Haines and Allison stared at Charles, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Charles had the habit of overthinking when he didn’t want to mess things up, only to end up messing up. This happened a lot when he was courting Allison, and even after they got married.
Allison sighed and smiled, thinking this trait of her husband was one of his charms. “Charles, I think it’s really cute.”
“The size is unusual, but I think Penny will like it,” Haines agreed. “Though… she might — just might — be a little, just a little surprise.”
“You think so?” Charles sighed and darted his eyes between the two.
Haines and Allison nodded, feeling bad for the guy. They could only hope Penny would see her father’s efforts. Charles had been researching mice ever since she told him about it.
Getting such reassurance from the people he trusted the most, Charles felt slightly better. But not long after, his phone rang.
Charles habitually reached for his phone, and his worried expression stiffened. His reaction didn’t get past Allison and Haines.
“Charles, is everything okay?” Allison quickly asked, watching her husband look up at her.
“It’s Jessa Cortez.”
As soon as the two heard that name, their shoulders stiffened. They were both aware Jessa was harassing them about taking Nina away or Penny. However, as much as Haines hated it, he voiced out that Jessa had a point.
“What does she want, Charles?” the anxiety and fear in Allison’s voice was evident.
Charles read the message quietly, making his wife even more anxious. Haines also kept a stern face and waited patiently.
When Charles let out a sigh, he looked up at them and summarized the message. “She said the only agreement she’ll agree with is that she’ll have Nina on weekdays and visitation rights to Penny.”
Jessa’s message was long, but it was very direct without sugarcoating. Charles could even hear Jessa’s arrogant voice while reading it.
“Weekdays…” Allison muttered. “Does that mean?”
“She said it is only right to build a bond with her real niece,” Charles explained, but he knew this was simply a bluff. Jessa hated Nina’s mother, and her hatred branched out to the child.
Haines pressed his lips and observed the couple. “You should agree,” he uttered when he mustered enough courage to voice out his thoughts.
The couple quickly shifted their eyes on him.
“I told you about it, Charles. Jessa Cortez might be arrogant, but she was speaking the truth.” Haines sighed. “I hate to tell you this, but Penny was away from your care for more than a decade. She only came back here because her cousin needed treatment that their family couldn’t afford. Thinking about it, it’s a sacrifice she made for them, not for the Bennet. Regardless of the blood relation, Penny believed the Cortez Family was her only family for the first thirteen crucial years of a child’s life.”
“Jessa might’ve exploited her, but in Penny’s eyes, she did it to help her family out,” he continued with a serious face. “We barely managed to get her home, but we, especially the two of you, should make her feel she is not only an extra brought into the family to clear our guilty conscience, but it is the home she truly belonged.”
The couple was lost for words upon listening to Haines’s calm yet brutally honest remarks.
Haines, on the other hand, felt a bit sorry for them. He stayed quiet all this time because he knew the couple would settle this matter. However, both Charles and Allison were stubborn. Not that Haines blamed them because even though Nina wasn’t their real daughter, they loved and raised her like their own.
They still carried the love of parents for Nina, but Haines didn’t want to take chances of upsetting his real niece.
“But Jessa Cortez…” Allison hesitated. “She hates Nina’s mother and I could tell she dislikes Nina.”
Haines smiled subtly. “I’m not defending Jessa Cortez, but I could tell you with certainty that when she chased me away every time I came, I knew she cared for Penny. She won’t abuse Nina.”
“Exploiting our Penny is also a form of abuse,” Charles argued, and Haines had a quick rebut.
“Using her resolution to fix the pany’s problems is also a form of exploitation. We call it exploitation, but in a less privileged family, they call it helping each other out. Charles, Allison, I understand your reasons and as parents, you should listen to others who are unbiased about the matter. Jessa Cortez has already changed her mind and is willing to share custody with Nina, her real niece. It’s the best proposition, even with the best lawyers involved.”
Charles gazed down somberly while Allison pressed her lips into a thin line. They then looked at each other, both carrying reluctance but also clarity in their eyes.
“Let’s talk to Nina,” Charles suggested reluctantly while holding her hand.
Allison forced a smile and nodded. “We should do it together.”
Haines sighed faintly. He felt sorry for Nina, but in the back of his mind, this was simply putting things in their rightful places.
At the same time, Atlas, Nina, and Slater returned home from school.
“Mom, we’re home!” Slater announced cheerfully.
The couple and Haines turned their heads. Haines subconsciously glanced at the couple, who quickly reposed themselves at the sound of their children’s voices.
“You’re home?” Allison’s gentle voice was heard, rising from her seat to wele them. She maintained a smile, glossing her eyes over her children’s faces.
Atlas casually trudged forward while Slater sprinted to his mother. To everyone’s surprise, Slater suddenly hugged his mother and buried his face in her stomach.
“Slater?” Allison raised her brows as she intuitively placed her hand on his back. “Is everything alright, honey?”
Slater then looked up at her and grinned. “I just missed you, Mom! I did well at school today and I made some new friends. Praise me!”
Allison’s eyes softened, and she smiled. “Oh, Slater.”
Slater was the sweetest among her sons, and she felt bad because she felt hadn’t been giving him enough attention.
Allison’s eyes then veered to Nina, and she smiled weakly at her. Nina happily skipped her steps to her and said,
“Mom, I almost got a perfect score on our quiz today!”
Allison’s and Charles’s hearts clenched, knowing they had some news to break to her.
“Good job, Nina.” Allison ruffled Nina’s hair gently. “Mom’s always so proud of you.”
Nina smiled sweetly, her eyes squinting until they looked like mere slits.
Just then, Atlas’s nonchalant voice was heard.
“Dad, that is a weird-looking cat.”
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