I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 91

The morning of the The Willow Academy Summer Camp, Nora Newman's phone buzzed before her alarm even went off.

She pulled her phone from under her pillow to find a barrage of voice messages from Bonnie Harrison, her vibrant voice coming through loud and clear.

"Nora! I already brushed my teeth! When are you coming to get me?"

A second message popped up four minutes later. "Nora, I packed some cookies for you. I baked them myself."

"Are you on your way yet?"

Nora smiled, sitting up to type her reply. "I'm heading out right now. Just hold on a little bit longer, Bonnie."

She pulled the lunchbox she had prepared the night before out of the fridge and gave it a quick check.

Satisfied, she zipped it into an insulated bag, threw on a light gray hoodie and jeans, tied her hair into a messy ponytail, and headed out the door.

When her cab pulled up to the gated community, Xander Harrison was already waiting by the entrance with Bonnie.

The little girl was dressed in a pink hoodie, sporting a tiny backpack adorned with a fluffy bunny charm.

The moment she saw the cab stop, she let go of Xander's hand, sprinting toward Nora and throwing herself directly into her arms.

Her nose twitched, and her eyes instantly lit up.

"Nora, I smell something amazing! Did you make me something delicious?"

Nora ruffled her hair. "You've got a great nose, Bonnie."

Bonnie lifted her chin proudly. "Of course I do."

Nora straightened up, her gaze shifting to Xander. She paused. He was wearing a dark turtleneck sweater, standing on the steps with his usual commanding posture.

Bonnie turned around and leaned back against the seat, her little brows knitting together as she let out a heavy sigh.

Nora watched her act so grown-up and found it endearing. "Are you worried about your dad, Bonnie?"

Bonnie nodded. "He's sick."

Nora frowned slightly. She knew it. Xander was clearly ill, but he refused to admit it, stubbornly playing it tough in front of her. He was likely still keeping his guard up around her.

But none of that mattered. Her focus today was on giving Bonnie a great time at the summer camp.

"He never says anything when he's sick or in pain."

Bonnie looked down, picking at her fingers, her voice muffled. "He always forces himself to keep going. Once, he had a fever of a hundred and two degrees and still went to the office for a meeting. When he got home, he just collapsed on the couch."

Nora reached out, tucking a stray strand of windblown hair behind Bonnie's ear. "How about this? When I drop you off tonight, I'll check on him. If he's still doing really badly, we can team up and convince him to go to the hospital. How does that sound?"