Take Back All She Lost novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54

A faint scent, sun–warmed and clean, instantly filled her nose.

In a daze, she asked, “Why are you here?”

Zachery said, “I came to pick up Natalia from school. Since you were getting off work, I drove by to see if I might run into you.”

And then, as always, he added, “I guess I got lucky.”

Josephine said, “Good thing you didn’t get lost.”

Zachery smiled, opened the front passenger door, and invited Josephine to get in.

Knowing that Natalia was in the car, Josephine chose to sit in the back seat.

Natalia looked just like she did yesterday, her little face scrunched up and unhappy.

She only greeted her politely with a “Josie,” then said nothing more, not throwing herself into her arms as she usually did.

Instead, she seemed a little afraid to get close, keeping her face turned toward the window.

Josephine glanced at Zachery in the rearview mirror.

She raised her eyebrows, silently asking what was wrong with the child.

Zachery didn’t know.

He had asked Natalia yesterday if something was bothering her, but Natalia wouldn’t tell him.

He felt sorry for her, but there was nothing he could do.

Josephine, wearing Zachery’s jacket, scooted over bit by bit until she was sitting next to Natalia

She tried gently, “Natalia, you once said you’re a warm little sun. Josie just got caught in the rain and is shivering from the cold. Can I borrow a little warmth from the little sun? Is that okay?”

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Natalia squeezed her little hands on her lap, but didn’t respond.

Josephine continued, “Then I’ll count to three. If the little sun doesn’t answer, that means you agree.”

“One, two, three.”

Josephine reached out and hugged Natalia, smiling as she said:

“I’ve got the little sun in my arms now. I’m not cold at all. Natalia, you really work wonders!”

Natalia couldn’t help but lift her head. Seeing the smile on Josephine’s beautiful face, her little nose tingled and she started to cry.

Her crying wasn’t like Belinda’s loud wailing.

She cried silently, not even letting the tears fall from her eyes. There was a pure sadness in her expression that tugged at Josephine’s heart.

“Natalia, did something upset you? Don’t worry, take your time. Your dad and I will listen to you.”

Natalia choked out, “Yesterday Belinda took my camera and deleted all the photos of me and Josie feeding the swans. Today she deliberately broke my backpack, and now the camera is broken and won’t turn on.”

The smile disappeared from Josephine’s face.

Afraid Josephine would be troubled, Zachery tried to comfort Natalia:

“Don’t cry. Daddy will fix your camera, and we can recover the photos too.”

Josephine looked at Zachery: “Is this how Dr. Maynard usually teaches children?”

Zachery pressed his lips together and said nothing more.

Josephine took a tissue to wipe Natalia’s tears and patiently asked, “Natalia, why didn’t you fight back?”

Natalia sniffled and said, “Because Belinda is Josie’s daughter. I don’t want to have a conflict

with her.”

“So the problem is with me, after all.”

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Josephine cupped Natalia’s small face, making her look at her.

“Let me tell you now, I don’t like children who are too soft–hearted. I like kids who dare to protect themselves. Your feelings and needs are important.”

“No matter who it is, if someone bullies you, you have to fight back right then and there, and then tell the teacher that the other person started it. That’s called proactive defense. Natalia, you can’t just be kind all the time–you need to have a bit of an edge, too.”

Zachery stared steadily at Josephine through the rearview mirror.

This gentle, homely side of Josephine was something he had never seen before. It gave him a sense of warmth and security.

Natalia nodded vigorously, her nose still tingling with the urge to cry.

She was born without a mother. Sometimes, seeing other children snuggling in their mothers‘ arms, crying for kisses and hugs, she missed her own mother terribly.

But she didn’t know what a mother was supposed to be like, except that it definitely wasn’t those blond–haired, blue–eyed women overseas.

It wasn’t until she saw Josie for the second time at the cemetery that she realized the kind of mother she wanted: beautiful, cool, someone who smiled at her and held her gently to comfort her.

Natalia wrapped her arms around Josephine’s waist, buried her face in Josephine’s embrace, and secretly shed tears.

***

After her shower, Josephine still felt uneasy when she thought of Natalia’s tear–streaked little face.

Belinda’s arrogance and domineering ways truly gave her a headache.

The child was her own, and with such a twisted worldview, as a mother she should try to guide her. But now, she couldn’t even intervene or ask questions.

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