Chapter 447 Let Me Lie Down for a While
Aurelia had no appetite and felt listless. She glanced out the window; the cemetery in the northern suburbs wasn't far from here.
"Nathaniel, can you take me to the cemetery? My grandmother is buried there, and I haven't visited in a while."
"Sure." He agreed to everything she said now.
Nathaniel started the GPS and drove towards the northern suburbs cemetery. While waiting at a red light, he took a lollipop from the glove compartment and handed it to her.
Aurelia was slightly surprised. "Why do you have this in your car?"
"I got it as a freebie when I bought toys for the kids last time. I was afraid it would ruin their teeth, so you eat it!"
He just wanted to cheer her up a bit. A lollipop wouldn't do much, but at least it would take away some of the bitterness.
Aurelia sniffled, unwrapped the lollipop, and put it in her mouth.
When the car stopped at the cemetery, she bit down on the lollipop and swallowed it, then got out of the car after tidying her clothes.
They had come in a hurry this time, without buying any flowers or Penelope's favorite snacks.
Aurelia stood in front of the grave, looking at Penelope's kind face on the tombstone, unable to understand how someone as good as Penelope could have a son as malicious as Norman.
She remembered something Penelope often said, "My family has wronged your mother and you. I couldn't raise my child properly..."
Back then, she was too young to understand that Penelope's guilt was because Norman had an affair and had Chelsea. Now, thinking back, Penelope knew the whole story.
Even though Penelope knew Aurelia wasn't her biological granddaughter, she still broke ties with her own son after Norman brought Chelsea and her mother back to the villa.
Aurelia bowed in front of the grave, feeling grateful that Penelope didn't abandon her because of their lack of blood relation and gave her a home.
Penelope couldn't control her son, so she silently tried to make up for Norman's beastly actions.
Nathaniel bowed in front of the grave.
He couldn't imagine how miserable Aurelia's childhood must have been. He felt grateful to this elderly woman he had never met. If it weren't for her, Aurelia's life would have been even harder.
After leaving the cemetery, Nathaniel slowly drove back to the Bloom Villa. He had asked for her opinion while they were in Coral Bay, and this time they decided to stay at the Bloom Villa.
Betty was overjoyed when she received Nathaniel's call. She always knew Nathaniel had a fixation on bringing Aurelia back to their marital home, the Bloom Villa.
She cleaned the house until it was spotless, stocked the fridge with their favorite foods, prepared Aurelia's favorite coffee beans, watered the flowers on the balcony, changed and aired out the bed linens, and washed and arranged the fruits.
After doing all this, she left with her bag, ready to enjoy this unexpected holiday and give them some private time.
Nathaniel held Aurelia's hand as they entered the house, which still had the familiar setup from before.
Except for the addition of many new plants, nothing else had changed.
Exhausted from the journey, Aurelia was physically and mentally drained. She went straight upstairs and collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep.
She slept heavily and had many dreams.
In one dream, Brenda was still there, holding her hand and taking her to the amusement park. She said, "Daddy is busy, we'll play first, and he'll join us when he gets back from his trip."
In another dream, it was the day Penelope passed away. It started to drizzle during the burial, and she felt utterly alone.
She also dreamed of her wedding day with Nathaniel, where Reed held her hand and said, "Aurelia, this is your home now. If you have any difficulties, come to me."
She slept through lunch, and when the afternoon sunlight streamed in, Aurelia rubbed her eyes, still feeling sore, probably from crying too much.
The familiar surroundings made her feel like she had traveled back in time. The room, the setup, even the trinkets on the bedside table were the same, still the ones she had picked up from a little shop.
Aurelia picked up the small cat figurine beside her. She had bought a pair, and Nathaniel's bedside table had the other one.
When she first placed them on the bedside tables, Nathaniel had complained, saying they were fragile and took up space, making the room look cluttered. He was a neat freak and didn't like anything on the tables.
Aurelia had wanted to challenge his neatness, so she deliberately placed things there. He didn't like it but didn't do anything about it, letting her have her way.
Nathaniel heard the noise and came in, wearing dark silk pajamas. "You're awake?"
He handed her a glass of warm water, climbed onto the bed, and lay down next to her, naturally wrapping an arm around her waist.
Aurelia then realized that her clothes had been changed. She was now wearing a set of pajamas that matched his, made of the same material.
She finished the water and looked around for her clothes, but only found her bra next to the pillow.
Nathaniel quickly explained, "Your clothes were dirty, so I changed them for you. I didn't want you to be uncomfortable while sleeping, so..."
Aurelia snuggled under the blanket, feeling too weak to argue about trivial matters.
Nathaniel held her in his arms, his hand playing with her hair. After a moment, he asked, "Are you hungry?"
While she was sleeping, he had cooked a lot of food, all waiting in the pot for her to wake up and eat.
Aurelia's throat hurt, and her voice was hoarse, "A little hungry, but I don't have much of an appetite."
"If you don't have an appetite, just eat a little. I made some food. Do you want to get up now?"
Aurelia felt weak, burying her head in his chest and shaking it slightly, her voice gentle, "I don't want to move."
"You feel a bit warm to me."
Nathaniel finally noticed something was wrong. He touched her forehead and then his own, realizing she had a fever.
"Aurelia, you have a fever. I need to take you to the hospital now."
Aurelia sniffled, her head feeling dizzy. She usually didn't take naps, but this time she had slept for most of the day. She had wondered why she could sleep so long, and now she knew it was because of the fever.
Aurelia groaned. "Nathaniel, I don't want to move... My whole body aches. Let me lie down for a bit, and I'll be fine."
Nathaniel sat up in bed, feeling anxious.
"You can't just lie down when you're sick. If lying down could cure you, why would we need hospitals?"
Aurelia continued to groan, "I have no strength left. Let me lie down, please..."
Nathaniel scratched his brow. He couldn't just let her be, but he also couldn't bear to pull her out of bed. Seeing her like this made his heart ache.
He thought for a moment and called the family doctor, "Dr. Carter, what should I do for a fever?"
In his panic, he forgot to describe the symptoms and asked directly.
"Who has a fever? How high is it?"
Nathaniel was stunned, "I haven't taken her temperature."
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