Chapter 29
599words
Her gaze shifted to Nathan, who stood a few steps behind me. "Who's he?" she asked, suddenly wary.
"This is Nathan," I said. "He's..." I hesitated, unsure how to define our current relationship. "He's someone very special to me. Someone who's helping keep us both safe."
Nathan crouched down to Lily's level. "Hello, Lily," he said gently. "I've heard a lot about you."
She regarded him solemnly. "Are you a doctor too?"
"No," he smiled. "I build things. Buildings, mostly."
"Like with Legos?" she asked, a hint of interest breaking through her wariness.
"Sort of," Nathan chuckled. "But much bigger."
Lily seemed to consider this, then turned back to me. "The bad man tried to take me away," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "He said I had to forget what I saw. But I didn't forget, Dr. Olivia. I remembered, just like you taught me."
My heart broke for this brave, resilient child. "You did exactly right, Lily. And now you're safe."
"Promise?" she asked, her eyes searching mine.
"I promise," I said firmly. "No one is going to hurt you again."
Dr. Chen suggested we move to a more comfortable room where Lily could show me the drawings she'd been working on. As we settled in a small living area, I watched Nathan interact with Lily, surprised by his natural ease with her. He asked about her drawings, listened attentively to her explanations, and even sat on the floor with her when she wanted to show him how she could build a tower with blocks.
There was a gentleness to him I'd always known existed, but seeing it directed toward this traumatized child touched something deep inside me. This was the man I'd fallen in love with years ago—kind, patient, genuinely interested in others. The corporate CEO facade he showed the world was just that—a facade. This was the real Nathan.
"She likes you," I said softly when Lily was distracted with a new drawing.
Nathan looked surprised. "You think so?"
"I know so. I've never seen her warm up to a man so quickly. Not after what she witnessed."
He glanced at Lily, his expression softening. "She's extraordinary. So resilient, despite everything she's been through."
"Children often are," I said. "They have an amazing capacity to heal, given the right support and love."
Our eyes met over Lily's bent head, and I saw in Nathan's gaze the same thought that had been forming in my mind: could we be that support, that love, for Lily? It was too soon to know, too soon to make such life-altering decisions. But the possibility hung in the air between us, unspoken but acknowledged.
After a while, Lily began to tire. Dr. Chen suggested she take a nap, and to my surprise, Lily asked if I would stay with her until she fell asleep.
"Of course," I said, following her to a small bedroom decorated with cheerful animal prints.
As I sat on the edge of her bed, Lily looked up at me with those solemn eyes. "Are you and Mr. Nathan going to take me away from here?"
The question caught me off guard. "Why do you ask that?"
"Because I want to go with you," she said simply. "You make the bad dreams not so scary."
Tears pricked my eyes. "Oh, Lily. Right now, this is the safest place for you. But Nathan and I will visit you as often as we can. And someday, when all of this is over, we'll talk about what happens next. Okay?"
