Unsure of the occasion, she sensed a lively celebration unfolding far from where she sat.
Gently dabbing at her tears, a profound sense of loneliness enveloped her, a feeling alien to her even in the past two years when everyone and everything kept reminding her that Dylan was gone.
Oliviaâs solitude was short-lived.
Leyla fell ill with a fever after catching a cold while playing in the yard.
Upon receiving the phone call, Olivia hurried to the hospital.
Thankfully, she had hired an experienced nanny who promptly escorted Leyla to the hospital.
Although the antipyretic injection had temporarily alleviated the fever, the doctor advised them to remain vigilant as Leyla might experience a recurrence of the fever overnight.
In the transfusion room, Olivia took Leyla from the nannyâs care.
The nanny apologized softly, âIâm terribly sorry, Mrs.
Wright.
I assure you, Iâll exercise greater caution from now on.
â
Mrs.
Wrightâ¦
Olivia was momentarily lost in thought at that title.
However, she quickly regained her composure and reassured the nanny, âPlease donât blame yourself.
Children falling ill from time to time is actually quite common.
â
The nanny was visibly relieved upon hearing Oliviaâs words.
With another half hour until the observation period concluded, Olivia cradled Leyla in her arms and settled onto a nearby bench.
The little girl had previously suffered from a severe fever, but now she nestled obediently in Oliviaâs arms, murmuring softly.
Despite having concerns of her own, Olivia didnât let them show in front of the child.
Offering a gentle smile, she comforted Leyla tenderly.
Observing their interaction, the nanny proposed, âMrs.
Wright, itâs dinner time.
Shall I bring some food for you?â
However, Olivia preferred not to have dinner at the hospital.
After giving Leyla some warm water to drink, she gently declined, âNo, thank you.
Iâd rather have dinner at home.
Besides, Iâm not hungry at the moment.
â
âUnderstood,â replied the nanny.
Nonetheless, feeling a twinge of sympathy for Olivia, the nanny ventured to the vending machine and procured a bag of biscuits.
Retrieving Leyla from Olivia, she then explained, âLeyla had a snack earlier, so she might not be hungry yet.
This afternoon, Mr.
Evans visited and brought some fresh strawberries specifically for Leyla.
She adores them, so she had half a dozen.
â
Olivia tore open the package with a smile, saying, âMy brother really cares for Leyla.
â
The housekeeper was about to speak further when she saw the entire biscuit package slip from Oliviaâs grasp and crash to the floor.