Chapter 119 Inviting Uncle to Come Live at Home
Emily froze for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "Well, I didn't expect that. You're actually pretty patient."
He was personally picking up Grace's child?
Ha, whatever.
It was on the way anyway, and it wasn't easy to get a cab here. As long as it didn't delay her picking up Eleanor, it was fine.
They didn't speak for the rest of the drive.
The car glided out of the underground parking garage. The cabin was silent except for the soft hum of the engine.
Emily kept her eyes on the window the whole time, her expression cold, showing no intention of talking to him.
Her mind was filled with images of Eleanor waiting alone at the kindergarten.
Just then, her phone rang again.
After seeing the name flashing on the screen, Emily's voice softened a bit."Matthew?"
"Emmie, are you okay? Did Alex do anything to you?" Matthew's voice came through immediately, full of urgency and concern. "Where are you now? I'll come find you right away."
"I'm fine, don't worry." Emily pressed her lips together. "I'm on my way to the kindergarten to pick up Eleanor."
Matthew paused."Are you alone?"
Emily's eyes flickered."Yeah, I'm going to pick up the kid first. I'll let you know I'm safe once I get home."
Alex narrowed his eyes, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
Being vague?
Ha.
So she didn't want Matthew to know she was in the same car with him?
Just as Emily finished speaking, her wrist suddenly tightened.
With one hand on the steering wheel, Alex reached over with the other and snatched her phone without warning, quickly pressing the hang-up button and tossing it onto the center console.
"Alex!" Emily was both angry and anxious, reaching to grab it back. "What gives you the right to hang up my call?!"
The man's profile was cold and hard: "Picking up the kid is more important."
"That's my business, it has nothing to do with you!" Emily was so angry her chest felt tight.
Alex's grip on the steering wheel suddenly tightened. "You're perfectly safe with me. Stay away from him from now on—you don't need to report to him!"
Emily almost laughed in anger. "Who I see is my freedom, you have no say in it! We've been divorced for three years, Mr. Baker. Your current status is Miss Miller's fiancé. Just mind your own business, understand?"
"Fiancé?" Alex sneered, his eyes full of coldness.
Emily was stunned.
Why did he seem so reluctant about it?
Emily looked away dismissively: "Your business is yours to handle. Don't drag me and my daughter into it."
She paused, emphasizing again: "I'll say it one more time—Eleanor doesn't need a father. Don't get any ideas about her. I won't let you near her."
Alex didn't speak, just gripped the steering wheel tighter.
He wouldn't force her or scare the child, but getting him to let go was absolutely impossible.
The car soon approached the kindergarten entrance.
From a distance, they could see a small figure standing at the gate.
A foreign language teacher was keeping her company.
Eleanor, wearing her little backpack, kept standing on her tiptoes and looking toward the street corner. She looked pitiful yet adorable.
Emily's heart instantly melted. She pushed open the car door to get out, but her wrist was grabbed again.
Alex unbuckled his seatbelt: "I'll go with you."
Emily turned back, her eyes full of wariness: "What are you coming for? Alex, I'm warning you, don't scare my daughter!"
Looking at her tense, protective manner, the man felt a warmth in his chest: "Aren't I her uncle?"
Emily looked at her daughter waiting eagerly in the distance and knew that continuing to argue would only make the child wait longer.
She bit her lip: "You can follow, but you'd better act like a mute!"
Alex raised an eyebrow—that was agreement enough.
The two walked toward the kindergarten entrance, one after the other.
Suddenly, little Eleanor heard footsteps. Her bright eyes lit up the moment she saw Emily.
She opened her little arms and ran over: "Mommy!"
Her little legs pattered as she flew into Emily's arms, her soft little face pressing close: "Mommy, Eleanor missed you so much."
Emily's heart melted completely as she picked up her daughter: "Good girl, Mommy missed Eleanor too. You just got over being sick—did you feel uncomfortable at kindergarten? Did you drink water on time?"
Eleanor nodded obediently, rubbing her little head against her neck: "I was good and listened to the teacher! I didn't feel bad, I just wanted Mommy to come early, hehe."
As she spoke, her little eyes rolled and suddenly spotted Alex standing behind them.
Eleanor's little face immediately broke into a sweet smile. She raised her little hand and called out crisply: "Uncle!"
That soft, sweet voice hit Alex's chest like something had gently bumped into it.
Soft and warm.
He instinctively took half a step forward, wanting to hold the child in his arms.
But remembering what Emily had just said... his movement abruptly stopped, his fingertips tensing.
Seeing him wanting to touch but not daring to, Emily felt an inexplicable softness in her heart, and even her earlier anger subsided a bit. "You should head back. I can handle things here myself."
Alex pressed his lips together.
She was already sending him away?
Suddenly, Eleanor twisted her little body and stretched both little hands toward Alex, her voice crisp: "Hold me!"
For a moment, even Emily was stunned.
A flash of surprise crossed Alex's eyes too, then he raised an eyebrow at her.
The child had reached out—he couldn't very well refuse.
Emily bit her lip and reluctantly handed Eleanor to him: "Be careful, she just got over being sick."
A light flashed in Alex's eyes: "Mm."
His response was cold, but his hands moved without hesitation, reaching out to take the child.
But the moment he touched that soft little bundle, Alex's throat tightened.
Would this... would this hurt her?
The man's arms went rigid, momentarily at a loss, not knowing how to hold her properly. After all, at the hospital before, she'd been on the bed.
Eleanor had practically sat on his lap, so he didn't have to worry about how to hold her.
But now...
Alex's lips pressed together until they turned pale, just holding the little bundle awkwardly.
But Eleanor wasn't shy at all. She went straight for maximum comfort, stretching out her little arms and wrapping them around Alex's neck. Her fluffy little head nestled into his neck as she said softly: "Uncle smells nice."
That small body pressed against him, warm and soft. Alex's whole body stiffened, his heart feeling like it was stuffed with cotton, going soft.
This was his first time holding such a small child, and at such close range too.
Emily stood to the side, watching him tense up all over, clumsy yet so careful. Her feelings were complicated.