Wanderer

Chapter 29: He had the perfect proposal.

"He didn't agree on the adoption?" I asked in a whisper.

"No." She said wiping the few tears. "He did agree, he wanted to marry me and adopt her with me. He wanted to become her father."

She said with a smile, wiping the train of tears from her face.

"I was at loss of words, we had been together for months but marriage was too ahead of a step and I never wanted him to adopt Claire just for my sake."

"I can understand." I butted in comfortingly.

Paige's face was red as a cherry, the effect of cold winds and emotions clearly evident on her face.

"He solved all my doubts. I had seen him with Claire, he enjoyed their time together and when I saw my future, I saw one only with him by my side."

"You were in love." I said gleefully.

"Before I knew it." She said laughing lightly.

"I made him wait a month before I gave my answer."

"I can bet that was a long and excruciating month for him."

"It was. He had the perfect proposal." She said reliving those times in her memory.

"We planned the perfect wedding, we had to do everything quick because he had return back to New Zealand and there were many couples wanting to adopt Claire."

She took deep breath before saying, "He got a call that his grandfather had died on the day of our wedding, he left without informing us. I left after him when I got the news but...he refused to acknowledge my presence. The day in his apartment when I confronted him, still gives me goosebumps. He stood there emotionally drained, I pleaded him to talk to me..."

She controlled her breathing

"He remained indifferent to my presence or my words, I reminded him of our daughter back home waiting for our arrival. I noticed a change in his demeanor. Claire's name striked a chord within him. I could finally see some emotions but they disappeared faster than the blink of my eye."

She was now sobbing so hard, I put my arms around her in order to comfort her. A few minutes later, she mustered up the courage to continue when I stopped her.

"Paige, I really think you will get sick if you don't stop now. We are not at an ideal condition to fall sick right now."

She quieten down for while,"Is there an ideal condition to fall sick?" She asked timidly.

"I am really motivated to stop hugging you right this instance."I said glaring at her.

"No, please don't." She said snuggling closer to me and continued after while,"I gave him space and time. The orphanage kept calling me, they had been withholding Claire's adoption from other families. Six months in they gave up. They informed me that she has been adopted by a family, I immediately took the next flight back home and asked for 3 more months in the hope that Aarav would return. I remember convincing them with so many tears and plausible reasons that they had to finally give in. Three months passed by quicker than anticipated. They didn't hear my pleas the next time. She got adopted by a beautiful family."

She completed her story, let out a painful sob. I was shocked and could feel her pain through her words. No amount of my comforting words could make her feel better. I didn't know the right words to reply and she didn't need my sympathies.

"The day my Claire was taken away from me, was the day I stopped grieving and waiting for Aarav to return."