Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled

Chapter 447

“I’m off to cook, Russel finally said, his gaze dropping as he headed towards the kitchen.

A pang of sympathy hit me, coupled with a sense of guilt.

Neil, however, seemed oblivious to the emotional undercurrents between Russel and myself. He was absorbed in studying Serena’s face, his eyes filled with a profound sadness.

He looked up at me, his eyes mirroring his sorrow. “Do you think our daughter would have looked like her if she hadn’t passed away?”

I had never told Neil the gender of our first child, yet his question caught me off guard.

A sharp pain pierced my heart at the mention of our lost child.

“How did you know it was a girl?” I asked, my voice laced with bitterness.

“I looked into your medical records before,” Neil said, his gaze unwavering.

“I need a favor.”

“Which is?” I asked, surprised at his confession.

For a moment, Neil hesitated, his usually decisive demeanor faltering. The gravity of the situation was evident.

I couldn’t fathom what I could possibly do for him, apart from a DNA test with Serena, which I had no intention of agreeing to.

“Although I checked your medical records, the only copy of the ultrasound for our baby is with you. Do you still have it?” Neil finally asked, catching me off guard. I froze.

The ultrasound image was the only picture I had of our child. I had kept it safe, never losing it.

in his voice. This was uncharacteristic of him; a

was gone before it was even born. There was

suffocated and my

was just an ultrasound; it wouldn’t hurt to let Neil see it. But I didn’t want to rehash the painful memories. Shared pain could bind people together, in a way that was

a small smile. “I don’t have it anymore. I threw it away because it was too painful to keep.” Neil’s face fell at my words, his lips curving into a forced smile. He didn’t say anything, but went back to looking

air, painting a picture of warmth and love. In a sudden impulse, I blurted out, “I took a on my phone. Do you want to see that?”

Neil replied instantly, his eyes

of

mobile album. I had taken a picture of the ultrasound image during the scan. Although it wasn’t as clear as the original, one

resembled

the picture stirred up the pain in my heart. I quickly sent the picture to Neil and closed my phone.

the picture. While I took Serena from him, she was

filled with longing and sorrow. I

then. If he didn’t,

a saying that a man who doesn’t love a woman wouldn’t

overgrown weeds,

me. His eyes

said, his

I knew Neil had his doubts, but he didn’t want to resort to a DNA test. If the results weren’t what he hoped for, he’d become

began their evening chorus, breaking the heavy

± ± 3 Z Z Z Z

other, our eyes

not my own, yet it was firm and resolute. “Serena and Brandon are mine and Russel’s

Neil’s