Back in Northborough, Briony and Ferdinand stepped out of the airport into the crisp afternoon air.
Gifford was waiting outside, ready to pick up Ferdinand.
Ferdinand turned to Briony. "Want me to drop you off first?"
"I'm heading back to Skybreeze Retreat," Briony replied, glancing at her watch. "It's nearly dinnertime. If you're not in a rush, why don't you and Gifford come eat with us before you head home?"
He raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his voice. "That phone call you just took—was it from Little Nina?"
Briony gave a helpless little smile. "Yes. That little rascal found out I was with you and put me on a mission—she wants me to bring you back."
"Being thought of is a nice feeling," Ferdinand said warmly. "Guess I'll help you complete your mission. Afterwards, you can report back to Little Nina."
Briony laughed, and the three of them piled into the car.
Half an hour later, Gifford pulled into the driveway of Sunset Ridge Villas.
At the sound of the engine, Little Nina and little Mario came running out to greet them.
Briony was surprised to see little Mario. "Hey, little Mario—did you come by yourself?"
He shook his head and pointed toward the house. "Carol."
Carol appeared in the doorway, smiling. "Mr. Ferguson's been busy these past couple days, and staying cooped up in a hotel room with little Mario was getting a bit stuffy. I thought I'd shamelessly bring him over to spend some time with you all."
Briony ruffled little Mario's hair affectionately. "You and little Mario are always welcome here." The unspoken implication: as long as Garry doesn't tag along.
Carol didn't know the details between Briony and Garry, but after a few encounters, she could tell Briony wasn't the type to hold a grudge. Clearly, her boss must've done something wrong. Not that it was Carol's place to pry; her main responsibility was taking good care of little Mario.
Since little Mario adored Briony and Little Nina, Carol made a point of bringing him over more often. The interaction did wonders for the boy.
She walked over and nodded politely to Ferdinand. "Mr. Ellsworth."
Ferdinand had recently been helping little Mario with his digestion issues, so he and Carol had been communicating quite a bit. "How's little Mario doing at night? Any improvement with the night sweats?"
"Much better, actually!" Carol beamed. "Following your advice, he's even stopped kicking off the covers in his sleep. He used to sleep like a little frog, but not anymore."
"That's good." Ferdinand gave little Mario's head a gentle pat. "Let me check his pulse again once we're inside."
"Of course," Carol agreed.
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