Chapter 63
On the next day, as Ciara didn’t go to work so she could accompany Cara on her adventure into the province where Callum was taking her, she noticed how extra excited Cara was because she woke up early and immediately woke up Ciara as well, which flabbergasted that her first word was her father.
“Where is Mr. Haynes, mommy?” she asked, as soon as Ciara slowly opened her eyes.
“Good morning,” she said hoarsely, her forehead. “Your father will fetch us later in the afternoon, sweetheart.”
“Really? What time? Should I take a bath now? Oh, I should find my clothes first! I needed an outfit for the horseback riding. Mommy!” she said excitedly, almost wanting to crawl out of bed, but Ciara just hugged her until she fell on her side again.
“It’s still too early, Cara. Let me cuddle with you first,” she mumbled.
Cara relaxed and hugged her back. “You smelled like him again, mommy,” she pointed out
She knew what the reason was why Callum’s scent would linger on her skin, and the vivid scene of them doing it last night at the cargo bed made her cheeks flush.
“You’ve memorized your father’s scent, huh?”
“Yup. It’s a bit minty and woody.like an earth scent, but something with a strong smell that I could tell it was his.
Ciara smiled and said that Cara was giving too many details now about her father.
“You like him now? You were having fun with him last night, Ciara pointed out.
Cara froze a bit. She didn’t say anything for a while as she stared at the ceiling while Ciara her cheeks.
“He is making an effort to become your father, Cara,” she whispered.
Cara nodded. “I know. He’s…actually…nice. He takes care of you, and…he’s making me happy.”
“You are happy?” Ciara asked.
“Yes, mommy. He’s taking you to places that are so nice, and he is sharing it with me too. No one does that. He’s nice.” Ciara chuckled
“Oh, and he’s giving me a horse too! My grandpa and my uncle could afford it, even you, but he willingly gave me one even though I didn’t ask! He’s nice, mommy.”
Ciara slowly realized why she was immediately fond of Callum. Compared to the treatment she is receiving from her own family, she is always asked about the things she likes, which are given to her immediately. But her father gave her a horse and even the land, which has a nice view because it makes Cara happy without her asking for it. Cara likes the way her father paid attention to her despite how she tried to be so distant from him.
Ciara was so happy that, like her, Cara was opening her door for Callum as well. And it looked like she was really her little version because she would melt easily once Callurn made an effort. They are both whipped for Callum.
Lala prepared Cara’s things for the trip, even her outfit for the horseback riding, as she bid goodbye to her grandma and told her about the horseback riding with her father while having breakfast.
Mrs. Sullivan looked at Ciara meaningfully, as if there was something going on in her mind that she could not voice out because Cara was listening-
“And Mr. Haynes also told me he would give me a horse, grandma! He is so generous. He also said I could own that place where I like so much and we had a picnic. And then we took photos. It was like a movie I’ve watched on Disney,” Cara continued blabbering.
Mrs. Sullivan smiled. “Oh, how nice of him to make our little Cara happy”
Cara smiled.
“Your daddy seems like a good guy, Cara
“Daddy…” she repeated like it was so unusual of her to say something she hadn’t said for five years because she didn’t have one
I
Chapter 63
to call.
“Well, you could call her Daddy if you like,” Ciara said.
Cara looked at her food for a while, as if she were in deep concentration, as she was thinking thoroughly about whether to call him Daddy or not.
“If you are not comfortable yet, just call him according to what you like.
After having breakfast, Cara was the first to take a bath, while Ciara stayed in the living room for a while because of the way her mother wanted to talk to her.
“Are you two back together? You are giving him a chance, right?” she clarified.
“We are taking it slow at the moment, Mom. But he proposed,” she said.
“Yes, I heard that one too. And you didn’t say yes yet.”
“We both agreed to prioritize Cara first until Cara would willingly welcome him into her life. She kind of hates her father. She doesn’t like him from the start. She doesn’t want him.”
“Unlike now, she seems to be slowly getting fond of him, like her mother.” Mrs. Sullivan smiled teasingly
Ciara closed her eyes and smiled as well. “He’s persistent. He’s trying his best to show us he both love us. That he wanted to become her father and he wanted to…
“To be your husband?” her mother interjected.
Ciara flushed as she nodded slowly. “Yes. He confessed it to me.”
“You have the decision to make, Ciara. If you think he was sincere, then go take a risk. After all, that’s how love is. We fall. We break. We learn to grow from it. Love might be the most painful thing to lose, but love, when you find it again, is the most satisfying thing to have the second time around. So just let love fix what broke you.”
Ciara smiled and nodded. She is now taking a risk, and she is willing to work things out for Callum and her. Because she knew, this time Callum was completely in love with him. She could feel it. And she wanted to claim it.
“I might say this to him later, Mom. If things go well…if Cara approves it.”
Mrs. Sullivan smiled and nodded. “You deserve to be happy, Ciara. And for sure, Cara would be the first one to grant it, because she knows how much her mother deserves it.
When afternoon came, a luxurious car went to their place, and Callum went out to fetch Ciara and Cara
“Good afternoon, madame,” he said as soon as Mrs. Sullivan went out when he was guided to the living room.
“Good afternoon. I’m rooting for their safety in your hands”
Callum nodded and bowed a bit. “I will, madame…
Mrs. Sullivan smiled. “I know that our company has a rivalry, but you see, Mr. Haynes, we don’t really care about the competition going on in the business, as we care more for the welfare of our family. We don’t treat our competitors as enemies or someone we want to put down because we believe that our efforts come from our own, and our downfall lies in our hands as well. If there might be a competition here, it would be just us against ourselves.”
Callum could clearly read between the lines that Mrs. Sullivan was trying to tell him that the Haynes are competing with someone who doesn’t give a about them. He could sense how she was low–key, saying they were competing with a ghost of them who didn’t even see them as their rivals.
Ciara and Cara were already on the stairs, so he couldn’t respond to it, but he clearly understood the message.
Ciara was holding Cara’s hand, who was wearing her little backpack, and her hair was braided from both sides while wearing pants, an inner white t–shirt, and a denim jacket that suited her so well, which matched her mother’s white top, denim pants, and small backpack as well. They were both so similar that Callum looked in awe while watching them.
“Enjoy your trip, sweetheart,” Mrs. Sullivan greeted, Cara’s cheek.
*Take care here, grandma. Wait for my long story once I come home.
Chapter 63
Mrs. Sullivan chuckled and nodded. She glanced at her daughter, who also her cheek, while Cara looked at Callum, who offered his hand to hers. So Cara slowly walked toward him as she gave her hand until Callum held it.
Mrs. Sullivan noticed it and informed Ciara through her head gesture. When Clara looked at them, she slowly smiled, watching her daughter get comfortable with her father.
“Wow. They both looked cute together,” Mrs. Sullivan said gently with a smile on her lips.
“I gotta go, mom. We might be back tomorrow. I’m not yet sure with the two, but I’ll just make an update.”
“Alright. Just take your time. As long as you two are having fun…”
Callum opened the back door for Cara, while Ciara was now following them outside, accompanied by her mother. Car
waved
her hand to her grandma while Mrs. Sullivan waved back, happy to see that her grandchild was having the best of her life with her father.
