The opinions of the so-called parents and siblings she mentioned had never truly mattered to him.
Dave and Lilian had already met her, and their attitudes were clear—especially Lilian, who genuinely liked Catherine.
As for his parents, he was confident he could persuade them to accept the woman he had chosen.
And he had to persuade them. Since he had chosen her, there was no reason she should be made to suffer even the slightest grievance.
Catherine had no idea how long she cried. Only when she felt that all the pent-up emotions inside her had finally been released did she lift her head from his chest, eyes red and swollen. He looked at her with a faint smile and asked,
"Finished crying?"
She felt a little embarrassed by his words. He reached out, gently wiping away the tears at the corner of her eyes with his thumb.
"If you have something painful, cry it all out at once," he said softly. "From now on, I won't let you cry again."
