Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 57

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"You're very welcome, sweetheart!" the waiter cooed warmly before stepping away.

Jasper leaned back in his chair, his eyes locked on Hester. "Gigi absolutely loves this place. Even the pickiest eaters magically behave and clear their plates when we come here."

Hester glanced around the immersive, magical decor of the restaurant, feeling a profound softness bloom in her chest.

She laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she affectionately ruffled Gigi's hair. "There isn't a single kid on earth who could resist the magic of a fairytale world. Right, Gigi?"

Gigi stared back with big eyes. Hester could see her own reflection in them—a woman smiling so radiantly, looking genuinely tender and blissfully happy for the first time in ages.

"Mama!" Gigi suddenly reached out her chubby little arms, waving them frantically. "Mama, huggies!"

The toddler's butchered pronunciation was overwhelmingly adorable. Hester simply didn't have the heart to correct the title.

Jasper glanced at his daughter, then back to Hester, rubbing the back of his neck with an apologetic, helpless look.

"I swear I've spent days trying to correct her," he sighed, "but for some unfathomable reason, she is absolutely obsessed with calling you her mother."

Hester let out a light laugh. "It's fine, really. Her speech development is already a bit delayed, so the fact that she's so eager to talk at all is what actually matters. We can easily explain titles to her when she's older. She'll understand."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Jasper cleared his throat awkwardly. "I was just worried you'd find it incredibly uncomfortable. If people hear her calling you 'Mama,' they might think I'm taking advantage of you."

Hester blinked in surprise before a wicked grin broke out across her face. "I thought taking advantage of people was essentially the job description for a high-powered lawyer."

Jasper looked momentarily stunned.

"I'm kidding." Seeing his bewildered expression, Hester quickly backpedaled, afraid she had offended him. "Honestly, I adore Gigi. If you're genuinely worried about the optics of her calling me that, why don't we make it official? I could just be her godmother. What do you say?"