I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 206

By the time the story finished, Bonnie's eyes were wider than ever.

She looked up at Nora, her eyes shining brilliantly. "Princesses are so cool! They can totally beat up the bad guys all by themselves."

Nora reached out and gently stroked her hair, her voice incredibly tender. "You're a very smart girl, Bonnie. What I want you to remember is that you have to rely on yourself for everything. If you always depend on others, things might not turn out the way you hope."

Bonnie blinked in innocent confusion, nodding as if she somewhat understood but hadn't quite grasped the gravity of it.

Her little brain worked overtime to digest the meaning of those words.

Watching her serious yet bewildered expression, Nora suddenly realized she was probably jumping the gun trying to teach such heavy life lessons to a child this young.

She gave a soft, self-deprecating chuckle and leaned down to press a gentle goodnight kiss to the girl's forehead. "Time to sleep, Bonnie. We have to get up early for the fair tomorrow."

Bonnie immediately squeezed her eyes shut. Her long eyelashes cast delicate, fan-shaped shadows under the soft light, and a lingering smile still played on her lips. "Okay. Goodnight, Nora."

Her breathing quickly leveled out into a deep, steady rhythm as she drifted off to sleep.

Nora sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, making sure the little girl was completely out before she quietly stood up and switched off the bedside lamp, leaving only the faint glow of the hallway nightlight to illuminate the room.

The next morning, Bonnie opened her eyes. She lay completely still under the covers, making sure not to wake Nora, and simply stared at the beautiful woman sleeping beside her.

She had been buzzing with excitement all night, dreaming about making lanterns with Nora, her dad, and Felix at the fair.

Her dad was always drowning in work, constantly leaving her with the nanny or her grandmother. After school, she always ended up drawing alone, watching TV alone, and talking to her stuffed animals alone.

But everything was different now. She had Nora, she had Felix, and she had nights filled with crispy chicken bites. With so many people loving her and keeping her company, she knew she'd never be lonely again.

When Nora finally opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Bonnie's bright, massive eyes and a beaming, radiant smile.

Nora blinked in surprise, then reached out, pulling the little girl's head to her chest and rubbing it playfully. Her voice was still thick with morning sleepiness. "When did you wake up, little one?"

Bonnie wiggled out of her embrace, a few strands of hair sticking straight up from the friction. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and her voice practically vibrated with impatience.

"I've been awake forever! Nora, get up, the fair is about to start!"

Laughing, Nora threw off the covers and got out of bed. She picked out a pair of overalls and a tiny sweatshirt for Bonnie, then threw on a cream knit sweater and jeans for herself.

After getting Bonnie washed and dressed, Nora headed into the kitchen, quickly whipping up a couple of sandwiches and warming two glasses of milk. They sat at the breakfast bar and polished off their meal in record time.

He looked down at his daughter's grinning face, reaching out to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "How did you sleep last night?"

Bonnie gave a cheeky laugh. "I slept perfectly! Dad, Nora's breakfast was amazing too!"

Having finished packing everything up, Nora walked over and handed him a wrapped sandwich. "I doubt you've had time to eat breakfast yet. You can eat this on the way."

Xander glanced down at the sandwich. The wrapper was neatly folded, with a layer of cling wrap securing it perfectly in place.

A subtle shift rippled through his chest. He didn't decline, taking it from her with a quiet note of thanks.

He looked up at Nora and then down at Bonnie, who already had her little backpack securely strapped on. "Shall we go, then?"

Nora casually asked, "Felix isn't here yet. Should we wait for him?"

Xander's eyes darkened briefly, his tone entirely even. "No need. He said he'd head over by himself later."

With that, he took Bonnie's hand and headed straight for the elevator.

Nora paused, confused. Why hadn't Felix mentioned that to her?