Garrett Ward had eaten little; he was watching me while I ate, and when I was done, he helped me clean up and cleaned up all the mess. I was wondering why such an important man like Garrett Ward would be here in this hotel room taking care of a simple woman like me who was also the ex-nanny of his son? What was his interest in me? What was he planning to do?
"What do you want to talk about?" I asked after a while. At that moment, he was sitting in an armchair nearby, facing me. I had my legs together, leaning against my chest. I was hugging my legs, resting my chin against my knees.
"Like I said, we have a lot to talk about."
"Are you going to apologize for leaving the way you did? Without even saying goodbye? Right after I gave myself to you like that? And on top of that, you disregarded every feeling I had for you. Your son and still you did what you did. Do you think that's right? Clearly, you owe me an explanation." He sighed and nodded. He looked a little tired.
"I really had to leave at dawn; I had things to sort out with Arthur's maternal grandparents, who wanted me to take the boy to them as soon as possible. I didn't want to get you into this mess, and I was afraid to wake you up. "You were sleeping so soundly that I didn't have the heart to wake you up, so I left you sleeping and left without saying anything. I really thought I'd be back that afternoon, but my in-laws plotted to take Arthur from me and wanted me to lose custody of the child."
"What?" I was so stunned I couldn't help myself, and then I screamed in shock. "Did they take Arthur away from you?"
"Yes. These last days have been exhausting and suffocating; there was a whole legal fight, and so far I haven't been able to get my son back, but there will be a final judgment next week. I know that I can definitely lose custody of my son in this session with the judge, but I still have hope that I will be able to win." He was trying to reassure me, but I could see how serious the matter was.
"But why would they do such a thing? You are Arthur's legitimate father; they have no right to take your own child away from you." I said I was totally disgusted with the whole situation, but Garrett just sighed and looked down, crestfallen.
"I really don't deserve Arthur that much. Have you forgotten that I abandoned him at that orphanage? Honestly speaking, there was no need for me to have left him there for so many months just because his mother had died. Like it or not, it was never my wife's fault that the baby died in childbirth, but what did I do? I blamed him for everything: for my wife's having died so early and leaving me alone; for my sadness and disappointment; and I hated him, Lily. Why do you think I still have the right to have you near me?"
At that moment, I also looked at the floor, not knowing what to say. I was hesitating because I confirmed that what Garrett was saying was all true. Was it not I myself who received the newborn in my own arms when his arrogant father abandoned him in that orphanage under the care of that Mother Superior? How many times had I thought him a bad man in the past when he'd done what he'd done to his own son? What father would have the courage to abandon his own son even if his wife had died? When I'm a mother one day, even if the whole world ends, I will never let go of my children because they will be the reason for my life. That's why I never agreed with Garrett's attitude.
But everyone dealt with their pain differently, and in the last few weeks I spent with him in that castle, he was able to prove to me that he really loved Arthur and was sorry for abandoning him in that orphanage. Although he was always rude to people, he showed that he loved his son in his own way, which is why I thought he had the right to have a second chance and continue with his son. He still had time to prove to the rest of the world how much he loved Arthur and how much he was willing to take care of the baby. Arthur was still just a baby; he still had a lot to learn and live with his father, even more now that his mother had died. Having his father figure around him was wholly essential.
I felt that in my skin because I was an orphan; growing up with the absence of my biological parents had been hell, and even if Arthur's maternal grandparents were going to take very good care of the child, nothing would make up for the lack that his real father would make in his life; they just couldn't take that chance for Arthur to be happy in the company of his father. Seeing now how Arthur seemed to be downcast in this whole situation, he had even lost a little weight, showing that really all those days he was away had not been easy for him. I even barely realized that I had been thinking about him all this time, thinking that he had taken advantage of me and left without even having the decency to explain why, since he was fighting to get custody of his son back in London.
I got up from the bed and went to him. Likewise, I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him, and ended up sitting on his lap in the process. "I'm so sorry for what you're going through. You may have been wrong in the past, but just the fact that you're trying to make things right is enough." I said I really felt it, and he sighed deeply and returned my hug by wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer.
"I just don't want to lose my son; he's really important in my life…" he stammered, being really sad about the whole situation.
"And you won't lose him, Mr. Ward. Everything will work itself out, as you'll see. The judge will understand your side and will return custody of your son to you." I tried to give him strength with my confidence.
"I wish I had all the confidence you have, but my in-laws have the upper hand in this fight over me being stupid enough to dump my own son in Saint Laurent." He spoke, still dejected, and I shook my head, looking at him now.
"That can't. Look, I can tell your in-laws how much you love and care for Arthur. I'll even talk to the judge if necessary. I testify in your favor; after all, I am Arthur's nanny; modesty aside, no one is better than me to talk about your relationship with him since he was born." I told him, starting to get hopeful as I spoke, that one idea was forming in my head.
If I really told the judge that Garrett was doing his best for Arthur, there was a great chance they would really listen to me because I had taken care of him since the first week of his life. Garrett was blinking repeatedly, his thoughts racing with the newly spotted green light that was right before his eyes. "It might work... If you tell them everything you've seen this whole time, you could be of great help to me." I saw him starting to get excited, and then I chuckled. "Would you really give your statement before the judge to help me?"
"Of course it is. It's Arthur we're talking about; I also want him to be okay and stay with you!" I smiled, and he also smiled big at me.
"Perfect!" He jumped to his own feet, getting up from the chair and hugging me tight, giving me a spin for the next few feet with me in his arms, causing me to grip him tightly and laugh out loud.
"Stop it, you silly!" He was twirling me around in his arms and then hugging me happily.
"Thank you, Lily. My goodness, you're just a genius! I can get my son back with your help!" He was totally happy; seeing him so happy made me feel so good that I also let happy smiles flow. Seeing him so happy made me realize that his happiness was really mine too.