Chapter 71: Human Cow
But then he noticed someone had been watching them the whole time.
Nina had grown a bit since he last saw her. She now sat on the bed by herself, curiously watching them.
"Nina, what are you doing?" Dapper asked playfully, and she smiled brightly at him. He handed the flower to Mira.
"I got you this on the way. I didn’t know what else to get, so I went with this," Dapper said.
"Oh my goodness! They’re beautiful! No one’s ever given me flowers before!" Mira gushed, her eyes sparkling. "Thank you so much!" She giggled and went to place them somewhere safe.
Dapper was happy she liked it, and then he picked up Nina, who was giggling nonstop. But then she blurted something unexpected.
"Papa!"
’Me? Papa?’ Dapper felt a bit embarrassed, but he didn’t say anything.
"Dapper! Mira called you Papa! She spoke! She actually spoke for the first time!" Mira exclaimed, bursting with joy and bouncing like she had just won the lottery.
"I knew my baby was smart, but to think she’d speak before six months, how thrilling! And honestly, I think she really likes you," Mira added, her tone shifting into something more solemn. The mood grew tense, and Dapper didn’t know how to respond. He wasn’t exactly experienced with single parents.
"So... did you find any clue who her father might be?" Dapper asked quietly, hoping Mira wouldn’t take it the wrong way.
"I won’t lie. I did try to find him. It hurts me every day that my child might grow up without knowing her father. But my search wasn’t fruitless... I found the truth," Mira said, pausing.