novelxo Chapter 8
Yara blinked her big eyes, one hand covering her mouth, as she scanned the crowd. In a soft, innocent voice, she said, “My mommy’s nearby. She walked too slow and we got separated.”
Natalie quickly turned and hid behind a nearby pillar. She couldn’t let Tobias see her. Even if nothing serious happened, the moment he noticed the child’s age, he would definitely dig deeper. Her return to the country wasn’t about the Reese family; she planned to settle things and leave without interacting with him,
Yara looked lost, her eyes darting around, before she turned to Tobias with tears welling up. “Mr. Handsome, I think I lost my mommy!
“What’s her name? Tobias asked, his brow furrowing with concern.
“Linda.”
That was an unfamiliar name. Tobias didn’t think much of it. He instructed the nearby staff to help look for her mother.
“I’m a bit hungry. Can you take me to get something to eat, Uncle? Yara asked sweetly.
Tobias wasn’t exactly known for being warm and fuzzy, but seeing the almost sad look on her face made him feel an urge to help. “Alright.” He picked her up and walked confidently away from the reporters, holding her close.
Natalie watched, trying to hide her smile. Thankfully, Natalie was called Linda when they were overseas, so Yara had only told Tobias her mother’s name was Linda. Then Natalie Sent a text to Yara, asking her to come back once she was done Yara was smart; she knew what to do.
Maddie and Natalie had agreed to meet at a restaurant next to the airport. As Natalie was passing by, she was about to leave the restaurant when a scruffy little boy came running out of nowhere. He was quite a sight-his clothes looked decent but were tom in several spots, and he was covered in dirt.
Natalie initially thought about ignoring him, but he charged right at her. He took a final dramatic step and tripped forward.
Reacting almost instinctively. Natalie caught him just in time. Looking into his bright, lively eyes, she noticed he was small and soft, with a distinct scent of milk. He smelled clean enough, and something about his features struck her as oddly familiar.
A few restaurant employees burst through the door, shouting angrily, “Are you the kid’s guardian? He grabbed something off a table and ran away! You need to pay up and apologize!”
Natalie felt her lip twitch as she opened her mouth to say she wasn’t responsible when the boy suddenly threw his arms around her. “Mommy!”
The employees clearly wanted compensation.
Sighing, Natalie realized no one around was going to help, so she might as well deal with this little-troublemaker. “How much?
“50 dollars. He scared away two of our customers,” one employee replied.
To Natalie, that wasn’t a big deal; she handed over the money without thinking twice. As the employee walked away with it, she couldn’t shake the feeling she had just been scammed. Meanwhile, the kid still clung to her, leaving dirt all over her clothes. “Can you let go now?” she asked, gently squeezing his dusty cheek. It felt soft, and her tone relaxed a bit. “You can’t dp that anymore, okay?”
The boy just grunted, tightening his grip and continuing to call out, “Mommy!”
“I do have a kid, but it’s not you. Where’s your family? Let me help you find them,” Natalie thought back to what Tobias had said to Yara earlier.
The boy shook his head stubbornly. “Wherever Mommy goes, I go.”
Great, she thought. I might be dealing with a little fool here.
Just then, a woman in a bright red dress rushed over with a bag. “Natalie! I missed you so much! You’re finally back in the country!”
It was her good friend, Maddie. Seeing her made Natalie feel a litle better. “It’s been a while.”
“Six years! How come you haven’t changed at all? Your skin looks amazing! What’s your secret?” Maddie exclaimed, a mix of envy and admiration in her voice as she reached out to pinch Natalie’s cheek. Just before she could touch her, Maddie felt someone step on her foot and yelped, realizing it was the little boy on the ground.
“Don’t touch my mommy!” he shouted, glaring at Maddie..
“Yara? What happened to you? You look like a little tomboy! Maddie recognized Yara immediately from their video calls. Although they looked to be about the same age, the two had totally different vibes, “You can’t be Yara, Maddie squinted and then pointed an accusing finger at Natalie. “Wow, look at you! I didn’t know you had a son and didn’t even tell me!”
Natalie shook her head in exasperation. “He’s not my son…
“Honestly, if he’s calling you ‘Mommy, how can you deny it?” Maddie looked incredulous. “Not even acknowledging your own kid? That’s just too much!”
Natalie felt overwhelmed. She bent down to check the child’s eyes and pulse, noticing that he looked perfectly healthy- definitely not disabled. She pondered, ‘Is he just confused? But there are no signs of trauma.”
“Mommy, I’m here!” Another little figure burst out of the airport It was Yara, Natalie’s daughter. She bounced over happily and let out a playful howl.
Natalie ruffled Yara’s hair, too tired to lecture her. But thinking about Tobias, she said to Yara in a serious tone, “Today’s man is out of the option.”
Yara blinked in confusion. “But why? That uncle is really nice to me! He even bought me my favorite candy!”
Just trust me on this one, Natalie said, trying to keep it simple,
Yara looked a bit doubtful but nodded happily. “Oh, and Mommy, I actually sneaked out just now! That uncle wanted to take me to the police station, but his kid was missing too! Everyone went searching, so I slipped out while they weren’t looking Natalie just hummed in response, but Yara’s story was interrupted when another little hand slapped her away.
“Don’t touch my mommy! The boy fiercely shielded Natalie with his tiny body.
Yara pulled her hand back, cheeks flushed. She hadn’t even noticed this little troublemaker before. “Who are you? She’s my mommy!TM
“No, she’s my mommy, the boy shot back coldly, glaring at Yara
Yara, Usually fearless, shrank back from the boy’s fierce gaze. “Wah! Mommy, who is he? Are you going to leave Yara behind? I’ll be good! Don’t get other kids, okay?”
Maddie, catching on, looked confused. “What’s going on? Why doesn’t your daughter recognize this kid?”
Natalie sighed and turned to the little boy. “Listen, kid, I’m really not your mom, and trust me, this isn’t helping anyone,” she said firmly. Still, she couldn’t stay mad at him forever. But she sure wasn’t going to let him bully her daughter.