Chapter 161: Smart Boy

Words : 1754 Updated : Oct 2nd, 2025

Chapter 161: Smart Boy Immediately Josh was done with his lessons, he went upstairs in search of Abigail. "Abi?" He called excitedly as he knocked on her bedroom door, and immediately Abigail who was lying on her bed inside the bedroom heard his voice, she sprang up and hurried to get the door. She opened the door, and they both smiled at each other as he walked inside. Immediately Abigail shut the door behind him, Josh hugged her, "I missed you, Mommy," he whispered. Abigail’s heart did a little flip. She smiled as she crouched and hugged him tight. She held him to herself for a while before she carried him to her bed. She then signed. [How was your lessons?] "It was fine. I couldn’t wait for it to end so I could talk to you," Josh said with a wide smile. [Me too. I was waiting for you.] she signed back. Abigail had decided that she was not going to let Josh know yet that she could speak. She wanted to first see how well he could keep secrets from Ryan and how much Ryan meant to him. [Do you want to tell me about your first day at school now? Or do you have questions for me?] Abigail asked, wanting to know what he was thinking. "School was nice," he said, and she smiled down at him and brushed his hair gently with her fingers. Abigail guessed he didn’t have any questions for her as she thought. She signed: [I’m glad you liked school.] Josh nodded and smiled wide. "Yes. My teacher is nice. She said I color very good. I made a rainbow elephant. Many of the kids could not color properly. She said I’m pretty smart for my age." Abigail’s eyes widened dramatically and she clapped silently. Josh giggled. Abigail signed: [I’m proud of you.] Josh rolled to his side and looked up at her. His voice got soft. "Did you miss me while you were gone? In Husla?" Abigail’s heart lurched and she nodded as she placed her hand on her heart. She signed: [I missed you a lot.] Josh grinned. "I missed you too, Mommy." He sat up and crossed his legs on the bed. "Can we talk now? About this morning?" Abigail nodded eagerly and signed: [Yes. I want to know how and when you knew I was your mommy. Did Genny or daddy tell you?] Abigail asked, hating to refer to Ryan as daddy. Josh shook his head. "I knew you were my mommy by myself. I heard daddy and Genny talking about you." Abigail tilted her head. She signed: [What did they talk about?] "Genny said daddy should let me go and spend some time with my mommy that it’s not fair he is holding me and keeping me and my mommy away from each other. Then daddy said Abigail is in school and don’t need any distractions, and that he can’t trust Abigail not to run away with me. And then Genny said Abigail has guards. Then daddy said he thinks Genny wants Abigail to run away and he said she was useless and not smart. And then they argued some more and Genny left angrily," Josh said, and Abigail frowned. [They said all that in front of you?] she asked, unable to believe they would have such a conversation where he was. Josh looked at his fingers guiltily, then back at her. "They didn’t know I was there." Oh, dear, Abigail thought, wondering how he must have felt to have heard that. [And you weren’t scared? When you found out?] Josh shook his head. "No. I was happy. I always liked you best. Even when I thought you were just Abi. I liked your eyes and your hands when they talk." He waved his own fingers slowly. Abigail felt her chest go warm and tight. She swallowed even though her throat was dry. She reached out and touched his cheek. Josh leaned into her hand. They stayed like that for a moment before Abigail signed again: [Did you ask Genny or daddy about it?] Abigail asked, and he shook his head. "I was scared to let him know I was there. Daddy looks really scary when he is angry. But I asked him about my mommy many times and he said I don’t have a mommy that I only have him," Josh said and Abigail felt her eyes grow wet. Ryan, that bastard! She blinked fast and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. Josh leaned against her. "Are you sad? Don’t worry. I didn’t believe him. That was why I told him I wanted to learn to sign," Josh assured her with a smile. Abigail smiled back at him. [How can I be sad when I have such a smart little son?] "Is daddy my real daddy? Or is he my granddaddy?" Josh asked curiously. Abigail stared at him, contemplating the best way to respond. She didn’t want to lie to her son. No. She wanted him to know the truth, and the truth was Ryan was in no way related to either of them. [He is not your daddy. He is not your granddaddy either.] Josh’s brows pulled together in confusion, "But he is your daddy." She shook her head then signed. [No, he is not my daddy.] Josh frowned. "Then what is he?" [I will tell you some day. But for now, you have to be a good boy and trust me, okay?] she signed, and he nodded. "What about my daddy? Do I have a daddy?" He asked, and Abigail grinned. [You will meet your daddy when the time is right. And you will be very happy when you see him. By the way, why were you trying to get me a boyfriend when you know I’m your mommy? Don’t you want to meet your daddy?] Josh shrugged. "I don’t know. I liked Pete." [Liked? You don’t like him anymore?] Abigail asked, amused. Josh shrugged but said nothing. Abigail smiled as she watched him, wondering what his reaction would be when he found out Jamal was his father. [You can’t tell anyone about our discussions, promise?] Josh nodded slowly. "I can keep secrets. I promise." He zipped his lips and threw away the invisible key. Abigail laughed silently and pulled him in for a hug. He hugged her back, his small arms tight around her. "Mommy?" he whispered, still holding her. "Are you going to leave again?" Abigail stilled. She pulled back and kissed his forehead before responding.[No. I’m not leaving again. I’m staying with you now.] Josh beamed, wide and bright. "I don’t want you to go ever again." Abigail touched her heart. She signed:[Me too. I want to be with you. Always. But daddy might not want us to. He will keep trying to keep us apart.] "Why?" Josh asked and Abigail shook her head. [I can’t explain it to you. But he just doesn’t want me to be your mommy.] "You’re always going to be my mommy," Josh promised and Abigail smiled at him. Josh lay on the bed, "I like your bed. It smells nice." Abigail lay down next to him, brushing his hair back gently, and he curled up beside her. Josh’s voice got quiet. "I’m happy you’re my mommy," he said and Abigail kissed his forehead. Their moment was interrupted when a knock sounded on the door and the housekeeper informed them that dinner was served and Ryan was waiting. Abigail looked at Josh, and before she could say anything he made a zip gesture with his hand on his lips and she grinned. [You also have to make sure you keep acting like you don’t know anything, okay?] He gave her a nod and they both got off the bed and went to join Ryan for dinner. As they approached the dining, Ryan watched them with a blank expression as he recalled what happened that morning and how Josh had chosen Abigail over him. He didn’t like that Josh was becoming so attached to Abigail and was not spending as much time with him as they usually did. When Josh got to the dining, he went to meet Ryan as usual and smiled at him, "Daddy!" Ryan smiled although it didn’t reach his eyes, "Now you remember me after you chose Abigail over me this morning. Is your sister more important to you than your daddy?" Josh frowned slightly. "Everybody was going in with their mommy, and I did not want them to tease me that I do not have a mommy too." Ryan raised a brow as he looked at Abigail, wondering if she had told him that she was his mother. "But Abigail is not your mommy." Josh glanced at Abigail and she smiled at him, and then Josh smiled back at Ryan, "Abi is not my mommy but she is my second favorite person after you," he said to Ryan’s relief. "Ouch! That hurts. I’ve been here all these years, and Abi just came and became second favorite?" Genevieve asked playfully as she joined them. Josh laughed. "You are my favorite too. It’s a tie," he said, and then tried to wink at Abigail, making them all laugh. As they sat down to eat, Ryan looked at all three of them. Abigail seemed happy sort of, and he couldn’t understand why. "So, Josh, how was school today?" Genevieve asked as they began to eat, and as usual Josh began to chatter all about school. Genevieve and Abigail smiled as they listened to Josh, while Ryan kept looking at them all. Did something happen? He wondered as he glanced at Genevieve who also seemed happy like Abigail, and even Josh looked happier than usual. Why did they all seem so happy? What was he missing? "Dad? Why are you not eating?" Genevieve asked when she noticed he was yet to touch his food and was staring at them. "I feel full just watching my kids getting along so well," he said, forcing a smile. Genevieve exchanged an amused look with Abigail, who in turn exchanged a look with Josh, and they all smiled at him. Just then Ryan’s phone vibrated with a phone call and he received the call when he saw it was from the private investigator he had asked to look into Pete’s background. He said nothing but only listened as the man spoke to him. When the call ended he smirked.

Chapter 161: Smart Boy

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