You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 898

Chelsea had never planned to stay single. Marriage was always somewhere in the picture. If she couldn’t find someone she genuinely loved, then marrying someone trustworthy, someone her parents liked, didn’t sound so bad. At least it would make her family worry less.

After talking things over with Jackson, she picked her third option. The meeting got arranged in no time. Work kept her too busy to go far, so they settled on a café near her office. That area was always crowded with familiar faces. Chelsea might not know them, but they definitely knew her.

It didn’t take long before news of the new girl, Ms. Lawrence, going on a blind date made its way around the office and eventually reached Hector.

To help the gossip spread even faster, Oliver made sure to skip work that day. He figured if he showed up, people would be too distracted to enjoy the story. Everyone knew Mr. Padilla hated office gossip.

Meanwhile, over at Cloud Peak, Patricia stood in the nursery doorway, watching Oliver. He wore a gray t-shirt and was crouched on the floor, piecing together a baby toy. His head was bent, his movements careful and steady. Every part fit exactly where it belonged. Even while kneeling, his back was perfectly straight, like he’d been born that way.

When he finished, he lifted the toy and ran his fingers all around it, checking for rough edges. If he felt anything off, he’d take it apart and start again. If there was a sharp spot, he’d quietly pull out sandpaper and smooth it down. He had endless patience for these little tasks. While Patricia sometimes thought he was being a bit much, he always managed to find a reason to do things just right.

“Are guys just naturally better at putting things together?” she asked.

“Maybe,” Oliver answered, his voice gentle. “Usually, I guess we have a bit more of a knack for it than girls.” He glanced up and noticed she was still standing by the door. “Come sit down. Don’t just stand there.”

Patricia leaned against his chest, feeling lazy and safe. “Are you not heading to the office today?”

“I’ll go this afternoon,” Oliver said. “This morning, I want to spend time with you.”

Later, after lunch, Oliver helped Patricia get settled for a nap. Once she drifted off, he asked Marian to keep an eye on her and then headed out for work. Seeing how careful he was with every detail, Marian couldn’t help but think Patricia had really married well. There were plenty of rich men, but finding one who was both wealthy and this attentive was rare. Sometimes, Mr. Padilla seemed almost too good to be real.

At one thirty, just twenty minutes after falling asleep, Patricia woke up to a strong kick from the baby. She stayed in bed, hand resting gently on her belly, trying to calm things down. Usually, a little soothing would do the trick, but today the baby wouldn’t settle. The kicking went on and on, all the way until two thirty.