Heartstrings on Fire novel Chapter 1140

Maggie knew that Uncle Jack was once again lost in memories of her mother.

"Uncle Jack, let's not dwell on the past. You've been stuck because of my mom for a lifetime, and that's not what she would have wanted."

But suddenly, Uncle Jack's demeanor shifted towards melancholy.

He said, "All my life, I've been fighting and surviving with nothing to lose, just a lone wolf making it through. But the older I get, the more fears I have. When I took them in, it wasn't really about seeking a father-son bond; I just thought about preparing the next generation to take over The Drunken Sailor. But now, each one of them has become my Achilles' heel, turning out the way they have. I'd rather have taken a bullet myself."

Maggie had never heard the man, who was always as tough as steel, speak in such a way.

It was genuine sorrow.

"Uncle Jack, no matter how hard it is, my brother's gone and he won't come back. I believe he wouldn't want to see you like this from wherever he is. You were the person he respected the most. If you keep drowning in this grief, it would break his heart all over again," Maggie said.

Uncle Jack let out a deep sigh. "Let's drop it. Talking about it only makes you feel bad too. Go check on Liz, have a good talk with her."

Maggie nodded.

As she turned to leave, she saw Uncle Jack still practicing his calligraphy, coughing twice.

Suddenly, Maggie felt like Uncle Jack had aged a lot in that moment.

No longer the vibrant leader he once was.

His hair had turned grey, and he had lost a lot of weight because of this tragedy.

He was almost unrecognizable.

It felt like a stab to Maggie's heart.

She went to see Liz next.

Liz was sitting on the sunroom porch of her room.

Probably to prevent her from despairing.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly.

Liz wasn't startled.

She slowly shifted her gaze to Maggie's face.

It took Liz a moment to register, and then she smiled, touching Maggie's cheek, "Maggie, you came."

For some reason, seeing the smile on Liz's face made Maggie feel incredibly sad.

Maggie nodded, "I came to see you, Liz. Can you try to cheer up a bit?"

"I'm okay, John's with me every day," Liz responded.

Her words made Maggie's heart skip a beat.

Seeing the alarmed look on Maggie's face, Liz said, "Do you think I've gone mad, seeing hallucinations? I haven't. I'm very much aware. I know John's gone, he died in my arms. How could I forget? But Maggie, do you see the wind outside, the sunset by the sea, the stars at night? I always feel John's still with me, in every corner. I can sense his presence. He visits my dreams every night; I can even feel his warmth."