The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 313

Suzie swallowed hard around the tight lump in her throat and hurried over.

"How is she?" she asked, tears spilling down her cheeks the moment the words left her mouth.

Oliver did not look up. He simply remained frozen in his slumped posture and slowly shook his head.

Stella walked over and gently squeezed Suzie's shoulder in silent comfort, unable to find her own voice.

Suzie slowly made her way to the bench where Oliver's father, Arthur Cross, was seated.

She gently rubbed the older man's slumped back, offering a soft murmur of solace. "Please try to stay strong."

Suzie honestly had no idea what to say. When a loved one was hanging by a thread, no words could ever truly ease the agony.

Arthur did not respond. He simply stared blankly at the sterile floor tiles.

The group waited outside the emergency room in heavy, suffocating silence.

A grueling half-hour passed before a doctor finally emerged through the double doors.

Oliver attempted to stand several times, his legs giving out before he finally used the wall to haul himself upright.

"The patient is out of immediate danger for now, but as her family, you need to mentally prepare yourselves for the worst."

Delivering the grim news, the doctor and the attending nurses hurried down the hall.

Oliver's face was completely drained of color. It was only when the nurses wheeled his mother out that a fraction of life returned to his eyes.

Suzie leaned in and whispered into Stella's ear. "You stay with Oliver. I'll take care of Arthur. I need to do this."

Stella nodded, matching her hushed tone.

"Right. Go ahead. This is Oliver's most vulnerable moment, and keeping a respectful distance is the right thing to do."

By the time Suzie finally stepped out of the hospital, it was pitch black outside.

Just as she reached her car in the parking garage, the familiar chime of the elevator doors echoing through the concrete structure caught her attention.

Perhaps purely out of subconscious habit, Suzie glanced in that direction.

Around noon, her phone chimed with a rapid succession of notifications.

Suzie set down her fork and knife, unlocked her screen, and saw several message alerts from Mia.

A warm smile touched her lips as she tapped on the notifications.

The videos showed the kids laughing and running around a sunny park in the brand's clothing. The cameramen chased after them, while crew members hustled around with reflectors.

It was obvious Mia was tailing the production crew, specifically recording these behind-the-scenes moments to ease Suzie's mind.

Holding her phone, Suzie walked into the living room, cast the screen to her television, and sank into the sofa to watch.

As soon as one video ended, she swiped to the next.

But when the final clip began playing, Suzie completely froze.

On the screen, her three children were lined up on chairs under a shaded canopy, and a deeply familiar figure was happily feeding them slices of fruit.

It was Richard Baylor. What was he doing on set, and why was he acting so affectionate with her children?