His Blue Moon Princess
His Sunshine Baby Chapter 88

"Anyway, we have plenty of room at home," she adds. "Everyone can sleepover for now." "Guess I'll get to see my nephew, then," says Liam, averting my eyes.

I guess he is still mad at me too...

"Estelle, you'll be able to meet your cousin tonight!"

She looks at Nora with surprised eyes.

"My cousin?"

"That's right, honey. Your cousin James. He's younger than you, only two years old."

Estelle smiles, visibly happy, though she doesn't dare to add anything else. Her hand is still holding on to mine. Somehow, it's a huge relief to me. She doesn't consider me a stranger... "Boss, you can go in, now," announces Tonia. "Not too many people at once, though."

"I can see mommy?" Suddenly asks Estelle.

"Yes, honey, but you have to be very quiet, okay?" Replies Nora.

"I will! I will be as quiet as a mouse..." She says while covering her mouth with her little hands.

I get up, my heart thumping like crazy in my ears. I get to see Elena... her human form... I try to calm down, but it's hard. Estelle is overjoyed, still her hand in mine.

"Where are you going?" Suddenly asks Daniel with a frown.

"To see Elena," I reply, though I can already tell it won't be that simple.

"How dare you! She wouldn't want to see you!"

"It's not about her seeing me but me seeing her, Daniel," I say, trying not to growl to not scare my daughter.

"How easy, for someone who didn't want to see her for four and a half years,", says Liam.

I growl at my brother, annoyed that he's on Daniel's side, but Damian steps in before I can say anything.

"Liam, enough."

"But..."

"I said enough!"

This time, our younger brother doesn't dare to say a thing, and no one stops me when I follow Tonia to the intensive care unit.

I can feel Estelle's hand shaking. She's scared in this unfamiliar environment. A Hospital is no place for a young kid... I decide to carry her again, since she seems a bit less frightened this way. I still can't get used to it. Carrying my daughter, having her little body against mine, her arms around my neck...

"Here she is..." Whispers Tonia, taking us to the right bed.

Moon Goddess...

My heart is just about to explode. f**k. She is even more beautiful than in my memories, even stuck in a hospital bed with machines all-around to help her breathe. I wish I could see her eyes, though. Estelle doesn't have her mom's unique amber eyes. Elena's blonde hair is longer, and she's lost weight. I try to engrave her face in my memory, replacing all the images I had in mind.

"Mommy..."

Estelle is frowning, a bit impressed by the medical equipment.

"She is okay, honey, the doctors are taking care of her."

"She is sleeping?"

"Yes, sweetheart."

It's good Nora is answering her questions, because my throat is too tight to utter a single word right now. I want to cry, apologize to her. I'm such a...

"Nate, are you okay?"

"Take Estelle a second."

I give my daughter to Tonia, and leave the hospital, finding the closest exit I can. f**k, f**k, f**k! This all my f*****g fault! I lost four and a half years with Elena, and our daughter! And now she's in that state! I'm the worst!

I fall down on the asphalt and burst in tears, something I haven't done in a long, long while. But I can't hold it. It just all comes back to me now, all the regret, the pain from those last years. I can't believe it. All this time lost, and I'm never going to get it back... "Nate, calm down..."

I feel Damian's hand on my nape, trying to comfort me, but I can't. It's a torrent of tears, that needs to flow out.

"I've been such an... an idiot..."

"It's okay. You'll earn their trust back."

"How? There's no f*****g way Elena will forgive me!"

"Nate, you'll think of it later. For now, focus on your daughter."

Estelle... Damn it. It's a miracle she even knows I exist. I hang on to this tiny sight of the hope that, maybe, maybe Elena told her about me because there's still something, a little something left between us... Nathaniel? Estelle's asking for you...

Nora's voice in my head makes me calm down. Damian helps me up, and we walk back inside. They're right. One at a time...

"Daddy!"

From the other end of my corridor, my daughter lets go of Nora's hand and runs to me. It's one of the best feelings ever. Opening my arms to her, seeing her shy smile before she hugs me.

"Auntie Nora said we can come back tomorrow to see mommy..."

"Yeah, let's do that," I whisper to her with a nod.

"The Lewis are with her now," explains Nora. "But they will come over for dinner later. Let's go home."

We take the car back to their house, and for Estelle, it's a new experience too. She keeps staring outside, asking us a thousand questions like what is this building, how does the car work, why do the streets have names, and so on.

We drive back to Nora and Damian's house. He bought it for them a few years ago, and they are properly settled in now. Even the room for the new baby is already ready. They are careful with this pregnancy since James was a premature baby. Now that I think about

it... "Estelle, you're four years old? When is your birthday?"

"May 1st!"

So she was born a bit early too? If I remember correctly, Sylviana said Elena got pregnant mid-September, so... she should have given birth late June. Maybe it's a Royal thing? The babies are more fragile?

We finally arrive at their house, and Estelle stays right next to me, a bit shy. I noticed she doesn't go near Boyan. The huge brown wolf seems to scare her a bit. "Mama!"

James is already running to us when we enter. My nephew is an energy pill, and very, very stubborn. No wonder who he got that from...

"My baby!"

Nora gets on her knees to hug him with a big smile. Behind him, her cousin William come to greet us. "Welcome back..."

As usual, William and Damian are exchanging glares while he talks with Nora. He's just like a picky father-in-law... He leaves to go home to his wife and daughter after a while, and Nora takes care of James, who's being fussy as usual, while I give a tour of the house to Estelle. "This is auntie Nora's house...?" She asks, impressed as we visit the salon and playroom on the first floor.

"And your uncle Damian's."

"Uncle Damian?"

I think my brother is still a bit too frightening for her too. I can't blame her. Aside from his family, I haven't seen anyone my brother doesn't naturally scare. Nora comes back and decides we should order pizzas for everyone to share, James following her every step as usual. "Pizza?" Repeats Estelle with a little frown.

Moon Goddess, she doesn't know what pizza is? Well, with her mother's cooking, I shouldn't be too surprised, but... I smile and kneel to face her, a bit amused.

"You've never had pizza? It was your mom's favorite food."

"Really?"

"Yes. I made it for her when she was sick, she loved it."

"Can you make one for me too?"

"Nora ordered them for now, but I promise I'll make you any dish you want later, okay?"

"Ok, daddy."

I smile.

This is a new sensation for me. Estelle smiles and goes to play with James, who's basically treating poor Boyan like a horse. Nora only introduced them quickly, but my nephew's apparently decided he loves his cousin already. They brought over some toys from the playroom to play with on the carpet, but Boyan is the main distraction for now.

Meanwhile, I grab the backpack Estelle had with her all this time. Was Elena ready to leave anytime...? I check inside. There are children's basic toiletries, two changes of clothes, some money, and a letter. I hesitate a second. The envelope is blank, but Elena wrote whatever is inside... Before I can make up my mind, Damian takes it from me to open it.

"To whoever found her, please bring my daughter Estelle to her Father, in Silver City. If I can't be by her side, please make sure she meets him safely. His name is Nathaniel Black. He will take care of her, if you present her to him. He can even give you money in exchange if you want, but please, to whoever is reading th is later, take good care of my baby. I'm sorry I can't be there, but she is the most precious thing to me. Please."

I take a deep breath.

She trusted me. Elena knew I'd take care of Estelle if I met her. It's a huge relief. All the signs are there. She wanted me to know my daughter, and for her to know me. Someone takes the letter from me. Isaac and Daniel are back and read it together.

"Dada!"

"I can't believe it... She said to bring Estelle to you instead of me?" He sighs.

"You still belong to the White Moon Clan," says Damian. "She doesn't. And Nathaniel is her father."

"He doesn't...!"

Damian suddenly gets up to face Daniel.

"Daniel, I'll say it one last time. Nathaniel made mistakes, but so did you. Who was in charge of that paternity test back then?"

He inevitably looks down, shaking his head.

"The fault wasn't mine. Iris..."

Iris? Who is he talking about...?

"I don't care what Whitewood did," growls Damian. "It was also your fault for not watching those tests. My brother has his wrongs but so do you, and so did Elena. Now if you still have a problem with Nathaniel taking care of his daughter, you'll settle this with him outside, not inside my house."

He used his Alpha aura in that last sentence, and Daniel steps back unwillingly, overpowered. I'm grateful to him. I'm feeling like s**t enough not to fight with Daniel today.

"That goes for you too," Damian says to Liam, who had just walked in.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it."

Our younger brother just avoids us to go play with James, but Sylviana sits next to me. The Witch is very comfortable around us now. Of course, given that I have been avoiding pretty much everyone recently, I didn't see her much either, but I know she hangs out a lot with Nora.

"How are you?" she asks me softly.

"A bit shaken up," I sigh. "It's... a lot for one day. I just... can't believe they are here."

She smiles, and when James starts to whine about some toy, Sylviana agitates her fingers. A few flower petals appear out of nowhere around the kids, who immediately start playing with it, amused.

"You were... there when she was born."

"Yes," she nods. "I helped Elena give birth to her. Estelle was... unhealthy. I think Elena suffered too much stress during her pregnancy, plus the pre-eclampsia, and her previous miscarriage..."

I guess Estelle's birth was a miracle, to begin with... How come she was born? Between her mother and my difficulties, it should have been impossible. So how...?

"Nathaniel, don't think too much, for now," says Sylviana. "Even if she looks fine, Estelle is in a new environment, without her mother, and with people she didn't know until today. She probably trusts you more than any of us because of her wolf's instincts, too." I hadn't thought of that... But indeed, her wolf is already awake. She probably felt our bond before I did.

Estelle?

She turns her head and walks up to me, curious.

"You called me, daddy?"

I can't help but smile. I caress her blonde hair, and she puts her little hands on my knees, curious.

"Are you tired?"

"Mh... A little. But I'm really hungry..."

"The pizzas are coming," says Nora from across the room.

"Pizza? You ordered pizza?" Asks Liam, suddenly very interested.

"Pizza!" Yells James, excited.

"Liam, take the kids to wash their hands first," says Nora.

Two hours later, we are done eating the pizzas. It's the best evening I've had in a long time. Watching the kids play with Boyan, Daniel, and Liam, chatting with my brother and Isaac about Company matters and letting Sylviana and Nora discuss the garden. When Nora decides it's time for everyone to go to bed, I realize she already prepared the rooms for everyone. Estelle's is right next to mine, but I insist on putting her to bed. I lay next to my daughter, while she's still watching the room, a bit uneasy. "You don't like the room?" I ask.

"No, it's pretty."

She's probably just feeling the new environment she's not used to. She's snuggling against me, unable to close her eyes despite the late hour.

"How was your bedroom? In mom's house?"

"Mh... smaller. And I draw bunnies on the wall, too."

"You like bunnies?"

"Yes! I draw lots and lots. And mom got me a bunny plushie. But I left it there..."

"It's okay, we can go and buy you new plushies tomorrow, okay?"

"Really?" She asks with her big eyes opened wide.

"Yeah. We can buy whatever you want. And new clothes and pajamas, too."

For now, she's sleeping with one of Nora's shirts, falling to her knees.

"...Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"...We are not going back to our house?"

"I don't think so."

"Oh..."

She seems a bit sad. She probably left all of her toys and stuff there. And she's grown there her whole life, too...

"Estelle, where did mommy get your bunny?"

"At the village with the humans. But I don't like going there. They don't like us."

Probably because they were wary of werewolves... We are lucky in Silver City, decades of cohabitation have made that humans and werewolves get along. We don't get involved in each other's businesses, but we don't fight either. They hate vampires a lot more, but they don't mind us. "I miss auntie Reagan too..."

"I'm sorry, baby."

"Baby star!"

"What?"

She suddenly smiles.

"Mommy called me a baby star! She said my name comes from the stars because I'm mommy's little sun. So I'm a baby star!"

I chuckle. So that's how she decided on her name... Estelle. Did she pick a french name on purpose? I really like it. And I called her mom my sunshine, too... It's very fitting. I kiss her cheek.

"Alright, the baby star needs to sleep now."

I'm about to get up and leave, but she holds on to me, suddenly losing all of her smile.

"Daddy... Can you stay? I'm... a little bit scared..."

I nod and take back my position next to her. Estelle smiles and grips my shirt, satisfied. We stay silent for a while, and I think she's asleep. But then...

"Daddy... Can we see mommy again? Tomorrow?"

"I promise. You'll see mommy every day."

"And you'll stay with me?"

"Yes."

"You're not leaving?"

"Why do you think I'll leave?" I ask.

"I don't know... Mommy said you have a house in the sky."

A house in the... Does she mean my apartment? Elena really loved the view from up there. I smile.

"Then... Do you want to come to see my house in the sky tomorrow?"

"I can?" She asks, excited.

"If you're a good girl and sleep well."

"Okay! I will sleep now. Good night daddy."

"Good night... little star," I whisper.

I watch her sleep for a while, unable to find sleep myself. She's the cutest little girl I've ever seen, and she's mine. She's breathing slowly, her hand still holding on tight to my shirt. I just hope she's not remembering too much of her scare today. Sylviana gave us a dreamcatcher to hang at the end of the bed... I hope this witch stuff is effective...