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Chapter 1273
There was no way Nina could let the little girl go off on her own. Such a young child, if she were to encounter danger or be taken by traffickers, her fate could be tragic.
She gently picked the girl up again, wiping the tears from her small face. "Tell me, sweetheart, what's really going on at home? Why did you say you don't have a mom and dad?"
The little girl's voice trembled as she spoke, "My dad's gone. Everyone says he's never coming back. Then my mom left me, too. I don't know where she went. No one takes care of me anymore. I almost starved to death at home." With every word, Nina's heart sank deeper.
By the end, she understood. The girl's father had passed away, and her mother, seeing her as a burden, had abandoned her. The child couldn't recall her address or phone number, and she didn't even know her own name.
"They just called me 'Little One.' My parents never used my real name," she said, her eyes red and swollen from crying. "Am I stupid? Maybe if I were smarter, my mom wouldn't have left me."
"No, sweetheart, that's not it," Nina said softly, unsure how to comfort her. It wasn't the little girl's fault. It was her parents who had failed her.
The fact that they only called her by a nickname, never her real name, was part of the problem. How could she know her own identity? And as parents, it's their duty to care for their child, no matter how smart or slow they may be. Every child deserves love.NôvelDrama.Org holds this content.
But telling a young child the harsh truth that her mother didn't love her, seemed too cruel. So, Nina crafted a gentle lie, hoping to ease her pain. "Maybe your mom just had something important to take care of. I'm sure she'll come back for you once she's done."
The little girl shook her head, her voice filled with sadness. "No, she's not coming back. She said I killed my dad and that I'd ruin her life too. I tried to find her, but when I went to the airport, the lady there said was too young to fly. And I don't even have a passport to get back home."
Nash took a closer look at her. "Are you from another country?" he asked, noticing she didn't quite look like a local.
If she was from another country, finding her parents would be even harder.
Nina hesitated, turning to Nash. "Should we take her to a shelter?"
But the thought of placing her in a shelter gave her pause. The girl had no papers, no identity here, making it difficult for her to stay at a place like that. And given her background, she might not fit in with the otherkids.
Before Nina could decide, Orion tugged at her sleeve, speaking quietly. "Mom, can we keep her? She's really sad. Please?"
The little girl gave him a grateful look. "Thank you. You're the first person who's ever been nice to me she whispered. "If you don't want to keep me, that's okay. I won't blame you. You don't have to take care of me."
Her words tugged at Nina's heart. Seeing how well Orion was getting along with her, and how much her son wanted to help, she found it hard to say no.
"Nina, why don't we follow Orion's wish? Let's take her home for now. If we can't find her parents, we can help her find a good adoptive family," Nash finally decided, giving in to Orion's request.