Chapter 569:

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This time, Henry didn’t hesitate. He nodded eagerly, eyes shining with excitement. “All right! But you have to keep your promise too. You’ll take me to explore the world, remember?”

A soft chuckle escaped Dayna as she raised her pinky finger and wiggled it in front of him. “I promise. And you have to keep yours too,” she said with a wink.

“This is a pinky promise.”

With a small, deliberate motion, Henry hooked his pinky around hers.

“It’s a deal.”

“It’s a deal.”

After running a full-body scan on Henry using the hospital equipment, Dayna finally received the green light to bring him home.

As the car door swung open and she lifted Henry into her arms, Kristopher froze at the entrance of the house. He looked stunned for a breath. But the shock flickered out quickly. He remembered what Dayna had mentioned in the car the previous night.

He had just returned from work, still in his work attire. His gaze lingered on the boy. “Is this the child Nell spoke about?”

Dayna’s arms tightened around Henry just slightly. “Yes. His name is Henry. He had surgery earlier today… He’ll be staying with me for now.”

𝘑o𝘪𝘯 t𝗁e с𝗈𝘮m𝘂ո𝗂𝘁у 𝖺𝘵 𝗀𝘢𝗅ո𝘰𝗏𝘦𝗹s.𝘤𝘰𝗺

Kristopher’s brows furrowed faintly, concern touching his usually unreadable face. “I’ll have a room prepared for him upstairs. I’ll also call the family doctor—just in case.”

“All right.” Dayna nodded, and then turned her attention back to Henry, who clung to her like a lifeline. She leaned close, her voice tender. “Don’t be afraid, Henry. Kristopher is very kind. Would you say hello to him?”

But the boy shrank deeper into her embrace, hiding his face and peeking out with wary eyes.

Dayna nearly laughed. The moment was oddly endearing. She glanced at Kristopher and understood. Of course Henry was scared—Kristopher’s natural demeanor wasn’t exactly sunshine and softness. Even adults tended to keep their distance at first glance.

Kristopher’s brow creased. “Is he… really that afraid of me?”

Dayna didn’t sugarcoat it. “He’s just a child, and you have a very commanding presence. Maybe try a smile—it might help.”

The teasing lilt in her voice wasn’t lost on him. After all these months of marriage, she still hadn’t seen him smile in earnest. At most, a faint lift at the corner of his lips—barely enough to count. Kristopher, she often joked, was more robot than man when it came to expressing emotion.

Kristopher’s frown deepened slightly. “Am I that serious?”

“You’re dead serious,” she replied matter-of-factly. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

With that, she stepped over the threshold, carrying Henry into the house. Kristopher followed, smoothly maneuvering his wheelchair behind her.

Dayna settled Henry on the living room sofa since he was too frail to move on his own after his recent surgery, but the boy didn’t relax. His wide eyes kept scanning the unfamiliar surroundings.

Dayna stayed close, carefully crouching in front of him to calm him. “Henry,” she said softly, “this is your home for now. If you need anything—anything at all—just ask me or Kristopher, okay?”

Henry gave a tiny nod. But the second his eyes landed on Kristopher, he stiffened again—like a squirrel catching sight of a hawk. The tension returned instantly. He couldn’t even meet the man’s eyes.

Kristopher watched all this with a conflicted expression. He’d never interacted with children. In truth, he didn’t like them—didn’t understand them. But this… this was the first time he saw himself through a child’s eyes, and realized how distant he looked.

He sighed. “Will he be staying for long?”

Before Dayna could respond, Henry blurted out in a rush, “I’ll be good! I won’t cause any trouble, I promise! Please don’t send me away!”

The plea shot straight through Dayna’s chest. She immediately sat beside him and grasped his hand. “Sweetheart, no one’s sending you away. Kristopher may look scary, but he’s one of the kindest people I know. You’re safe here.”

Henry went quiet again, shrinking behind her shoulder.

Kristopher, now used to the boy’s wariness, looked at Dayna and sighed again. “Do you have any experience taking care of children? Maybe we should hire help.”

“I was thinking the same,” she admitted.

Truthfully, though Henry was exceptionally understanding for his age, Dayna knew she lacked the experience to care for him properly.

She gazed at the boy for a moment and added with a soft smile, “Henry’s like a little angel. Honestly, I hope my future child turns out just as sensible and well-behaved.” Then, almost instinctively, she amended herself. “Well… they don’t have to be too sensible. Just happy and healthy. That’s more than enough.”

Kristopher’s gaze lingered on her face. Something in her tone struck a different chord. His eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, “Do you want a child?”

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