Chapter 498 Hopefully, She Overthought It
That afternoon, during her lunch break, Susan swung by the hospital to check on Todd and Catherine.
She nudged the door open to the ward, but the bed was empty, and Catherine was MIA. All she saw was a caregiver tidying up some clothes.
"Hey, Mrs. Anderson! You here?" The young caregiver greeted Susan with a warm smile.
"Where's Todd and my mom?" Susan asked, scratching her head.
The caregiver quickly replied, "Your mom took Todd to the park across the street to catch some rays."
Susan glanced out the window. The sun was shining bright, so she grinned at the caregiver and said, "Cool, I'll go find them."
"Alright," the caregiver nodded.
Susan left the hospital and headed to the park across the street. The park was huge, with a big fake lake, tons of trees, little bridges, and flowing water. Perfect spot for a stroll and some sunshine.
After wandering around for a bit, Susan finally spotted Todd and Catherine chilling on a bench by the lake.
Todd was in a wheelchair, and Catherine was sitting right next to him. They were super close, almost shoulder to shoulder, both facing the lake, chatting away.
Seeing them, Susan walked over, all excited.
As she got closer, she suddenly heard Todd calling Catherine. The way he said her name made her freeze.
"Catherine, I think my legs are feeling better," Todd said, smiling at Catherine, the wrinkles on his face easing up.
Catherine smiled gently. "Todd, really?"
"Yeah, it's 'cause you've been taking such good care of me," Todd nodded.
Catherine reached out and touched Todd's knee, then said, "You're not that old; you should bounce back quick."
"I'm pushing sixty, like, seven years older than you. Gotta say, back in the day, I was quite the big shot, but I've never met a woman as sweet and kind as you!" Todd looked deeply at Catherine, his eyes filled with a passionate intensity that only exists between a man and a woman.
Susan was stunned to see this scene.
What the heck was going on? How did Todd and Catherine get so tight? They seemed like old pals, but even old pals didn't act like this.
For a moment, Susan felt like her feet were glued to the ground, unable to move forward.
Facing Todd's gaze, Catherine lowered her head slightly and said softly, "This is fate. Even though I have two daughters, I haven't felt much of that romance. Most of my life has been a grind."
Seeing Catherine's slightly furrowed brows, Todd reached out to hold her hand but stopped halfway, then pulled back, his face showing clear signs of conflict and helplessness.
After that, they just sat there side by side, not talking or moving, just communicating with their eyes.
Seeing this, Susan turned around and saw a big, lush tree behind her. She quickly hid behind the wide trunk.
Standing on the yellow fallen leaves, Susan turned her head to look at Catherine and Todd in front of the big tree. Their backs looked like an elderly couple leaning on each other for support.
Leaning against the tree trunk, Susan covered her chest with her hand, feeling her heart pounding.
What the heck was going on? Could it be that Catherine and Todd...
No way, no how. Catherine always hated mistresses; she wouldn't go there.
But Susan did catch that conflicted, complex look in Todd's eyes for Catherine. 'Not surprising, really. Todd and Carol have been at each other's throats for half their lives, and Carol's a real bulldozer. Mom's all gentle and kind, but they met at the wrong time and in the wrong place,' Susan thought.
She realized she couldn't dwell on it, and she definitely couldn't let Catherine stay by Todd's side any longer. If this kept up, something was bound to happen.
Seeing it was getting late, Susan took one last look at the two by the tree before turning and leaving.
All afternoon, Susan couldn't focus on her work. She kept picking up the phone to call Seb, but always put it down.
She wasn't the type to bottle things up, especially with her close ones. But today's situation had to stay under wraps; no one could know because it involved both Todd and Catherine's reputations.
Maybe she was overthinking it. They might've just grown fond of each other over the past ten days. After all, they were in-laws. Yeah, she was definitely overthinking it. They were both in their fifties and sixties; they should know their roles and responsibilities.
As it was almost time to clock out, Susan couldn't wait any longer and headed back to the hospital.
Arriving at the ward, Susan pushed open the door and saw Todd eating, with Catherine sitting beside him, and the caregiver tidying up.
"Dad, Mom," Susan walked in softly.
Seeing Susan, Todd lit up. "Susan, you're here? Didn't I tell you don't have to come here? Seb's on a business trip, and you gotta handle two kids by yourself. You can't handle it."
"Dad, precisely because Seb's not home, I was worried and came to check on you," Susan said, feeling a bit awkward facing Todd now.
Hearing this, Todd smiled and said to Catherine, "Look how well you raised Susan."
"You're too kind," Catherine smiled.
Susan looked at Catherine, trying to figure out how to ask her to step outside for a chat.
Unexpectedly, Todd said, "You two must have things to talk about. There's a caregiver here; you two go for a walk."
Susan couldn't help but admire Todd. He even picked up on her little thoughts. After all, Todd had been in politics for decades; he was no ordinary guy.
Then, Catherine gave Todd a few instructions and left the ward with Susan.
Susan and Catherine found a quiet corner and sat on a bench to chat.
"The wedding prep's almost done, right?" Catherine asked with a smile.
Susan noticed that Catherine's face was practically glowing. It had been years since Catherine's eyes had been this bright.
Susan couldn't help but wonder if it was because of Todd.
"Everything's ready," Susan said, a bit distracted.
"That's good," Catherine nodded.
At this point, Susan smiled and said, "Mom, Seb already hired a caregiver for Todd. Why don't you go home and rest for a few days? You've been taking care of him for many days, and Seb feels really bad about it."
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