Chapter 169 How She Recharged
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Alistair had been pacing the lounge like a man under siege. In reality, Caroline had only been gone for maybe thirteen minutes, but it felt like half a lifetime.
He couldn’t shake the image playing in his mind, Caroline and Gordon locked in a cold war of wills. As strong as she was, she wasn’t Gordon’s equal.
Alistair started pacing faster.
Wikipedia told him all about Gordon’s career, his rags–to–riches story, his contributions to America’s economy. But it said nothing about his temper.
What if he lost it? What if Caroline stood her ground–like she always did–and pushed too far? Would he yell at her? Would he… hit her?
Alistair’s imagination spun out so wildly that, for a second, he could almost see it: Gordon locking her in a room out of spite. Eloise sobbing for her mom while he stood helpless, begging for their family to be reunited.
He shook his head hard.
What the hell am I thinking?
None of that was going to happen. No matter who Gordon
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thought he was, Alistair wouldn’t let anyone tear their family apart.
He couldn’t take it anymore. He flung the door open and nearly ran straight into Caroline.
She looked perfectly composed. “Where were you off to, babe?”
The moment he saw her, his heart settled. “What kind of meeting lasts that long?”
Caroline raised a brow. “That long?”
She checked her watch. Just over thirteen minutes had passed since she left.
And yet, without glancing at the clock, she too had felt like it had been longer.
Not a second of it felt right being apart from him.
Alistair gave her a quick once–over. She looked exactly like her usual self, but something felt… off.
He reached up and gently rubbed her head. “You tired? I’ll go grab you some coffee.”
But before he could move, she grabbed his arm and stopped him. And without another word, she leaned into him, burying herself in his arms.
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Chapter 169 How She Recharged
His reflexes kicked in. He held her tight. “Babe?”
She mumbled into his chest, “I’m okay. Just wanted to hold
you.”
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She needed to pull warmth from him, to recharge in the only way that worked.
Alistair didn’t ask again.
They stood like that for a while, quiet and steady. Eventually, she pulled back, stood on her toes, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Okay, I need to get back to work now.”
She turned and sat down at her desk like nothing had happened, but Alistair couldn’t settle down again. He could tell that something wasn’t right.
It was almost time to pick up Eloise, so he grabbed his keys and headed out.
Today she wore one of the dresses he’d bought her a while back, paired with white tights and matching Mary Janes. Her tiny backpack bounced as she skipped toward him, her twin braids swaying with every step.
“Daddy!”
Alistair came to pick her up nearly every day, but Eloise still lit
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up like it was a surprise every time. Her joy was always pure, always full–throttle.
He bent down and scooped her up.
She blushed a little when she spotted her classmates. “Daddy, I’m a big girl now. I can walk on my own.”
Alistair laughed, carrying her toward the car. “You’ll always be Daddy’s little girl. But yeah, someday, when I’m too old to carry you, I’ll have to let you walk. So I’m getting in all the cuddles while I still can.”
Her voice turned urgent. “No! You and Mommy are never gonna get old! I don’t want you to!”
He smiled, “Sweetheart, it’s just how life works. We all get older.”
She went quiet, thoughtful. When he set her down beside the car, she looked up and said solemnly, “Then I’m going to grow
up
and become a scientist. I’ll invent something that makes people live forever. That way, you and Mommy can stay with me forever.”
Then, as if struck by a new idea, she added, “Oh! And I’ll invent something that makes people young again too. I’ll make Great–Grandma’s wrinkles all disappear…”
Alistair praised her with a smile, told her to keep working hard.
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But inside, his thoughts drifted to Mabel, still in the hospital.
She’d made it very clear. Eloise wasn’t to know about her condition. If she found out, she’d fall apart.
His mind churned with everything at once–Paige’s venom, Leo’s hopes for Miley, Gordon’s disapproval, and Caroline….. smiling like always but weighed down with a sadness she refused to share.
He knew her too well by now. Knew that even when she was perfectly composed, he could still catch the smallest cracks in her armor.
She was hurting. And she didn’t want to worry him. He wished she wouldn’t do that.
If she needs to unload, just toss it all my way. I’ll take it. I’ll carry it. I’d walk through fire if it meant she’d feel better.
But she never wanted to burden him.
He sighed silently.
How did I get this lucky? What did I do to deserve a girl like her?
When they got home, he and Eloise spent the evening drawing together, same as always. It had become part of their routine.
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Caroline had found her a great art teacher, and after just a few lessons, Eloise had already improved a ton.
Her favorite family portrait still sat framed on the bookshelf. Alistair looked at it every day without fail.
They hadn’t taken a real family photo yet. He made a mental note to fix that, something big, blown up and framed right where everyone could see it.
Later that evening, he got a message, a video actually.
He opened it, and it turned out to be something Eloise had made herself: an animated story starring her, her handsome daddy, her beautiful mommy, and their big happy family, great–grandma, and the uncle who always made her laugh. They were all there, orbiting the little girl at the center of it all.
Alistair snuck a glance at Eloise, still hunched over her sketchpad, deeply focused. He smiled and turned his phone to silent, watching the rest of the video in quiet satisfaction.
They have no idea what I’ve got planned. It’s gonna be perfect.
Caroline didn’t make it home on time that night. She’d called to say she was heading to the hospital to see Mabel. To Eloise, Alistair said Caroline was just working late.
After dinner, he took Eloise out for a walk. It felt strange, doing it alone.
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At eight, Caroline returned. Her face was as composed as always, but Alistair knew the difference. He saw it instantly. Her mood hadn’t lifted.
Maybe it was the weight of the day, but she clung to him more
than usual. At one point, she even asked to shower with him, something she rarely did.
Alistair had always believed that even the closest couples needed space. If Caroline didn’t want to talk about something, he respected that. He’d never push.
But that didn’t mean he didn’t notice.
And tonight, Caroline was different. She stuck to him like gravity. After the shower, it was like she didn’t want to let go, not even for a second. What Alistair didn’t know was that this— this–was the only way she knew how to recharge.
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