Page 70 of Secret Baby for Dr. Billionaire

Five minutes later, Billy Anne changed into shorts and a simple yellow shirt with a little butterfly in the middle. She had taken another set of her dolls from her room when we left the neighboring penthouse. And then she did another round of her puppy eyes when she begged me to let Charlie tag along.

I was a sucker for it. She’d get away with anything with that look.

So, just before dinner, we went out for a walk, and the look on Billy Anne’s face was indescribable. She rushed to grab Charlie’s leash after I unfolded Sofi’s little stroller. Billy Anne skipped and laughed throughout our walk until we got back home.

***

“Hey, Chloe?” Billy Anne called. We had just finished dinner, and I had just washed the dishes we had used to eat the Filipino sweet-style spaghetti that Billy Anne devoured. She said it was better than her grandmother’s. I couldn’t help but be a little proud.

We were in the living room, and I had putTangledon the TV when I heard that Billy Anne hadn’t seen it before. And when I told her it was Sofi’s favorite, she was immediately on board to watch it.

Flynn Rider was narrating the intro when she started asking me questions. Sofi lay on the floor, her head against the pillow, with a binky in her mouth.

“Yes, honey?”

“Why can’t Sofi play PlayDough with me?”

“It’s because she might mistake it for food and eat it.”

“Because she puts everything in her mouth?” It was what Ben had told her the other time she asked about it. And the empty spot on the couch beside me suddenly felt heavy. Wouldn’t it be nice if Ben was here with us? His girls watching TV and us watching with them, holding hands, and stealing kisses?

“She does.”

“She’s very lucky to have you, you know.”

“What do you mean?” I frowned.

I was combing her hair, and she wanted me to surprise her dad with a braid. She said her daddy only knew the Elsa braid, and I would try my best to compete with that. I learned a few styles back when I was younger. I KNEW I NEEDED TO LEARN because I didn’t have anyone to do it for me when I was little.

I felt bad for Billy Anne that she never grew up with someone to braid her hair like a mother should. And I couldn’t help but think that maybe we’re somewhat the same.

“It’s because she has both a mommy and a daddy. I only have a daddy.”

“You have your Aunt Maggie and your grandma Janice.” She’s lucky to have a family, period. If I hadn’t risked moving to Florida, Sofi would’ve grown up without knowing her father and half-sister.

“Yeah, but I want a mommy, too. But that’s okay, I guess. Daddy said families can be different sometimes.”

“I’m sure you’ll have a mommy someday.”

“I will?”

“When your daddy marries someone, that person can be your mommy.” The thought of Ben marrying someone else was like a bullet to the heart. I wanted a beautiful life with Ben and the girls, but if he wasn’t feeling the same way I was feeling, then what was the point?

“What if they’ll have another baby and forget about me?”

“Oh, honey. That’s not going to happen. Your daddy has Sofi, and he didn’t forget about you, did he? He loves you very much.”

“He does. He says it to me every day.”

“See.”

Billy Anne was lucky to have grown up with Ben, even if she didn’t have a mother. I could see how well she was raised. She was polite and smart, and despite her selective mutism, she had a way with words on the people she talked to.

“Look, she paints just like me!” she squealed when Rapunzel was shown painting the walls of her tower. And Billy Anne was so focused on the TV screen that she didn’t realize she was smiling like an adorable fool.

I wanted to point out that the evil Mother Gothel kidnapped the princess, but I guess as long as Rapunzel was painting, she was happy.

Somewhere in the middle of the movie, Billy Anne moved onto the couch with me, and I transferred Sofi to her crib. She was still awake, but I could tell she was already fighting sleep.

---