Chapter529ActingLikeABolster
“Lysander.”Josiahinquired,“WillNievaagreeifIproposedtobethe godfatherofherbaby?”
Lysanderreplied,“Idon’tknowwhatkindofrtionshipyouhavewithMs.Lionhart.”
“Wedon’tmeeteachotheroften,butwe’vebeenawareofeachother’sexistencesincechildhood.Ourrtionshipisquitedecent.
“ThenwhynotwaitforMs.Lionharttoreturnandaskher?”Lysandersuggested,“However,whilethebiologicalfather’spresenceorabsencemayseeminconsequential,it’sunalterableintermsofbloodrtionandlegalese.”
Josiahresignedlysaid,“Iknow.”
“OrareyousayingyouwanttobeAurora’sstepdad?”
Josiahimmediatelyfurrowedhisbrowsinretort,“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”
Themusicalwindchimeswerestill cheerfullyyingnurseryrhymes.
Afterlisteningcarefullyforawhile,LysanderfinallyrealizedwhyAurorawassaying“Daddy,”oratleastanapproximationofit.
Thewindchimehadbeensoftlysinging,“Daddy’sdadiscalledGrandpa,Daddy’smomiscalled.Grandma…”
Josiahhadalsoheardit,thoughhiplexionstillheldáhintofconfusion.
Aurorawasstilllearninghowtopronouncetheword,andshewasgettingbetteratit.“Daddy…Daddy…<b>”</b>
Thattime,itwasnolongerambiguous.Shewasveryclearlysaying“Daddy.”
Josiahleanedover,gentlytappinghersoftlittlefacewithhisfinger,andlightlychuckled.“Perhapsyoushouldcall‘Mommyfirst.Because<i>your</i>biologicalfathermightnot<i>be</i>toothrilled<i>if</i><i>he</i>heardyoucallinghimDaddy.”
Lysanderletoutalongsigh.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.
ThefutureofNieva’sandElio’smarriage
suncertain.Theymightcontinueasamarriedcouple,strangersinallbutname,orperhapsElio,unabletobear thepiercingwordsanylonger,woulddecideto
divorceNieva.
Regardlessofthecircumstances,it<b>was</b>inevitablethatAurora’schildhoodwouldbemarkedbytheabsenceofafather’slove.
ItseemedasthoughJosiahhadalsoconsideredthatpoint.Hesoftly said,“Yourinitialworrieswere<b>justified</b>.”
Lysanderremainedsilent.
Yet,bothofthemunderstood.
Howcouldsuchaninnocentandadorablechild,onceshegrewupandunderstoodtheworldbetter,
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Eliowaspowerfndinfluentilready,sotherewasnoguarantee<b>that</b>otherwomenandchildrenwouldn’tappearinhislifeinthefuture.
HowshouldAurorafacethosewomenandherhalf–siblingswhenthetimes?
JustthemerethoughtofitleftJosiahfeelingbreathless.
HelookedtowardLysander,whowascarefullysortingoutAurora’sclothes,
Shecarefullyfoldedthetinyclothes,stillcarryingthe<b>faint</b>scentofmilk,andsetthemaside.
Althoughsherarelyshowedit,everyoneknewthatshewastheonewhosufferedthemost.
BythetimeJosiahmanagedtodetachhisthoughtsfromthepast,Aurorahadlostinterestinthewindchime.Shestartedtoreachoutherlittlearms,indicatingshewantedtobeheld.
Josiahtookoutafluffylittlebirdtoyfromthebaghehadbroughtin.Hehelditinhishandandwoundit
<ol>
<li>up<b>.</b></li>
</ol>
Chirp!Chirp!
AuroratwistedaroundinLysander’sarms,startingtolookatthebirdwithcuriosity.
Lysanderhadnotseenthattoybefore.“IsthisalsosomethingMs.Lionhartleftbehind?”
“Iboughtthis.”Josiahwalkedover,usinganoise–makingtoytocatchAurora’sattention,andthenhereachedouthishand.“JustleaveAuroratomeanddowhateveryouwanttodo.Justrememberwhatthedoctorsaid.Bnceworkandrest”
Lysanderhesitated.“Whendidyoubuythis?”
“Lastnight.”
“Weren’tyouatthehotllostnight?Didyouleaveyesterday?”
“No,”saidJosiah.“Idon’tfeelsafeleavingyouandAuroraherealone.”
“Wheredidyoupurchaseitfrom,then?”
“Overbythechildren’syground,”Josiahlickedhislips,appearingsomewhatstiff.“Iboughtitfromakid.”
Lysander<b>was</b>takenaback.
“IalsoboughtthelollipopIgaveyoufromhim.”
Lysanderwasutterlyspeechless.“Howmuchmoneydidyougivehim?”
“Ididn’thaveanycashonme,butitseemedlikethekidwasn’ttoointerestedinmoney.So,Igavehimmycorbuttoninstead.”
ThecorbuttonsonJosiah’sattirewereworthtensofthousands.
Thus,Lysanderthoughtthatperhapsitwouldn’treallycountasdeceiving achild.
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Josiahcontinued,“However,whilewewerediningattherestauranttoday,IthinkIsawhimdropthebuttonintotheoutdoordrainageditch.”
Lysanderdidn’tknowwhattosay.
-Ihadalreadyinstructedthefrontdeskthatiftheysawthechild’smother,theywouldreimburseherwith
some<b>money</b>.
Lysanderasked,“Howmuchmoneydidyouaskthereceptiontogivetothemother<b>?</b>”
Tenthousand,andalltheirexpensesatthehotelthesepastfewdaysarecovered.”
NowordspartedfromLysander’sslips.
SeeingLysanderremainedsilent,Josiahimmediatelygrewanxious.“ShouldIaskthefrontdesktogive
more?”
Lysandershookherhead.“It’s<b>fine</b>.”
“Allright.”
“Ihaven’thadthetimetolookattheinformationAidensentover.I’llgodothatnow.”
AmomentofdestionshedinJosiah’seyes,buthestillnodded.“Allright.”
LysandergentlypinchedAurora’stinyhand, softlytellingher,“Beagoodgirl.Iwilebacktoywithyouinabit”
Initially,therewasn’tmuchhappening.However,forsomereason,itseemedasthoughAurorasuddenlyunderstoodLysander’swords.Thebabystartedtopoutasifshe<b>was</b>abouttocry.
Takingadvantageofthesituation,JosiahgentlygraspedLysander’shand.“Auroracan’tbewithoutyou.”
Lysanderpulledawayfromhisgrasp.“I<b>have</b>worktodo,too.I’vebeenbackfromApexCityforquitesometimenow,andIhaven’tevenncedatthosedocumentsyet.”
“Bringitoverhere,then.”
Lysanderdidn’treply.
“PerhapsIcouldbringAuroratoyourroom?”suggestedJosiah.“Ipromise we’llbequiet.Wewon’tdisturbyouatall.<b>”</b>
LysanderncedatJosiah,thenatAurora,whowasreachingoutfor her,wantingtobeheld.Shebitherlip,remainingstill.
Josiahpausedforamoment,thensaid,“Let’sstayatmyce.Aurora’sform,bottles,andclothesareallhere.It’sjustmoreconvenient.”
SeeingLysander’s hesitation,heimmediatelystoodupandheadedout,“I’llgogetallthedocumentsfor
<b>you</b><b>.”</b>
Then,hedashedoutthedoorlikeagustof<b>wind</b>.
Beforelong,Josiahreturned,holdingastackofdocumentsthatAidenhadsent<b>over</b>alongwithhercun.
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Chapter529ActingLikeABolster
Hepreparedacup ofhotwaterforheranddeliveredittothestudywithintheirsuite.“Youworkinhere,andI’llstayoutsidewith thebaby.”
Hesitantforamoment.Lysandereventuallydecidedtoenterthestudy,sittinginfrontofthedesk.
Perhapsduetotherestshehadtakenearlier,Lysander’smindwassignificantlyclearer.Shedidn’tneedcoffeetokeepherselfawake,andherthoughtswerelucid.Shehadgenerallysortedouttheemployee.situationatThorneConstructionsandEnergies.
Josiahwasamanofhisword.ApartfromtheasionallighughtertoamuseAurora,there wasnoothersoundormovementfromhim.
Athalfpastnineintheevening,Josiahcameoverandlightlyknockedonthedoor.“It’stimeforAuroratogotobed.”
JustasLysanderwasabouttowatchtherecordingofthtestsummit,herfingerspausedintheirmotion.
Auroraenjoyedbeingthebolsterwhensleeping.
Sheneededsomeoneonbothofhersides.Otherwise,shewouldhavetroublesleeping.
WhenJosiahmentionedthatAuroraneededtosleep,itwasalsoasubtlehinttoLysander,askinghertostopworkingandhitthesack.
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