"Sign here and here," The black man told Eden by pointing his fingers on the space where she was supposed to sign offering her full consent in making Mia bear Lionel's last name. Eden didn't hesitate and signed the documents before glancing over at Lionel who gave her a hearty smile and approval while Mia chuckled as if she understood what was going on.
"Thank you. You too Mr Bluebird. Sign at the end offering your consent as well." Lionel grabbed the pen and signed on the needed space before the black man piled up the documents and told them. "I'll have this filed immediately."
"And how long will it take?" Lionel asked impatiently and tickled Mia slightly making her burst into laughter. Eden could see how much he loved Mia right now. Probably bearing the loss of his child he had with Monique had done some things to him which explained his behaviour and closeness to Mia. She assumed it to be so.
"It'll take about four to five days maximum." The black man replied confidently. He was sure the process would be filed in and approved with Lionel's support backing him. Lionel smiled his way in understanding and they walked out of his office.
While outside, Eden took a quick glance at Lionel and his behaviour. He was rubbing his perfect carved pointed nose against Mia's small cute nose and they both giggled together playing the role of the perfect father daughter duo.
Her inner thoughts battled with her and she couldn't help the itch down her throat and just had to ask, "Lionel?" She whispered his way. "Yeah." Lionel answered immediately not diverting his eyes and attention away from Mia.
"Hum...i want to ask you something...important," She hesitated to speak what was on her mind fearing he would get upset at her question but she had to ask anyhow. She faced him and Lionel also caught her shaky tone. He then moved his brown eyes to face her and asked, "Are you okay Eden? You sound hesitant to say what you want to say? Please feel free." For a moment Lionel believed she wanted to say something that will soothe him. Perhaps she was disturbed by their conversation earlier concerning her and Julian's relationship and wanted to tell him something he longed to hear.
I want you back in my life Lionel,
Those were what crossed Lionel's mind as to what she was hesitant to speak. Maybe she had realized she didn't love Julian but him instead. He knew her love for him was a strong force that couldn't die so quickly even after three years of separation. He regretted his actions and all he wanted was a second chance. A second chance to fix everything that he broke between them. He had come to realize the hard way that being wealthy and leaving loved ones behind always comes with a high price and he was facing that right now.
His heartbeat drummed loudly inside his chest contemplating her question or whatever she was going to ask and he so hoped it was what he had imagined. He wanted her back. He wanted his first wife back in his life again and vowed to correct all the wrongs. Damn he had missed her and only realized she was important in his life after his accident but the damage had already been done. He had shattered her trust in him. He had broken her strong fortress of love for him and even him feared her love for him was crumbling down slowly. She behaved different with him and wasn't getting the tensed sensation from her whenever he was near her. Even today he felt her distant and it was like he didn't exist for her. That was the first time she acted natural and normal around her and it didn't feel right with him.
How he wished he could turn back time but not even all his whole wealth could bring back time for him. Time to correct all his wrongs. Sometimes he refused to dive into the past and recall how horrible he treated her. How he left her pregnant at six months all alone. He really wronged her to the extreme and the memories of it made him mad at himself for stooping so low. Sometimes he wondered if he was in his right senses to do all that to her after everything they had been through? After going against his father which ended ties with his parents all for her sake only to end up ruining it himself.
"Don't be afraid to tell me anything my red haired..." Lionel spoke casually and only noticed his error in his words when Eden gave him a questioned look and a raised brow. "Oops, am sorry I won't call you that anymore. Am sorry and please forgive me." He apologized and Eden smiled so faintly that it barely showed. Her expression was dawning on him that probably what she wanted to ask didn't have anything to do with his imagination.
His anticipated expression immediately changed into a stoic one. "What do you want to ask?" His voice got deeper and his change of mood didn't go unnoticed by Eden but she simply shrugged it off. Not like she cared about how he felt.
Eden cleared her throat and asked the question that had been bothering her since they got to the court. "Are you trying to replace Mia with your child that you lost with Monique?" Her question came out softly as not to give him any ideas but Lionel knew what she was referring to.
Lionel inhaled sharply and turned to smile at Mia who cuddled herself in the warmth of his hold and laid her head on his chest. "Am sorry if my question came out blunt..."
"No it's okay Eden. I totally understand your fears and what you're thinking. You're probably wondering if am trying to imagine Mia as my dead child, right?" Lionel chuckled out but the tint of disappointment in his eyes couldn't be flickered away. Eden bit her lip hard and cursed for upsetting his feelings regarding the issue.
"Yeah. I was really hurt when I lost my child. I mean...he wasn't planned at all from a one night stand but it did happen. I didn't want him but I slowly got attached to him for some reason and it was because of the child I stayed married to Monique even though I didn't love her." He paused and sighed again fighting his emotions. The last time Eden saw him vulnerable was during their first year of marriage when his father cut ties with him and warned him never to show his face to his mother as well. It broke him and although Eden tried to find out the reason why but Lionel always avoided the question. Eden knew something was up and tried but soon gave up in trying and had to accept Lionel's decision of not visiting his parents again.
"But his death made me realize what I had lost and what I still had. In short that baby made me remember I had a beautiful and precious daughter else where." He added and kissed Mia's forehead before turning back to face Eden. "Mia is Mia, my princess. She isn't any replacement for my dead child and am treating her as mine. My own daughter and that's all Eden. I hope that answers your question and so you see I might have been a terrible husband and a bad father but am not crazy in the head. I'll never, never do what you asked to my daughter nor any child. Never." He said firmly and Eden nodded licking her lips. She felt bad and gutted for asking such a sensitive question. Obviously the loss of his child was a huge blow for him and it was clear he was still hurting but would never mistake Mia for his dead child. He hadn't lost his sanity and marbles just yet.
"Am...am sorry." Eden whispered and Lionel shrugged it off like it meant nothing to him with a smile on his face. "I'll take you home." He offered and Eden agreed without a second thought.
He dropped Mia in the backseat and locked the door placing it in child lock mode before walking to the drivers' seat while Eden got into the passengers' seat.
The ride to Eden's place was quiet. Eden threw quick looks over to Lionel who had his attention fixed on the road without looking in her direction once. She knew he was upset but was hiding it inside. Just then, her phone beeped and a message chat from Susan appeared on her Whatsapp app. She opened the message and read the contents before turning to Lionel.
"Hum...can you drop me and Mia off at Susan's place?" She asked lowly and only heard a hum of approval from him while his eyes were still fixed on the road. Normally she wouldn't care if he was sad or upset before but this time it was her fault. She had dug up a fresh wound that was only healing little by little and had completely open the fresh wound up. He was the one to always hurt her self esteem and worth trampling them under the sole of his shoes but this time she trapped on his sanity.
She actually believed he was only seeing his dead child in Mia and not Mia at all. She held her temples and whispered to herself why she could ever think that of him. Sure he was a big ass jerk who hurt her mentally and psychologically but he wasn't crazy to allow the dead of his child not allow him reason clearly and to know what he actually wanted.
"You know you can pour out your feelings right?" She asked unable to bear the silence anymore and his distant replies. Lionel abruptly stopped the car in front of a red light signal and inhaled deeply. "But I don't want to." He curtly replied looking ahead and not once facing her. She felt irritated by his indifference and huffed leaning on her seat with folded arms.
Silence again engulfed inside the car and only Mia's soft words were heard from time to time. She was playing with her bracelet that Lionel gifted her. Eden turned to her back and smiled seeing Mia playing away without even realizing the tension that struck within the car. Mia was moving her legs playfully and Eden saw how she almost fell off the backseat but she stretched her body and unhooking her seatbelt in the process unknown to her. She held Mia just in time and safeguarded her with the seatbelt at the backseat.
Lionel quickly got into full gear as soon as the red traffic signal turned green making Eden jerk forward due to her seatbelt loosening around her waist. She gasped in shock at the sudden impact and was bracing herself to hit her head on the hard surface in front of her but Lionel stopped the car and grabbed her body tightly in his arms securing her in place.
Eden's auburn hair flew forward and making her face covered with a few of her now messy hair. She gasped for breath and was still recovering in shock when her eyes darted to her rescuer and locked her eyes with those brown orbs of his. Their eyes remained glued to each other for a solid one and half minute before Mia's giggles made them blink and look away.
"Are you okay?" Lionel asked after letting go of her. Eden still heaving and getting her breathing back to normal nodded and swallowed hard and reached out for her seatbelt. "I'll help you," Lionel offered and Eden got her hands off the seatbelt and allowed him secure the seatbelt around her waist before tucking it into it's hold before focusing his attention back on the road and kick started the car heading towards Susan's home.
At about thirty minutes after, Lionel pulled over in front of Susan's bungalow and his phone buzzed. His secretary was reminding him about his meeting in an hour in the conference room. "Thank you very much." Eden smiled and Lionel only nodded with his lips thinned together.
Eden got out of the car while Lionel helped unbuckle her seatbelt before handing her over to Eden. "I'll visit soon my princess." He told Mia and Mia nodded with a smile before Eden closed the backseat door and walked up to the drivers' seat side.
"Do you want to say something?" Lionel asked her and Eden shooked her head before speaking lowly, "Am again sorry for thinking you're emotionally unstable because of your child. I...I spoke out of line." She apologized again and Lionel smiled her way this time. "None taken Eden. I can never be mad at you. Never answered do you know why?" He paused and smiled seeing her expression showing her anticipation to know the reason.
"Because I have come to realize that you're very important and special to me. We might not be together but you'll always be my favorite red-haired. Forgive for saying that once again. It won't happen again." He chuckled after he replied and Eden was shocked and her feet totally glued to the ground.
Goodnovel: Ashley Johnson
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Instagram page : kin.gqueen87