You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 931

She didn’t really settle in until everything started to feel familiar. For four days, Patricia didn’t get a single call from Oliver. The only updates she got about the Padilla family’s funeral came from random news alerts on her phone.

Outside, rain drizzled down over Riverdale, painting the windows in gray streaks. Patricia sat curled up on the couch, watching the news. Maggie was right beside her, quietly flipping through a parenting book.

When the news anchor mentioned the Padilla family, Maggie looked up. “Your uncle says the old man’s funeral could drag on for nearly three weeks.”

“Three weeks?” Patricia blinked, surprised. She rested her hand on her belly, worry flickering across her face.

“He was really important. The memorial alone will probably take a whole week,” Maggie said softly.

Patricia let out a tiny sigh. Maggie heard it, put her book aside, and shifted closer, her voice kind and steady. “Birth and death are both huge moments in life. Oliver’s probably struggling too, you know? He’s stuck with his grandfather’s funeral on one side and you about to give birth on the other. I bet his heart hurts just as much as yours.”

She took Patricia’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Nobody wanted these things to happen at the same time, Pattie. Try not to let it get you down.”

“I’m okay, Aunt Maggie. I’m just... not used to all of this yet.” Patricia tried to smile.

“We’re all right here with you,” Maggie said, rubbing her thumb over Patricia’s hand. “Oliver made sure we’d take care of everything before he left. If you go into labor and he’s not here, we’ll do our best to look after you. Promise me you’ll try to relax, alright?”

Patricia looked at her, a soft gratitude warming her chest. She nodded. “Thank you, Aunt Maggie.”

Maggie smiled. “You’re family, silly. You and Chelsea are both like daughters to me.”

By the time Patricia was almost at the end of her thirty-eighth week, Oliver still hadn’t managed to come home. They only talked through messages. When Patricia woke up, Oliver was always in the middle of something, and when he finally got a break, she was already asleep. Every once in a while they’d squeeze in a quick phone call, but it was always rushed and cut short.

One afternoon, Patricia was lying in bed about to nap when her phone rang. It was Oliver. She picked up.

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