly through her tears.

"I can still do all of that."

A shaky laugh escaped Isobel.

Leanne pulled her into her arms.

For a moment, Isobel simply stood there.

Then she slowly wrapped her arms around Leanne and rested her head against her shoulder.

The embrace was warm.

Safe.

The kind of embrace she had secretly longed for all her life.

"Welcome home, Isobel," Leanne whispered.

The words didn’t feel like something she had merely hoped to hear.

They felt true.