I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 46

Sienna stared at the radiant smile on Seraphina's face. It was the kind of deep, glowing happiness that only belonged to someone who was truly, entirely loved. Unbidden, a thought struck her—in all the years Nora had been married to Finnegan, she had never once smiled like that.

Shaking the thought from her mind, Sienna hurried over to join them.

Meanwhile, Bonnie dragged Nora down the beach at a full sprint. They arrived at a secluded mini-campsite nestled against the shore, featuring a gorgeous beige tent. A string of seashell wind chimes hung by the entrance, clinking beautifully in the ocean breeze.

"Nora, your surprise is waiting inside! Go look!"

Bonnie let go of her hand, bouncing on her heels outside the tent, her little face a picture of nervous anticipation.

Staring down at her, a profound warmth surged through Nora's chest.

On this day of all days, the one person who had genuinely prepared a surprise for her was a child she had saved purely by chance.

The daughter she had poured her heart and soul into for five years was currently crouched in front of a grill, burning chicken wings for another woman. The best friend she had trusted implicitly since high school was currently serving cake to the woman who destroyed her life.

The irony was suffocating.

She ducked her head, lifting the tent flap, and stepped inside.

The interior was breathtakingly arranged. A string of fairy lights hung from the ceiling, casting a warm, pulsing golden glow over everything.

In the center sat a folding table displaying a massive cake. The frosting was visibly lopsided, the borders applied with unsteady hands, but the sheer amount of love poured into it was unmistakable.

Written across the top in wobbly, jam-squeezed letters were the words: "Happy Birthday Nora".

A man of his stature and wealth had likely never set foot in a kitchen in his entire life.

"She spent nearly a week learning how to bake this for you," Xander finally spoke, his voice low and smooth. "Usually, she gives up on everything after three days. She quit piano on day three and threw away her paintbrushes by day five."

He paused, his gaze softening as it rested on Bonnie. "I've never seen her dedicate herself to anyone like this. As her father, I'm honestly a little jealous."

Bonnie gasped, her cheeks turning beet red. She immediately hid behind Xander's legs, whining in pure embarrassment, "Daddy! I didn't tell you to say all that! You're so mean!"

Nora couldn't help but laugh through her emotion. She crouched down, holding her arms open. "Thank you, Bonnie. I love it more than anything."

Bonnie peeked out from behind Xander's legs, her eyes shining. "Really?"