He Came Knocking with a Baby in Tow Chapter 01
When I was twenty-five, I divorced Lucas Harrington.
We came from different worlds and had no future together. I took the check and recommendation letter his mother gave me and went to Milan alone.
Five years later, backstage at Milan Fashion Week.
A little boy who looked just like Lucas found me.
He pouted, looking both hurt and proud.
“My dad is Lucas Harrington,” he said. “You’re my mom.”
I looked at him and softly said, “Mm.”
He quickly pulled a stack of cash from his backpack.
His eyes were full of pleading: “Can I hire you for one day? Please come to my parent-teacher conference?”
I stared at the little boy holding out the money, stunned for a moment.
I pressed my lips together and pushed the money back.
“I don’t want your money.”
His eyes instantly turned red. He lowered his head and spoke softer and softer.
“Grandma said you really like money, so I saved up for a long, long time before coming to find you.”
“The kids at kindergarten always say I’m a wild kid with no mom… I always tell them I have a mom, and my mom is a supermodel.”
“They keep calling me a liar.”
“Even though you didn’t want me, I wasn’t lying.”
“But they just don’t believe me…”
He hung his head quietly, his little body shaking, wiping his tears with his sleeve.
I crouched down, held his face, and wiped his tears.
“I don’t want your money, but I can come.”
His head snapped up, his eyes shining.
He looked both disbelieving and unable to hide his joy.
He immediately threw himself into my arms.
His round little head buried in my neck, he burst out crying again.
As if he had suffered some great wrong.
I gently patted his back to help him calm down.
After he finished crying, he met my eyes.
He blushed, looked away a little awkwardly, and shyly explained:
“I don’t cry much. I’m a tough guy.”
“I just couldn’t help it.”
Seeing him like that, I smiled and shook my head. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
He gave a small smile, took my hand, and happily told me his name:
“My name is Liam Harrington. My nickname is Echo. You can call me Echo.”
I smiled and smoothed his bangs. “I know.”
He nodded, his round eyes shining. “You know my name?”
I nodded and said again: “I know.”
The name Echo was one I had given him.
How could I not know?
