Chapter 333 Hug
Watching Nathaniel take a shallow breath, Aurelia felt a bit amused.
The two had been together day and night for three years, and Aurelia could read his every expression. Although he appeared nonchalant, Aurelia knew he was nervous.
In just a few minutes, he had touched the tip of his nose three times. He only did this when he was uneasy.
Aurelia glanced at her watch again; it was exactly 11:45, and the announcement was being broadcast. Aurelia looked up and asked, "Dorothy should be out any minute now. Have you thought about what you're going to say to her?"
She hadn't told the child in advance that her father was coming to pick her up, and she wasn't sure if Dorothy would reject or welcome him.
Of course, Aurelia hoped the two children would accept Nathaniel. No mother wanted her children's lives to be incomplete. She wanted Jacob and Dorothy to have all the good things in the world, and a father's love was essential.
Nathaniel cleared his throat and unconsciously reached to touch the back of his neck. He had no mind to consider Aurelia's question; his emotions were a mix of anxiety and anticipation.
He wanted to hold Dorothy quickly but feared she wouldn't like or recognize him. Then he thought about Aurelia giving birth to the two babies and raising them alone all these years, and his heart ached.
He looked down at Aurelia, who was keeping a safe distance from him. He clenched his hands, wanting to pull her into his arms, but felt it would be too abrupt.
"Aurelia, why didn't you come to find me sooner?" Nathaniel asked.
Aurelia knew exactly what Nathaniel was implying. She had been avoiding him and everyone from Imperick for years, so the idea of seeking him out had never crossed her mind.
At this point, Aurelia saw no need to hide anything from him.
"Nathaniel, to be honest, I was a bit afraid of you before. I was afraid that you would come and take the children from me. Dorothy and Jacob are my whole world; without them, I wouldn't have had the strength to keep going," she admitted.
Nathaniel's expression froze for a moment. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke, "I understand."
He knew that for those years, the two children were her emotional anchor.
"But Aurelia, if you had contacted me earlier, there would have been more people in this world who love the babies, not people trying to take them. You know how much Grandpa was looking forward to the birth of the two children; he even prepared gifts for them," Nathaniel continued.
Aurelia seemed to think of something and smiled bitterly. "There's a saying that when there's a stepmother, the father's love for his children can change too. Honestly, I don't have much faith in you.""
"Aurelia, there will be no stepmother. Chelsea never had that qualification," Nathaniel said firmly.
Aurelia glanced at him. "Otherwise, do you think you would have the chance to be their father?"
If she hadn't seen his attitude towards Chelsea and personally handed Chelsea over to the police, she wouldn't have dared to let the two children recognize their father.
As they talked, passengers began to pour out of the exit.
Aurelia took a few steps forward to a spot where she could see clearly and waited for Dorothy. Nathaniel followed her.
A long silence followed. They didn't continue their previous conversation, their eyes fixed on the crowd, afraid of missing Dorothy.
Dorothy was wearing a floral princess dress, holding a strawberry bear in one hand, and being led by Dahlia with the other. She spotted Aurelia immediately. "Mommy!"
A soft, cute voice drew Aurelia's attention.
Dorothy hadn't seen Aurelia for a while and was thrilled. She broke free from Dahlia's hand and ran towards her. With many passengers striding towards the exit, Dorothy's sudden move made Aurelia's palms sweat.
Aurelia quickly ran towards the crowd to catch her, but someone was faster.
By the time Aurelia squeezed through, Dorothy was already being held up. Nathaniel, taller than most, had lifted the child high, making them stand out in the crowd.
This wasn't the place to talk. Aurelia didn't have time to explain to Dorothy who was holding her. She led them to a relatively quiet spot before observing Dorothy's expression.
Dorothy was usually shy, and to Aurelia's surprise, she didn't seem uncomfortable with the man holding her. Instead, she appeared a bit happy.
Dorothy had met Nathaniel before, and they had even become online friends. Naturally, she wasn't afraid of him, but she was curious why this handsome man seemed to know her mommy and had come to pick her up together.
"Dorothy, this is your daddy," Aurelia said softly.
Dorothy was taken aback. She looked down carefully at the man holding her, and her first thought was one of delight.
In her young mind, she had often imagined what her daddy would be like, and he had to be tall and handsome, just like this man.
Now, her mommy was telling her that this man was her daddy. It felt like a scene from a storybook.
Dorothy raised her small hand and touched Nathaniel's face, her fingers gently sliding down to his rough chin. She had only heard about daddies from Aurelia a few times but had never seen one.
Since holding Dorothy, Nathaniel's eyes hadn't left her. He carefully examined this doll-like little girl, seeing Aurelia's shadow in her face.
Dorothy's eyes were just like Aurelia's, but her nose and mouth were exactly like his.
He now understood why he had felt such an instant connection to Dorothy the first time he saw her. That was the reason.
He felt a bit annoyed with himself for not recognizing his own child when he first held her. Nathaniel kissed the small hand on his chin and quickly let go.
He was eager but afraid of scaring the child.
"Dorothy, can you call me daddy?" Nathaniel's voice was soft and tentative, almost a whisper. He held his breath, waiting for her response.
Dorothy snapped out of her daze, looked from the man who had suddenly appeared and claimed to be her father, to her mother standing nearby. She suddenly remembered what Jacob had told her: that daddy was a bad person who didn't love mommy, and they didn't need him.
Dorothy quickly withdrew her hand, her resolve hardening. She turned to Aurelia for comfort. "Mommy, I want you to hold me."
Nathaniel's eyes filled with disappointment, but he quickly masked his emotions. Dorothy had just learned the truth, and he had been too impatient.
Dorothy's resistance was obvious. He handed the child to Aurelia, his gaze lingering on the mother and daughter.
At this moment, Dahlia returned with the luggage and saw the three of them standing there, the atmosphere tense and awkward.
She hadn't met Nathaniel and assumed he was Aurelia's new boyfriend.
Dahlia had been with the Semona Family for years and had never seen a man close to Aurelia. Observing Nathaniel's gaze towards Aurelia and her daughter, she felt a sense of happiness for Aurelia.
It was hard to hide love when it was written all over ones face.
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