Chapter 76 I am Emily's Dad
Michael's lively voice broke the awkward silence. He pulled out a new children's fishing rod from the side and handed it to William, his eyes full of anticipation for the competition results.
"James, Dad and I will be a team, you and Mom will be a team. Let's compete to see who catches a fish first."
At the mention of a competition, Emily's eyes lit up.
She waved her little hands and joined in, "Emily and Raymond are a team."
Seeing James come over to her side, his eyes full of eager excitement, Sophia didn't refuse.
Compared to everyone else's casual clothing, William, who had just returned from the airport, wore a black suit that fit his perfect frame. Even sitting there, he didn't look like he was fishing—more like he was negotiating a priceless business deal.
He readjusted the bait for James and Michael, sitting with James between him and Sophia, his gaze focused intently on the water's surface.
Emily sat close beside Sophia.
When William caught the first fish, Michael jumped up excitedly and clapped, "Wow! Dad is amazing!"
Raymond's fishing rod also showed movement, and Emily copied James, clapping for him, "Raymond is great!"
The third person to catch a fish was James. He said excitedly, "Mom, I caught one!"
Sophia reached out to touch James's head and praised him, "Our James is really amazing."
She just didn't expect William to reach out at the same time. The moment she touched William's warm palm, she immediately pulled back.
William's hand instantly stiffened, his expression not looking good.
William touched James's hair, "James did great."
James didn't notice the tension above his head and lowered his head a bit shyly at the words.
After that, William and Raymond seemed to really get into the competitive spirit.
Neither would give way to the other.
You catch one, I catch one—before long, the bucket for the fish was almost full.
Emily crouched curiously by the bucket, counting the little fish. When she stood up, she accidentally tripped and fell backward toward the pond.
"Mom!" "Emily!" "Emily!"
Three voices overlapped.
Sophia reached out to grab her almost the instant the child fell, but was still a step too slow.
At the critical moment!
It was William who caught her hand!
One second before Emily's hair touched the water's surface, he swiftly pulled Emily back into his arms.
His heart was racing so fast it felt like it would leap out of his body!
"Don't be scared, don't be scared. Emily, don't be scared."
"It's okay now, it's okay. I'm here."
If you listened carefully, William's voice was still trembling.
Almost before the child's crying started, he had already carried Emily to a safe place.
William's large palm gently patted her back as he comforted her, "Emily, don't cry."
Emily was truly frightened.
She wrapped her arms around William's neck, buried her face in his shoulder, and cried in hiccups.
Perhaps it was the sense of security that came from him as a father—for the first time, Emily clung tightly to William's neck and wouldn't let go.
"William, Emily is scared..."
Hearing the dependence in the child's voice, William's heart softened, and his voice became even gentler.
"Don't be scared. I'm here."
It was hard for him to explain his feelings for Emily in his arms.
The Smith family relatives also had children younger than James and Michael, but whenever he saw them, William showed no expression.
In the past, William attributed this to loving Emily because of James and Michael, because they both liked Emily so much, his tolerance for Emily was greater.
But just now! It was almost a reflex!
The moment he saw Emily about to fall into the pond, he felt his heartbeat nearly stop.
William deeply realized that his affection and care for Emily came from his heart, never because of anything else.
Sophia hurried over and took Emily from William's arms, checking her over while comforting her.
"Does Emily hurt anywhere? Let Mom see."
Emily's eyes were red from crying, but she still shook her head, "No."
Knowing Emily was just frightened, Sophia carried her aside to comfort her, with James and Michael following along.
Raymond was also very worried, but with the child's mother there, it ultimately wasn't appropriate for him to hold the child.
When his gaze swept past William, he noticed his hands were actually trembling.
Because of this accident, the fishing competition silently ended.
Seeing that Sophia's attention was all on Emily, Raymond offered to leave.
The person who saw him out, however, was William.
No matter how perfectly Raymond disguised himself in front of Sophia, it couldn't change the fact that he had already fallen for her.
So when William warned him not to get close to Sophia and the children, Raymond smiled.
"What position is Mr. Smith speaking from?"
"Sophia's ex-husband?"