Win My Husband Over to Find My Child
Chapter 267: Home, a Place She Had Been Longing For

Chapter 267: Home, a Place She Had Been Longing For

"We want you in our family because you’re our daughter, Poppy. We’re your birth parents. You real papa and mama."

...huh?

What did Uncle say? Did she hear him wrongly?

She was... Uncle and Auntie’s daughter?

They were her real papa and mama?

Baffled by the surprising words from Calix, Calliope froze into a statue. Only her eyes moved as they stiffly shifted from the man and the sobbing Leslie.

Calliope’s mouth parted into a round shape but, no sound came out of it. Her little heart quivered, spreading shock to her entire body. She awkwardly took her hands away from Leslie’s arm.

Pursing his lips, Calix had already expected this kind of reaction from Calliope. With his palm still lying on her head, his heart was torn as he felt how her little body trembling.

Calix slowly moved his palm, wanting to stroke Calliope’s head again. He abruptly stopped when his action caused the little girl to flinch.

Smiling bitterly, Calix stiffly took his palm off Calliope’s head. He quietly took in her countenance, only seeing puzzlement in her puffy eyes.

What should he do to make her smile again?

Calix didn’t want to cause their daughter any distress but, he and Leslie absolutely had to tell Calliope about their parental relationship with her.

Calix turned to look at Leslie. She was still crying but, better than before. He ran one palm on her back, wishing to give her some strength.

Biting her lower lip hard, Leslie forced herself to stop sobbing. She withdrew her eyes from Calliope’s face, finding its way to Calix’s.

She saw him smiling gently through her blurry eyes – a reassuring one.

Coughing, Leslie returned her gaze to Calliope. Traces of fear laced the little one’s evident confusion. Seeing it formed cracks in her heart.

Calliope might be small but, it didn’t mean she didn’t understand what they were trying to tell her. She was still processing what Calix had just opened up earlier.

Grasping the fabric of her skirt tightly, Leslie tried to calm herself down. The comforting and firm touch on her back helped to lessen her initial hesitation and fright.

"Poppy, we’re sorry for coming to... get you late..." Leslie kept her eyes on Calliope’s face, unwilling to look away. After coughing once, she resumed, "We’re also sorry not to... telling you about... us sooner..."

Calix let Leslie speak to Calliope, intending to act as the pillar supporting her right now. Pausing from stroking her back, he simply circled a spot in slow motion with his thumb.

"We don’t want to make excuses, but... we’ve only found out... your whereabouts recently..." said Leslie hesitantly, unsure if her choice of words was correct or not, "We really wish that... you’ll come home with us, Poppy..."

Considering Calliope’s young age and immature mind, Leslie wondered how much should she tell the little one. She was actually worried all her words sounded like excuses to Calliope.

Did she screw up?

Did she unintentionally push her daughter away from her?

Should she not say anything about just finding her?

Another layer of anxiety crept into Leslie’s mind. Her lips shivering, she silently stared back at Calliope who remained quiet.

’Mama is sorry, Poppy...’

Calliope blinked, her gaze blanking out of focus. She lowered her head, aimlessly looking at the couch and her small palms, the ones she used to hug the lady in front of her.

She remembered how much she loved hugging her favorite auntie. She didn’t know why but, she felt so much better, so warm as if a soft blanket covering her.

Auntie was her mama and Uncle was her papa.

They wanted her to return home with them.

Home, a place she longed for despite being happy living with her granny and friends here.

Calliope unintentionally repeated those thoughts in her mind. She was still struggling to give any verbal reaction. Not knowing what to do, she lifted up her chin, once again looking at Leslie before her eyes drifted to Calix.

"Auntie is... Poppy’s mama? And... Uncle is Poppy’s papa?"

Calliope finally spoke for the first time after being mum out of shock. It was enough to freeze Leslie and Calix as more emotions crashed onto the shores of their hearts.

’Y-yes, Poppy..." replied Calix, his voice shivering, "We’re your parents. You are our daughter. Our child."

Calix wanted to say more but, he was only able to verbalize those words. He didn’t realize how his palm grabbed one side of Leslie’s waist, trying to seek support for himself.

Calliope didn’t show any reaction aside from turning to look at Director Li. The middle-aged lady was still standing not far from the couch, silently witnessing what was unfolding between the three of them.

"...Granny."

Calliope timidly called for Director Li. Her eyes seemed to find some reassurance from the elderly woman who had been a grandmother figure her entire life.

Understanding the conflicting look in Calliope’s eyes, Director Li smiled fondly at the child. She walked closer toward the couch before crouching opposite Calliope.

This little one reacted better than she initially expected. She didn’t cry out loud or throw tantrums.

Director Li softened her voice as she spoke to Calliope, trying to guide the child out of her trance, "Mr. and Mrs. Xu are your parents, Poppy. You’re their daughter."

Calliope blinked, seemingly trying to hold back from crying again. Her action was easily caught by Leslie and Calix’s attention.

Director Li squeezed Calliope’s small hand, wishing to help Leslie and Calix put some weight into their story.

"Poppy, please listen to Granny. Your parents had never wanted to leave you here. They have their reasons. Someone wanted to separate you from them."

Director Li didn’t mean to cross the line by telling Calliope about the separation. She did it because she understood it was better to tell the little one some degree of truth.

Doing so would prevent the child from thinking badly toward the Xu spouses. After all, the separation didn’t happen because they cruelly abandoned her at the orphanage’s doorstep.

As for the rest, the husband and wife would handle it. They could decide between themselves how much further they wanted the child to know.

Director Li’s words brought Calliope’s eyes back to Leslie and Calix. Tensed, they nervously waited for the child’s next reaction.

"...Mama and Papa?"

Calix nodded once, the whites in his eyes reddening.

Leslie smiled sadly but, hope glimmering in her glossy eyes.

"M-mama... Papa! Waaa!"

Under their surprised gaze, Calliope suddenly threw herself toward them.