I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 102

Xander set the bowl down after just two bites; his appetite hadn't fully returned. "Thank you for your trouble today. You can leave now."

Nora paused for a second before nodding. "Alright."

Bonnie jumped down from her chair. "I'll walk you out!"

She held Nora's hand all the way to the front door, walking as slowly as possible, wishing she could stretch the hallway out forever.

At the entrance, she reluctantly let go, tilting her face up. "Bye, Nora."

Nora crouched down to meet her eyes, offering a gentle reminder. "Make sure your dad gets plenty of rest. If he doesn't, he won't be able to work properly. You're the head of the house now, so make sure he takes his medication and goes to sleep on time."

Bonnie nodded emphatically. "I'll make sure he does."

She stood in the doorway, watching Nora get into the car, watching the doors close, and watching the taillights disappear around the corner before turning back inside.

She peeked into Xander's bedroom and found her father with his eyes closed, his breathing deep and even.

Bonnie tiptoed over, pulled the blanket that had slipped to his waist all the way up to his chest, and then quietly padded out of the room.

The moment the door clicked shut, Xander opened his eyes.

He picked up his phone from the nightstand and dialed a number.

When the call connected, Nora was still riding in his assistant's car.

Nora stared at the name flashing on the screen in surprise, but quickly hit answer and pressed the phone to her ear.

The man's voice, raspy from the high fever, came through the speaker. "Ms. Newman, there are some things I can only say to you in private."

"Mr. Harrison, go ahead," Nora replied.

Xander didn't hesitate. "Starting tomorrow, you don't need to look after Bonnie anymore."

Even when it came to Bonnie, he usually maintained absolute clarity and judgment.

But those two bites of soup earlier made him realize his emotional defenses were crumbling.

He didn't like this feeling. He didn't like it one bit.

There was another reason. When Bonnie mentioned wanting Nora to be her mother, he knew he had hesitated.

He couldn't allow himself that kind of hesitation, so the best course of action was to shut it down before anything even began.

Nora was a smart woman; she would surely understand.

Meanwhile, Bonnie sat in her little room, gazing out the window, excitedly wondering when she would get to see Nora again.

Back at the institute, Nora had barely stepped inside when she received a call from Cassie.