Chapter 210 Dear Lisa

Chapter 210 Dear Lisa


~Lora’s POV~

I waited until the twins were asleep to talk to Chard. He was in the living room, looking at some papers. The house was quiet, just how it gets after the kids go to bed. I sat next to him and took a deep breath.

“I got a call from Elena today,” I said.

Chard didn’t look up. “What did she want?”“She had the baby,” I told him. “A girl. Her name is Lisa.”

Finally, he looked at me. His face was tense.

“And?” he asked.

“She can’t take care of her from prison,” I said. “She asked me to take her. She said I’m the only family the baby has left.”

Chard put the papers down slowly and stared at me.

“No,” he said.

“Chard—”

“No, Lora.” His voice was firm. “We’re not doing this. We already have two kids. We don’t need another one. Especially not hers.”

I felt tightness in my chest.

“She’s just a baby,” I said. “She didn’t ask for any of this. She shouldn’t suffer because of her mother’s mistakes.”

Chard stood up and started pacing.

“You’re not thinking clearly,” he said. “This is Elena we’re talking about. The same woman who helped Victor threaten you while you were pregnant. The same woman who worked with him to ruin our peace. And now you want to raise her child?”

“I’m not doing it for Elena,” I said. “I’m doing it for Lisa. She’s innocent.”

Chard stopped pacing and looked at me.

“You can’t just bring a baby home because you feel sorry for her,” he said. “This is a big decision. Have you thought about what this means for us? For our kids?”

“I have,” I said. “And I still want to do it.”

He let out a frustrated laugh.

“You’re unbelievable,” he muttered. “You act like this is easy. Like we can just sign some papers and everything will be fine. What happens when she grows up and finds out her mother tried to destroy our family? What happens when people start talking?”

“I don’t care what people say,” I replied. “She’s a child. She needs someone. And right now, that someone is me.”

Chard ran a hand through his hair, looking tired.

“I don’t trust this,” he said. “I don’t trust Elena. Even from prison, she could use this baby to stay connected to us. I don’t want her having any hold on our family.”

“She won’t,” I said. “I talked to the lawyers. If we take her, Elena will have no legal rights. She can’t use her against us.”

Chard was quiet for a long time. He walked to the window and stared outside, tension in his shoulders.

“I don’t like this,” he finally said. “I really don’t.”

“I know,” I said softly. “But I can’t leave her there. I just can’t.”

He turned to me, his expression hard, but I could see the conflict in his eyes.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked.

“I am,” I said.

Chard sighed.

“Fine,” he said. “But we do this the right way. We talk to the lawyers. We sign everything properly. And if I feel like this will cause problems for our family, we’ll reconsider.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

We spent the next two days going through the legal process. It was quicker than I thought. Elena had already signed away her rights. All we had to do was agree to take custody.

On the third day, we went to the hospital.

Elena was sitting on the bed when we walked in. She looked weak and tired, but when she saw us, relief crossed her face.

Lisa was in a small bassinet at the other side, wrapped in a soft pink blanket, chard and I has paid some of the bills ...

“She’s healthy,” Elena said quietly. “The doctors said she’s perfect.”

I walked over to the bassinet and looked down at the baby. She was so small, with tiny fists curled near her face and a little bit of dark hair.

Chard stayed near the door, arms crossed, not coming closer.

Elena looked at me. “Thank you,” she said. “I know you didn’t have to do this.”

I just nodded.

After we signed the final documents, the nurse helped us get Lisa ready to leave. I held her for the first time as we walked out of the hospital. She was warm and light against my chest, smelling like baby powder and something soft.

Chard walked beside me, quiet the whole way to the car.

When we got home, I took her straight to the nursery we had set up. I sat in the rocking chair, holding her close and rocking gently.

“You didn’t ask for any of this,” I whispered. “But you’re safe now. I promise.”

She made a small sound in her sleep and curled closer to me. I felt something shift inside me. This tiny girl had no one. And now she had me.

I looked up and saw Chard standing in the doorway, watching us quietly. His face was still serious, but something in his eyes had softened.

He walked into the room and sat on the stool beside me. He gently touched Lisa’s tiny hand with one finger.

“She’s really small,” he said quietly.

“She is,” I replied.

We sat in silence for a while, listening to the soft creak of the rocking chair and Lisa’s quiet breathing.

Chard looked at me.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked again.

I nodded. “I am.”

He was quiet for a moment, then said, “She’s ours now.”

I looked at him, surprised by how steady his voice was.

Chard met my eyes. “She’s ours now. We’ll figure it out. Together.”Tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them away. I reached over and held his hand.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

He squeezed my hand gently and looked back at the baby sleeping in my arms.

For the first time since we brought her home, I felt like we might actually be okay.