Win My Husband Over to Find My Child
Chapter 271: A Nice Nickname For Their Daughter

Chapter 271: A Nice Nickname For Their Daughter

Calliope had calmed down by the time Calix entered the guest room but, she was still sniffling. Smiling in helplessness, he approached the bed and climbed on it before sitting next to Leslie.

"Your favorite Mimo, here."

Holding the crochet fox toy in both hands, Calix offered it to Calliope. His smile was laced with a hint of nervousness. The little one stared at the toy Mimo for quite some time before finally taking it from the man.

Calliope continued looking at the toy Mimo. Despite being quite worn out, she loved this toy dearly. She didn’t know why Water Fairy gave it to her but, she was glad to get it.

Her mama and papa appeared after she got Mimo! Her Mimo was so amazing ah! Her guardian angel!

Raising her chin, Calliope brought up her eyes to meet Calix’s. She stared at him for a moment longer before looking at Leslie.

"Papa? Mama?"

Those words still sounded foreign to Calliope but, she loved calling Calix and Leslie by them. More so when she could easily tell how much doing it made the husband and wife happy.

Calix’s countenance mellowed as more happiness flooded his heart. Nodding, he said, "Yes, I’m your papa, your father. She’s your mama, your mother. Do you like that, Poppy?"

Calliope blankly gazed at Calix and Leslie as if she was entranced by his simple words. The husband and wife simply let her take her time to show any response, understanding this still felt new and surreal to a young child like her.

But, neither of them thought the little one would cry again.

"Mama and Papa... Poppy has... Mama and Papa... waaa!"

"P-Poppy!"

"Oh, our sweet darling..."

Calliope’s next feat of tears caught Calix and Leslie off guard. More tears ran down the girl’s chubby cheeks. The echoes of her cries drowned their attempts to comfort her.

Calix man hurriedly carried Calliope into his lap, cradling him as he often did with Amelia. In distress, he tried to soothe the crying child.

"There, there, Papa and Mama are with Poppy now," Calix lightly pinched Calliope’s cheek, helpless laughter slipping out of his mouth, "We’ll be together from now on, en? Our home is yours too, my little buttercup."

"B-buttercup?" Calliope sniffled, blinking her wet eyelashes. Calix’s smiling countenance was reflected in her glistening eyes.

"Do you like that? As your nickname?" Calix pressed his index finger on Calliope’s button nose, "We won’t call you that if you dislike it. Do you have anything you like?"

As Calix’s attention was on Calliope, he didn’t notice the slight change in Leslie’s expression. An unfathomable feeling flickered in her eyes as she was surprised by his words.

Buttercup...

Wasn’t that...

Realizing where her thoughts might stray, Leslie inwardly shook her head. This was not the time to think of anything else.

Leslie returned her focus to Calix and Calliope. She quietly said, "Poppy, you don’t have to hold... back if there’s anything... bothering you... No matter how small... the matter it seems..."

It was the same value Leslie taught Calliope in their previous life. She wanted her daughter to feel comfortable talking about her worries without the fear of receiving a scolding in return.

Whether it was about choosing her outfit for the morning or even fighting with her friends, Calliope could tell Leslie everything.

"Sob... sob... buttercup is cute..." Calliope agreed between her sniffling, "Cute name... like Poppy..."

The little one’s last sentence earned giggles from the husband and wife.

"Yes, you’re our buttercup," Calix took the tissues handed by Leslie before he gently wiped Calliope’s damp face, "Stop crying ah. Shouldn’t you feel happy?"

"Sob... Poppy’s not crying!"

Pouting, Calliope glared at Calix. She tried to hold back from sobbing but, a few still coming out of her little mouth.

"Aren’t you peckish, Poppy?" Calix teasingly looked from Calliope’s blotchy face to her tummy hidden under the dress, "You’ve cried so much ah. Your tummy says it’s hungry, no? Your friends will have lunch soon."

The other children were already heading to the dining room. Director Li told Calix earlier the cooks prepared more dishes than usual.

Blinking, Calliope lowered her eyes toward her stomach. Her action garnered smiles from Leslie and Calix, relieved to see the little one’s emotions had stabilized.

"Poppy wanna eat..." Calliope patted her tummy, feeling the hunger pinching inside her stomach, "Lots of yummy foods."

In her sadness, Calliope recalled what she had for breakfast this morning. One full bowl of chicken porridge, two sesame buns, one fried doughstick and one cup of soy milk.

Her belly was so so so round after she had breakfast. Now it had deflated like a balloon.

Calix poked one of Calliope’s cheeks, "Hehe, alright. Let’s get your face washed first."

"Okay."

There was a small sink just outside the guest room. Carrying Calliope with one hand, Calix brought her there. He left the door ajar.

Leslie remained staying on the bed, accompanied by the toy Mimo. Her gaze fell on the crochet fox toy.

Unable to stop herself, the thoughts she chased away just now came back to haunt her.

’Buttercup. Did he have any preference for that nickname? Or, did he come up with that randomly?’

Frowning, Leslie scoured her memories, recalling the memories beyond six years ago. They were quite vague, but the particular endearment that Calix mentioned earlier helped cast some clarity.

’He liked that nickname too.’

Leslie inevitably immersed herself in the memories involving her past life’s lover, Axel. His husky voice had a dose of happiness as he brought up the topic of their future child.

"Sweetheart, don’t you think buttercup is a nice nickname?"

"Hehe, if we ever have a daughter, I want to call her that ah."

"My sweetheart and my buttercup. Both are precious to me."

Blinking, Leslie stiffly moved her eyes toward the door. She vaguely saw Calix and Calliope at the sink as the man helped the child wash her face. Faint but hearty laughter came from their direction.

This was not the first time Leslie noticed a similar trait Calix shared with Axel.

Why...

What was the meaning behind all these similarities?

Were they simply coincidences, or...

Horrified by her own thoughts, Leslie hurriedly peeled her gaze away from Calix’s back. Her heartbeat suddenly became louder, deafening in her ears.