The Rabbit Girl Who Shook the Walker Family Chapter 04
She picked up the spoon and ate in small bites. She ate slowly and carefully. Lucas watched her scrape the bottom of the bowl twice, leaving not a single grain behind. Rachel stood by the door.
“She is so young. Whoever taught her what to say really put in the effort.”
Lily lifted her head. A little oatmeal stuck to the corner of her mouth.
“Mommy taught me not to waste food.”
“Does that count as working hard?”
Rachel’s smile thinned. Old Mr. Walker glanced at her. Rachel stopped speaking.
The DNA testing staff arrived in the middle of the night. Lily sat on the sofa. When the cotton swab touched the inside of her cheek, her nose wrinkled.
“Is it done?”
The staff member nodded.
“It’s done.”
Lily let out a breath. She turned to Lucas.
“Does Daddy have to do it too?”
Several people in the room paused. Lucas reached out and took another cotton swab.
“Yes.”
Lily watched carefully.
After he finished, she whispered, “Did it hurt?”
Lucas looked at her.
“No.”
“Oh.”
Lily nodded.
“Then you’re a little braver than me.”
Ethan Walker looked down and sealed the sample bag. The corner of his mouth nearly twitched. Lucas glanced at him. Ethan flattened his expression again. After the samples were sent away, Lily was placed in a guest room on the first floor. But she did not dare get under the covers.
She held the stuffed rabbit and sat on the edge of the mattress. The butler arranged the blanket for her.
“Miss Lily, you can sleep now.”
Lily looked up.
“Mister, will I still be here tomorrow?”
The butler could not answer for a moment. Lucas stood in the doorway. He heard her.
“Yes.”
Lily turned to look at him.
“Do you keep your promises?”
Lucas walked in.
“Yes.”
She thought for a moment and asked again, “Then when I wake up, I won’t be outside the door?” This time, Lucas did not answer right away. He walked to the bed and folded the blanket down a little. The movement was stiff and unfamiliar. The blanket corner ended up crooked.
“No.”
Only then did Lily climb into the bed. She put the rabbit near the pillow. She only took up a tiny space on the edge of the bed. Lucas watched her for a long while.
“Sleep in the middle.”
Lily shook her head.
“I’m afraid I’ll wrinkle it.”
“We can change the sheets.”
Lily whispered, “But Mommy said I shouldn’t touch other people’s things.”
Lucas’s fingers tightened around the edge of the bed.
“This is not someone else’s house.”
Lily blinked. She did not quite dare believe it. But she still slowly shifted a little toward the middle of the bed. Lucas stood and prepared to leave. Just as he reached the door, a small voice called from behind him.
“Lucas.”
He turned back. Half of Lily’s face peeked out from under the blanket.
“Can you buy the smallest milk tomorrow?”
“I don’t drink much.”
Lucas looked at her.
“I’ll buy the big one.”
Lily thought about it.
“Then do you have money?”
At the door, the butler looked down and coughed. Lucas was silent for a moment.
“Yes.”
“Oh.”
Lily relaxed.
“Then don’t borrow from loan sharks.”
For the first time, Lucas did not know what expression to make. When he closed the door and stepped out, Ethan was standing at the end of the hallway.
“She doesn’t sound coached.”
Lucas glanced at him. Ethan handed over his phone.
“I found Emma Reed’s death record.”
“Last month on the twenty-seventh. Southside Hospital.”
The screen glowed bright. Lucas saw Emma’s name. He also saw the line marked Cause of Death. Cancer. The illness had lasted a long time. He held the phone and did not move for a long while.
Ethan added, “The DNA lab has expedited it. The preliminary result should be out tomorrow morning at the earliest.” Lucas handed the phone back.
“Check everything again.”
“Where Emma lived for the past three years, who cared for her, and who paid for the child.”
Ethan nodded. He was about to leave when the guest room door opened a crack. Lily hugged the stuffed rabbit and poked her head out.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping.”
She paused.
“I just wanted to ask where the bathroom is.”
Lucas turned.
“I’ll take you.”
Ethan watched him bend down to find the child’s slippers. One of the gray slippers fell off again. Lucas crouched and pushed it back to Lily’s foot. His movement was still clumsy.
Lily held the door frame and reminded him in a small voice, “It’s backward.”
Lucas looked down. The slipper was indeed backward. Ethan turned his face away. This time, he really smiled.
At nine the next morning, the preliminary DNA report was delivered to the Walker family. Old Mr. Walker, Lucas, and Ethan were all in the private study.
John and Rachel had come too. Lily sat on a small stool outside the private study. The butler gave her a small piece of cake. She did not eat it.
