Chapter 193

Kelly said, "Alright, I know you're swamped, so I had Holly take the kids over. Their flight lands at 8 PM tonight. Make sure to pick them up. She's got her hands full with the kids."

I nodded quickly and said, "Thanks, Mom. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kelly chuckled softly, a bit helplessly, "You're a mom yourself now, but sometimes I feel like you're still a kid who hasn't grown up."

"Just go ahead and do whatever you need to do. I've got your back."

I wasn't sure if Kelly had sensed something recently, because I hadn't told her about my recent experiences, but her words made my eyes well up.

Yeah, go ahead and do it. It's no big deal. With Kelly around, if I fail, I can just go back to her with the three kids.

After hanging up, Savannah noticed I looked a bit down and quickly asked what was wrong.

I said, "I feel like I'm not a good mom. I even forgot about the kids' vaccination schedule. Holly's bringing them back tonight for their shots. Can you come with me to pick them up?"

Savannah nodded quickly and reassured me, "Caroline, don't overthink it. Things have been so hectic lately. Who could remember everything?"

"If you could juggle all this and still keep track of the kids' vaccinations, you'd be a saint. So let's not be too hard on ourselves. We didn't miss the appointment, did we?"

With Savannah's comfort, I felt much better and nodded, "Don't worry, I won't be too hard on myself. I'll do what I can and leave the rest to fate."

That evening, Holly's flight landed in Seaside City.

Savannah and I stood at the airport exit and saw Holly struggling forward, carrying one child in her arms, another on her back, and a suitcase in her hand.

I quickly went up to help, "Sorry for the trouble, Holly. Thanks for making the trip back."

Holly smiled warmly, "It's no trouble. I'm the youngest in my family, always helping my siblings with their kids. I've handled three or four at a time before. These two fell asleep as soon as we got on the plane and haven't woken up yet. They're really well-behaved."

I glanced back and saw Yves sleeping soundly on Holly's back, his head resting on her shoulder, looking completely innocent.

Aria, in front, had just woken up and was curiously looking around the terminal.

My heart melted. I took Yves from Holly to lighten her load, and Savannah took Aria.

"Holly, have you eaten? How about we go home first and then grab dinner?"

"No need, I ate on the plane and I'm not hungry. I fed the kids too. Let's just head home."

I nodded, and after Savannah helped us into the car, Holly and I sat in the back with the kids while Savannah drove.

I put the kids in their car seats and kept them entertained.

The car was filled with the sound of children's laughter, which was heartwarming.

"Looks like the kids weren't bothered by the long flight at all," Holly remarked, watching the kids laugh.

"You wouldn't believe it. There were other kids on the plane who cried because of ear pressure, but ours fell asleep right away. Even the flight attendants praised them and said they'd give them a little gift."

I smiled, "Really? That's awesome."

I had recently bought a new house, and one room was specifically set up as a nursery for Yves and Aria. When they grow older, it will become a playroom.

We put the kids in their cribs, and they fell asleep again.

The three of us adults sat on the couch and chatted. I asked Holly, "How's my mom been lately?"

"Taking care of three kids is exhausting for me. It must be tough for you two with four kids, right?"

Holly waved her hand, "Not at all. Brett and Briar are very independent. They play outside and come back when they're hungry. They don't cry or fuss. It's not hard at all."

"We just need to look after Yves and Aria, and with Mrs. Sharp's help, it's manageable."

"Mrs. Sharp still exercises every morning. She's in great shape."

Hearing this, I felt relieved and nodded, "That's good. I have a few things to wrap up here, then I'll come back and bring Briar home. I need to personally hand her over to her dad to feel at ease."

We chatted for a while longer, but since Holly was older and needed rest, we all went to our rooms.

As soon as I got to my room, Simon called.

"Caroline, are you asleep?"

"You called me, and you're asking if I'm asleep? Obviously, I'm not."

Maybe it was because of Yves and Aria's arrival, but I felt light-hearted enough to joke with him.

Simon seemed surprised, "You sound really happy today, Caroline."

Usually, our calls were serious or filled with frustration, never this relaxed.

"I got divorced, and now my kids are here. How could I not be happy? What's up?"

Simon cleared his throat and got serious, "Caroline, you know Karen's funeral is tomorrow."

"We're certain Earl will show up, but we've decided not to arrest him yet."

I was stunned, "Not arrest Earl? Why? This is a rare chance. What if he leaves town?"

"If he escapes abroad, we'll never get another chance. What are you thinking?"

"Caroline, calm down and listen. We've analyzed that Earl must have someone behind him. He's not capable of reaching the higher-ups abroad on his own."

"So we plan to use Earl as bait to draw out the mastermind. This is a big fish, and Earl is just a small fry."

"If we don't let Earl go, we might never get a chance to catch the real culprits. So I..."

Hearing this, I started to understand and nodded, "Alright, you must have your reasons. What do you need me to do?"

This kind of internal police matter shouldn't be shared with me, but if Simon was calling, there had to be a reason.