Chapter 319 What If You Catch a Cold Again
Because Catherine wouldn't let up, Donovan's been practically living in Hollis's hospital room after work these past few days. Catherine swung by every day, but it felt less like a visit and more like she was making sure Donovan was doing what she told him to do for Hollis.
"So, how's Donovan treating you?" Catherine asked with a grin before Donovan showed up from work.
Hollis blushed and mumbled, "He's doing alright."
Seeing her reaction, Catherine felt a wave of relief and reassured her, "See? I've been telling you, Donovan's not a total jerk. Give it time, he'll come around."
Hollis gave a faint smile, but inside, she was rolling her eyes. Sure, Donovan was nicer lately, but that was just because she told him she hoped they could still be friends. So now, he treated her like any other buddy, nothing special.
But that wasn't enough for her. She wanted to be Mrs. Wilder, not just some friend.
Meanwhile, Riley was getting into the groove at the research institute. After working together for a bit, the staff had finally caught up to her pace. With Deacon's help, the workload wasn't as crazy as it used to be.
On Saturday morning, after breakfast, Landon and Winston were messing around with Legos like usual. Because of their mom's illness and the memories of Finley tied to Lego time, the kids lost interest real quick. The model they were building was still half-done.
Riley watched them from the couch. Their lack of excitement was obvious, and she knew why, but she had no idea how to cheer them up. Any chance of her and Donovan being a thing was pretty much dead. If only Hollis wasn't going to be the future Mrs. Wilder, maybe things would be different, and she wouldn't have to keep Finley at arm's length. But Hollis was definitely around, and her dislike for Riley was crystal clear.
Even though Riley believed kids were innocent, the tension between the adults was definitely rubbing off on the little ones. Riley couldn't shake off the guilt weighing her down.
Since coming back, aside from the outings the kids suggested, Riley hadn't taken them out much. Realizing this, she decided to change that. She got up from the couch and walked over to the kids, cheerfully suggesting, "Hey, how about we go out and have some fun today?"
The kids dropped their Legos and looked up at her, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Where to?"
Seeing their eager faces, Riley felt a bit of relief. But she hadn't really thought about where to go.
She pulled out her phone and saw there was a swimming pool nearby. She suggested, "How about swimming? It's been a while since you guys hit the water."
Swimming was something Riley had introduced to the kids early on to help keep them healthy.
The kids hesitated, worried, "Mommy, you just got better. What if you get sick again?" They were still anxious from the last couple of times Riley got sick.
