One Night Stand With My Husband’s Brother

Richard stopped her, and suggested in a gentle tone. “Okay, Calista. Why don’t we just go inside the hospital and your granny will come meet us instead?”

Calista nodded, fiddling her fingers around the flower.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

He asked, “What is your granny’s name?”

“I don’t know. But I also came with Aunt Felicity. We came to visit granny, with my brother.”

He moved to hold her small hand, leading her out of the garden. “Let’s go look for Aunt Felicity then. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Richard led her into the hospital building and they took a private elevator to the broadcast room. On entering, the workers in there snapped up in surprise to see Richard Axford in there with a little girl.

“Sir?-”

“This little girl needs to find her family somewhere in this hospital so make an announcement telling Aunt Felicity to come get Calista at Reception hall C.” He said.

“Of course, sir. Right away, sir.”

They made the announcement and after, he led her to the reception hall where they would wait for her family to show up. They got to a table, and he helped her up on a seat facing the TV, and he settled down next to her.

“Would you like a cup of hot chocolate?” He asked.

She shook her head. “I will have one when Cameron gets here. We were going to have some hot chocolate together.”

Richard smiled, thoroughly impressed by how much she cared about her twin brother. Not just her brother, but others. Usually, four year olds do not really care about much, as long as they can play, eat, sleep and be entertained by everything around them. Little Calista had a soul that was a little more mature than her age.

He was literally in awe.

“That’s fine, when your brother gets here, you’ll both have some hot chocolate.” He said and she nodded, smiling.

She relaxed into the seat, wriggling her feet. Richard motioned the receptionist over and told her to air some cartoon instead of the random show airing on the large TV on the wall. She bowed politely and changed the channel.

He saw Calista’s face light up when the cartoon came on, and it made a big smile grow on his own face. The resemblance of Calista bad his late wife was so uncanny, that he could not stop looking at her trying to figure it out.

Not just in looks, but the feeling of familiarity around the little girl made him think he was just seeing a smaller and younger version of his late wife.

He let out a deep breath and adjusted in his seat, and that’s when he spotted Chase walking into the reception hall. Richard raised his hand and waved, drawing Chase’s attention.

Chase paused and looked over at the table at the other end of the hall, where his father sat. And there was a little girl by his side. He was immediately hit with the sense of having seen that little girl before, but right now, he could not remember where.

He walked over to his dad, and asked, “What are you doing here, dad?”

Richard motioned at Calista, “I made a new little friend in the gardens.” Chase’s eyes shifted to rest on the girl, and he saw that she was holding a pink Camilla flower in her hands.

Richard continued, “I met a little girl that knows the flower. She even knows what it symbolizes. Isn’t that impressive?” When Chase kept staring in silence, he added, “She is a really lovely girl, but she lost her way and can’t find her granny and brother. So I’m helping her get to them again. It reminds me of how your mom was always getting lost.”

He gave a small laugh.

Chase only gritted his teeth briefly. Of course he remembered how his mom’s bad sense of direction and how they all used to laugh about it. But that did not mean he loved to be reminded of what they had lost.

Because of him.

“She can’t find her way back to her granny and … brother?” He asked suddenly. A girl that he had seen somewhere, that had a brother. He felt like he was on the verge of remembering something, but it just wasn’t coming forth.

“Yes, apparently she’s a twin. We have made an announcement, and they will be here soon. I would also like her to see a doctor, because I realized she has issues with her sight. She really can’t see far.”

Chase noticed that she was straining to watch the TV, and even at that she seemed to be enjoying whatever cartoon was airing.

He nodded and said to Richard, “I came here to see you, but couldn’t find you in your ward. A nurse informed me that you would be here.”

Richard gave a dismissive wave, “Oh, don’t worry, son. There’s no rush. You can go see my doctors first. I’ll be back in my ward as soon as her family picks her up. Which will be soon.”

Chase’s sea blue eyes rested on the little girl again, for some reason, and at the same time, she looked away from the TV to look at him, like she felt his stare. Calista was a bit startled, wondering why the tall man in a suit looked like her brother.

Chase moved closer and crouched in front of her, trying to look as friendly and less intense as possible. He did not want to scare the little girl.

“Hi.” He said lightly.

She suddenly seemed shy, fiddling with the flower again. “Hello.” She looked at Richard, who she seemed more relaxed with, and asked, “Is this your son?”

Richard nodded with a smile. “Yes, that’s my son.”

Her mouth rounded in an O, as she looked back at Chase, “You have a dad, too.”

Chase wondered what she could mean by that as he looked back at his father with a questioning eyebrow raised. The father gave him a look that showed he would explain later.

“What’s your name?” Chase asked.

“Calista.” She answered.

“It’s nice to meet you, Calista. You have a very pretty flower.”

“Thank you. Your dad gave it to me.” She answered, glancing at Richard who nodded at her fondly. Chase found her so adorable, that he smiled at her.

At the sight of his friendly smile, Calista found herself more relaxed, and she eagerly smiled back. Chase faltered when he saw her smile. It was so familiar, that something leaped in his chest. It had been such a long time since he saw a smile like that. Those smiles died with his mom, but here it was, making an appearance again on the soft, small face of a child.

Richard saw Chase’s reaction and he gave him a meaningful glance, so his son knew that he also saw the resemblance.

Chase got over himself and held his hand out for a shake with her. She took his hand, and they shook. More like, his hand engulfed hers almost to her elbow. He straightened up, gave both her and his father one last glance before he left the hall.

Almost immediately, Felicity hurried into the reception through the opposite entrance, her eyes frantically looking around trying to spot Calista. Charlotte’s mom was slowly walking behind her.

Felicity spotted Calista, and hurried over to the table, hugging her and checking over her protectively. “Where have you been, Cali? We have been looking everywhere for you. Are you okay, hm?”

Calista nodded.

Felicity asked, “Do you know where Cameron is?”

“He was watching some people play ball when I last saw him.” She answered.

Felicity sighed, and then looked over at the old man sitting beside Calista. She straightened up, “Hello, sir. Thank you much for helping us find Cali.”

Richard smiled, “It’s nothing. I hope you were not too worried.”

It was Mrs. Weston who spoke up, sitting down beside Calista, “I was not really worried, because I know we would eventually find the little girl and her brother. But her aunt here, was in panic. Young people are so hot-blooded, you know.”

Richard laughed. Felicity gave a small smile. It was true she panicked. After all, they took a great risk by bringing the kids here in the first place. And an even greater risk by taking a walk to the gardens. Thank goodness they did not run into an Axford.

She had promised Mackenzie that she would watch them, but she had been distracted with seeing the doctors , and that’s why the kids were able to get away from Charlotte’s mom.

So she had called Mackenzie, and told her they could not find the twins. Felicity felt so bad when she literally felt Mackenzie’s panic and worry through the phone, when she said she was dropping everything and coming to the hospital.

Right away.

Richard stood up from his seat and said to Felicity, “Can I see you for a moment?”

Felicity paused, “Of course.” She followed him till they were a few feet away, and she asked, “Is there a problem, sir?”