CHAPTER 29: ALL BECAUSE OF HIM

My eyes never left her the minute she arrived at the dining table the following day. She wasn’t in her professional business suit this morning, in fact, she was wearing simple jeans over a plain white shirt and white converse. There was nothing fancy with her outfit this morning, yet the moment her presence settled in the dining room, it lit the vast space with brightness as if she was carrying with her the glorious sun rays.


“Good morning, Dad! Good morning, Lewis!” She exclaimed with gladness, which immediately made me smile.


The way she greeted us, that well-refined energy and enthusiasm laced in her words, only shows that our conversation the night before made a difference to her. It somehow pumped up her once gloomy spirit and now, she was radiating like the first sunshine of the day.


“I see someone woke up on the good side of the bed. Good morning, princess!” Her father was also smiling as joy sparkled in his eyes.


“I slept well without worries in my heart, thanks to Lewis here” She glanced at me before smiling wider.


My heart somersaulted at the way she smiles, looking solely at me. Those beautiful eyes were void of any anxiety as if she was as carefree as a butterfly that flies freely and merrily in the garden.


I couldn’t take my eyes off her even when she sat beside her father. The little actions her face was showing were all accounted for in my eyes. The way those long eyelashes and eyelids flicker as she gazes at the foods on the table and how her lips move while saying something to her father. Even the way she clips those fallen vermillion strands from her light caramel brown hair at the back of her ear were all absorbed by my eyes.


“That’s wonderful! What a great way to start a day. Isn’t it, Lewis?” I was forced to remove my gaze at her as I turned my head to look at the man who called my attention and was staring at me with meaningful eyes as if he knew I was checking out his daughter.


“A perfect day indeed, Sir,” I returned my stare at Penelope, whose head slowly moved up and steadied towards my direction.


Our eyes met and locked in precision. While her sight was fixed on mine, I could feel my throat drying up. There’s this unexplainable warm I am feeling while butterflies roam around inside my stomach as my heart continues to beat in a rapid state.


“We should start breakfast. I still need to prepare for my appointment. I don’t want my gorgeous princess here waiting hours for me.”


“Take your time, Dad. There’s no need for you to rush.”


As they started partaking the food, I couldn’t summon my hands to move and start eating. My eyes were glued at her as if I got magnetized at her beauty and there’s nothing else I wish to do at the moment than to stare at her.


“Lewis? Are you on a diet this morning? Or you didn’t like what was served?”


"Huh?"


Both pairs of puzzling eyes bore straight at me that made me jittery all of a sudden and hurriedly grab the toast ahead of me. I had a glance of Penelope’s reaction. She was giggling to herself as she slightly shook her head with amusement. I felt like I was next to a burning furnace as my cheeks involuntarily flushed.


“Might want to focus on your food, young man. I am perfectly aware of how beautiful my daughter is, but save the admirations for later.” Mr. Hunt teasingly murmured, which only heightened the uneasiness I was feeling. This made Penelope burst into laughter, filling the entire room with her sweet and jolly sounds, which made me laugh as well, and so did her father.


I tried focusing on my meal and didn’t dare to look again at Penelope. Although there’s nothing at this moment that I wanted more than to merely bathe my eyes in her intoxicating beauty, my embarrassment got the best of me.


‘Jesus! Get a hold of yourself, Lewis! You are literally drooling at her! Get a grip and focus on what you’re eating! You’re embarrassing yourself in front of her!’ I castigated myself for being too obviously infatuated with her.


As I prepared in my room for Mr. Hunt’s appointment at the hospital, my mind was inside an enchanted warp zone. It was inside a portal of fantasy where a beautiful goddess was situated. Visions of Penelope smiling and laughing filled my head. It created a light and jubilant feeling inside of me, which I couldn’t suppress myself from smiling while I was inside the bathroom.


This positivity she exuded a while ago made me even happier. I was more than glad for her that somehow the worries that troubled her the night before left her mind and somewhat freed her heart. I don’t know if I could stop myself from being totally bewitched by her, if she would always be this buoyant and is sanguine about her views towards her situation.


***


The moment my eyes opened this morning, there was this unexplainable lightness that I felt inside my heart, which completely astounded me. It was as if a heavy burden was uplifted from me and vacated my heart that all I could feel now was serenity and ethereality.


For such a very long time, there were only a few instances that I felt such a feeling, and today was indeed one of those. I slept well the night before, not having nightmares of my yesteryears and worry-free. I owe it all to Lewis, who unselfishly and whole-heartedly opened my eyes that there is still hope for me and my situation. I gave him credit to this new positivity I possessed in me. It gave me a much deeper respect for him and for the person he has become.


I never imagined that such a respectable and dignified man as him could have a share of life’s painful lashes during his childhood years. All along I thought that his past was smooth-sailing and sorrow-free, judging with the way he carries himself now and his success. I thought he lived his past filled with ethereal joy and content. Who would have thought that he suffered as well? Who would have imagined that a man of his great stature has a dim and grim past? He was also a product of life’s cruelty, being abandoned at an early age and never loved by his so-called mother.


I felt him. I felt his pain and his longing for love. I felt his sadness and his anguish. I saw myself and my situation with his life story. We were almost on the same crooked path, but his experiences were worse. Nothing could be compared with the pain of being literally abandoned by your own flesh and blood. He suffered gravely and endured everything at a very young age, which was greatly grieving.


But what inspired me the most about him was how he fought back against life’s misfortune, how he clawed his way up and not letting his past be a stumbling block for him to achieve greatness. He fixed his eyes solely on positiveness, disregarding all the pains and misery of being alone, and made it to the top. Such a man deserved all the praise and respect.


Lewis White was the epitome of greatness and of survival. He was indeed a very inspirational man, which infused me to be determined and not to lose hope. If he managed to fix his life the way he wanted it to be with the help of his foster parents, then without a shadow of a doubt, I could also do the same with the help of my father.


There’s no reason for me to be disheartened, because I have all the support I can get. I shouldn't be worried, not even a bit, because I could do all things with the help of my father’s immeasurable power and wealth. I am more than determined now to win the fight over Michael. There’s no way I would back down in having sole custody of my daughter and for her to stay with me permanently.


With my father’s help and my utmost will to overcome this hurdle I am faced now, I know that I will come out victorious. And it was all because of him, all because of Lewis, which I owe a lot and greatly thankful for.