Chapter 343 Were You Worried about Me?
Zoey was kinda worried about Winston, checked the time, and looked all stressed out. She'd promised to get Finley some time off, but she didn't have any herself and couldn't be gone too long.
"Hey Finley, now you know Winston's condition, let's go back to school, cool?" Zoey suggested, trying to sound chill. But Finley, with those big, hopeful eyes, glanced at Riley and the boys, then shook her head like, no way.
Zoey sighed inside, seeing that stubborn look on Finley's face. She knew getting Finley to leave now was a lost cause. Clueless on what to do next, Zoey turned to Riley for backup. Riley gave Zoey a reassuring smile. "Let Finley stay. I'll get her home later. You go handle your stuff."
Zoey let out a breath of relief, got up, and said her goodbyes. Riley, holding Finley's hand, gave her another warm smile. As Zoey left, Riley felt Finley's sweaty little hand grip hers even tighter. Her heart melted a bit, but she knew she had to stay strong.
Riley had two reasons for letting Finley stay: first, she knew Finley wouldn't leave without a fight; second, she had something important to talk about with the little girl.
Riley crouched down, looked into Finley's eyes, and was about to speak when a loud growl interrupted. Finley's stomach was making itself known.
"Mommy, Finley's hungry," Winston piped up, all innocent.
Riley frowned a bit, looking at the sweet, worried face in front of her. She couldn't dive into the heavy stuff she had planned. "It's almost lunchtime. Finley, wanna grab some food with us?" she suggested instead.
Finley nodded obediently. On the way to the dining room, she still clung tightly to Riley's hand, her big eyes full of concern for Winston.
Winston knew Finley was worried about him but noticed she hadn't said a word since they got there. Wanting to get her to talk, he pretended not to get it and quietly sat down at the table.
Seeing Winston meet her gaze but stay silent, Finley got anxious. Across from her, Winston acted all uncomfortable, sneaking glances at her. Growing more anxious, she stammered, "Winston!"
Winston met her gaze slowly, playing dumb. "What's up?"
Finley pointed at his stomach, her brows furrowed in concern. "You feeling okay?"
Seeing Finley finally speak, Winston grinned. "I'm all good! Didn't Mommy say? We're hitting kindergarten in a couple of days!"
Relieved, Finley's tension eased, and she smiled brightly at Winston's reassurance. But Winston's curiosity got the best of him. "Did you cry earlier? Were you worried about me?"
Riley and Landon, overhearing this, instinctively looked over. They'd noticed Finley's tear-streaked face and red eyes when she arrived but hadn't said anything yet, waiting for the right moment.
Riley had planned to explain things to Finley, to clear things up, and be totally firm. But seeing this sweet interaction, she found her resolve wavering. She couldn't help but feel concerned about Finley.
Finley's eyes sparkled, thinking they were all worried about her, feeling like she was back in the days when she lived at Riley's house. She nodded, admitting she cried because she was worried about Winston.
Seeing Finley nod, Riley felt a heavy heart.
