Chapter 65 A Shocking realization
DASHIELL
When I left my office to meet my favourite kids in the world, I thought nothing would happen. I just wanted to go over to meet River. But most importantly, I wanted to see Willow. I'd heard so much about her from the time I spent with River, and I was eager to meet her. Who would have thought I would end up being paired with them as their father?
I didn't want to be dragged into it at first, afraid I was overstepping, but when I saw the sad expression on River's face as the other parents read a passage for their children, I stepped onto the stage to act as their father. Though the kids didn't seem that thrilled to see me, they were glad I was there to help.
Glaring at the blank paper, I tried to rack my brain on what to draw, knowing I wasn't that good with my hands. If only there was a way to get through this without having to draw, I would have taken it. But that was the least of my problems. As I watched Willow, I couldn't help but notice how much she looked like me. Her eyes especially. I had seen pictures of myself when I was little, to know she looked exactly like I did back then, but that didn't make sense.
I tried to deny it at first, but when the parents with me commented on how much she looked like me, I realized something wasn't right. The resemblance was uncanny. It was too much to be a coincidence. There was no way someone who wasn't related to me would look so much like me. It could only mean she was mine.
But that wasn't possible. Nova said she lost our baby five years ago. Unless she was lying to me. Was she? I doubted that. Nova would never lie to me. Or could she?
Sighing in frustration, I glared at the blank paper in front of me, thinking of what to draw. We had just completed a passage reading before I asked us to step into this room for a drawing competition. I couldn't slip out of it, not when I was told it was compulsory.
"Do you like this?" Willow asked as she lifted her drawing for me to see.
"Is that me?" I pointed at the man standing next to a woman I figured was the mum, smiling. "I don't look that bad, do I?"
She shook her head, frowning. "No, that's Uncle Brion. He's the one standing next to Mum. Then this one is me, and that one there is River."
The smile on my face disappeared at her words. I felt a sharp pain in my heart, as if an arrow pierced through it. Fucking Brion! It was always about him. Nova left me five years ago because of him! "It's pretty, right?" She asked once more, and I had to force myself to smile, to pretend I was okay when I was fucking not!
"Yes. Wonderful."
"We are one happy family!" She grinned, her eyes sparkling as she stared at it. "Uncle Brion will be so happy to see it, don't you think?" She turned to look at me, blinking.
"Of course. Who wouldn't be?" I nodded even though I was dying within me, jealous of a man who was there with them when I couldn't.
"Here. This is mine. How is it?" River asked, placing his drawing over his sister's. "Do you like it?"
I wanted to blindly nod without checking the drawing out, to tell him he did well, but something caught my eye. "Why are there two men of yours?" I pointed at the men. "Who are they?"
"That's Uncle Brion and you, Mr Dashiell. You are Mum's friend, so I included you," River explained, taking his drawing back. "Why haven't you drawn anything?" He peered at the blank paper. "Can't you draw?"
"Of course I can. It's just... I'm still thinking of how to start it." I picked up the pencil a teacher gave me. "What do you want me to draw?" I glanced over at Willow, who was conducting a last-minute change to her drawing before focusing on River.
He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Anything. You can draw us if you like."
"Now, that's a wonderful idea!" With a smile and renewed determination, I started drawing, making. Even though I wasn't that good at drawing, mine could pass out as something.
"Is that me?" Willow gasped, pointing at the little girl I drew.
"Yes, baby girl. That's you." I patted her hair with a smile. "So you like it?"
"Yes, I do!"
"I'm glad you do." I smiled at her before I focused on my drawing. Hearing Willow's comment gave me the determination to complete this. Even though I didn't know what I was doing, and knew how much I sucked at drawing, I just wanted to see her smile.
I had just concluded my drawing when I heard her name. With my hands paused mid-air, I lifted my eyes towards her. My breath hitched in my throat when my gaze landed on her. Nova always took my breath away. Her beauty was unrivalled. She looked so good in a black suit. The trousers weren't tight. They were the right size. The silver heels she wore made her legs longer and shapely, drawing my attention to them.
Nova had her hair up in a loose bun, with a few strands let out in the front. Her grey eyes which were locked with me, seemed to be filled with different emotions. Though she was far from where I sat, I could see the battle going on in her eyes as she watched me.
A smile started forming on my lips but stopped when my thoughts returned to Willow. Once more, I was bombarded with different questions as I wondered if Nova lied about our baby. She seemed to notice the change in my expression because she gasped.
"Mum!" Willow left my side and ran over to her, while I continued to stare. River ran over to her side as a teacher walked over to usher her to my side while filling her in on all we had done for the day.