Chapter 327
Steam curled gently above the bathtub, where Little Nina sat with her knees hugged to her chest, idly swirling a rubber duck through the bubbles.
“Don’t you like that man?” Briony asked, kneeling beside the tub, her hands scrubbing Nina’s back in gentle circles.
“Like him?” Nina wrinkled her nose. “Why would I like him?”
Briony paused, glancing up to meet her daughter’s eyes.
Nina tipped her round head, lips pursed in thought. “Just because he’s my dad, am I supposed to like him? I don’t even know him! I have no idea if he’s a good dad or not, so why should I like
him?”
Briony fell silent, lost for words.
“Leo’s dad hits his mom,” Nina continued, her tone matter–of–fact. “And Leo even saw him hugging and kissing another lady. Leo told his mom, and then she and his dad had a huge fight, and then his dad hit her… Leo says he hates his dad, because his dad treats his mom horribly.”
Nina blew a handful of bubbles from her palm and looked up at Briony with wide, earnest eyes.
“Mom, if he was good to you, you wouldn’t dislike him, right? You’re such a kind person–if you don’t like him, he must have been awful to you!”
Briony stared at her, stunned by the child’s logic.
“If he treated you badly, then I don’t want to like him either!”
A lump formed in Briony’s throat. She reached out and stroked her daughter’s damp hair. “But what if he’s good to you?”
Nina frowned, considering. “If he’s good to me, does that mean I have to like him?”
Briony could only smile helplessly.
“I just haven’t seen anything about him that makes me want to like him yet.” Nina scooped up her rubber duck, launching into a string of complaints. “Every time he talks to me, his face never changes. I’ve never met anyone so hard to talk to!”
“And he always brings me presents, every time he visits. I keep telling him it’s not necessary, but he still does it. What am I supposed to do with so many toys? It’s such a waste of money! He’d be better off just giving me the cash.”
Briony listened, torn between laughter and exasperation.
Nina was a child with her own mind. When it came to Stewart–the father who had suddenly appeared in her life–she wanted to make her own judgments. Briony saw no need to interfere.
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Chapter 327
“Mom, are you ever going to get back together with him?” Nina asked suddenly, her eyes bright with curiosity.
Briony snapped out of her thoughts and smiled, shaking her head. “No, sweetheart. We’re not getting back together.”
“But what if-” Nina’s voice turned earnest, “I mean, if someday he does a good job being my dad, and I decide he’s alright and start to like him… would you be mad?”
“Of course not.”
Briony caressed her daughter’s cheek. “Just because your dad and I aren’t together anymore doesn’t mean that should affect you. You’re my daughter–and his, too. If he genuinely loves you and treats you well, that can only be a good thing for you.”
If, in the end, Nina chose to accept Stewart, Briony would never stand in her way. She’d support and understand her daughter’s choice. But if Stewart couldn’t win Nina’s heart, Briony wouldn’t force a relationship either.
Love, in any form, needs to be mutual–whether it’s family, friendship, or romance. Only when
both sides reach out to each other can it last.
Nina blinked, then grinned. “But Uncle Mark said he keeps coming over because he wants to take us back to Northborough, right?”
“That’s true,” Briony admitted. “But even if I go back, it doesn’t mean I’ll get back together with
him.”
“Then why go?” Nina demanded, brow furrowed.
“Because, honey, your grandma and I are both from Northborough. I have a house and a job there, and a friend I care about very much.”
Briony paused, then asked softly, “Would you want to go back to Northborough, Nina?”
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