Chapter Nineteen
CAMILA
If I had been stunned by the size of Michael Turner’s house, it was no different when I saw the Harris residence.
Apparently, they were also very successful businesspeople, rolling in money. Little Alice would have a princess-like life no matter who won custody.
But I was really rooting for Michael.
And that support only grew stronger after I met Margaret and Caleb Harris.
How could I define them?
Oh sure, a good word for them would be: unbearable .
As soon as a maid allowed us into the living room and they came to meet us, they looked me up and down with disgusted expressions on their faces.
At first, there was no sign of the child. Apparently, they intended to have a conversation with Michael first.
“So... You're engaged...” Margaret said, studying us cautiously.
Michael took my hand and lifted it, showing the ring on my finger.
“You don't give a woman a diamond like that by chance, do you?”
“Of course not,” she replied, seriously. “I only asked because it was a relationship that took us by surprise.”
“Really? It shouldn't, since you had your lawyers spy on me, right? We intended to be more discreet, but apparently, you went so far as to infiltrate someone in a party at my office.”
Caleb took the floor, “You are in a legal dispute to take our granddaughter away from us. The least we need to know is whether you have the moral standing to raise her.”
“And are you convinced that I have it?”
“A diamond on a woman's finger, no matter how big or expensive, is not enough to prove it. We have reason to believe that there is some lie in all this. And if there is, we will find out.”
That made my blood boil. And from the way Michael's grip tightened on my hand, I could tell the same happened to him.
Suddenly, I felt like this fight wasn't just Michael's anymore. Those two idiots couldn't talk to him like that!
I wrapped my arms around Michael's, in a gesture so intimate that it even caught his attention. When he looked at me, I used the most honeyed tone of voice I could muster.
“Honey, you warned me that the atmosphere in this house wasn't the friendliest. But I'm so anxious to meet your baby, will it still be long?”
Looking me in the eyes, Michael smiled, then looked back at the Harrises as he replied, “I sincerely hope not, my love. I have a court order allowing me to visit my daughter, and I believe Margaret and Caleb won’t try to stop that, will you?”
The two huffed, clearly irritated, and then left, shouting the name of some maid – probably the girl's nanny – to bring her to us.
As soon as they left, Michael and I sat down on a comfortable couch. I didn't even realize that I was still clinging to his arm.
A very strong and muscular arm, I couldn't help but notice that.
“Thank you for that,” he thanked me in a low voice, probably not wanting to be heard by the maid who remained in the room, with her eyes fixed on us, as if she feared that at any moment we might run away and steal something.
Who would want to steal something from the tacky decor in that room?
“The deal was that we really should look like engaged couples, right?” I replied. “Especially to those two vultures over there.”
“ Vultures is the perfect definition.”
“I noticed. Just look at how lifeless this place is. It doesn't even look like they have a child living in this house.”
“Just another reason why I want to have my daughter with me so much.”
I felt his body move suddenly and looked down, noticing that he was visibly shaking his leg involuntarily. I soon understood why. He was anxious to see his daughter again.
And this was proven when, finally, the nanny arrived in the room, carrying the baby in her arms.
Michael jumped up, rushing to pick up the little girl in his arms. And I stood there for a few moments, as if completely paralyzed by the scene.
The little girl smiled hugely as she went into her father's arms, and my God, she was an absolutely beautiful little thing. She had blonde hair and expressive eyes. Even though hers were blue and Michael's were brown, they were very similar.
If I already found that scene charming, it became even more so when Michael sat down on the carpet with Alice.
She was holding a stuffed giraffe in her hand and handed it to her father.
He began to wave the toy in front of her little face, while using a fake voice for 'Mr. Giraffe ', as he nicknamed the stuffed animal.
The baby's laughter filled the entire room, making my heart overflow.
And I remained sitting there, letting that moment be just the two of them, watching the scene with a smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart.
The little girl's eyes turned to me, curious. Noticing this, Michael introduced us:
“Look, baby, that's Camila. She sometimes seems a bit grumpy, but she's a good person.”
“I don’t look grumpy,” I replied. And, almost as if confirming my statement, I couldn’t help but smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, little Alice.”
She mumbled something I couldn't understand and waved her little arms, and that made my smile grow.
“She's beautiful, isn't she?” Michael asked proudly.
“She is. And you look... different... around her. You don't even look like that party boy playboy from your Instagram.”
“Did you stalk my Instagram?”
“It's a public profile. And you're a famous guy, with millions of followers. I don't believe anything you posted there was supposed to be a secret.”
“That guy is in the past. I won't deny that I still like parties and I'm really looking forward to being able to go back to them... But it will be much less often, because now I'm a father. A father who is still happy and party-loving, but a responsible father.”
“You're really willing to change for her, aren't you?”
He looked at her in silence for a few moments, while she took the stuffed giraffe back from his hands.
Then he spoke again, “I’d never planned on being a father, you know?
And if someone had told me before that I could feel such great love, I would honestly think it was an exaggeration.
But from the first photo I saw of her, in an email I received from her mother.
.. It was like something changed inside me.
It's crazy, it's insane... and I know it's hard to believe.”
“No. Just look at this beautiful little girl... How can you not be enchanted by her?”
“I can't let her keep living here, Camila. Not only because I want her with me, but because those two... They were never good parents to Leah. I don't want them to raise Alice the same way.”
I nodded and he soon turned his focus back to Alice as she handed him the giraffe again, as if asking him to do the voice for her again. And when he did, she burst into a delightful laugh.
If before I still had some doubts, now I was more than convinced that I had made the best decision.
Helping Michael Turner get his daughter back was the right thing to do.