Chapter 98: The Connection

Alexander’s tiny arms remained stretched toward Isobel, his eager little fingers opening and closing as he bounced impatiently in Kristoff’s embrace.

"Da!"

The delighted squeal drew every pair of eyes in the room.

For a heartbeat, the lively hall fell strangely quiet.

Isobel stood rooted to the spot, caught off guard by the baby’s unmistakable excitement. Her lips parted slightly, and she instinctively glanced at Kristoff, only to find him already looking at her.

Their eyes met.

The noise around them seemed to disappear.

Months apart had done nothing to dull the familiarity in his gaze. It still carried the same intensity that had once made her heart race. Only now, beneath the longing, she saw something else—pain.

Alexander let out another impatient giggle and leaned even farther toward her.

"Looks like someone has already picked his favorite person," one of the volunteers teased with a laugh.

The lighthearted remark broke the spell.

Isobel lowered her eyes, her cheeks warming, while Kristoff tightened his hold on his son, his jaw flexing almost imperceptibly. He wanted to tell himself Alexander was simply attracted to friendly faces.

Yet deep down, he couldn’t ignore the unsettling feeling that his son remembered her somehow... or perhaps, in the innocent way only children could, recognized the place where he most wanted to be.

"Alex has always been like this," Charlotte said with a light laugh, eager to steer the conversation elsewhere. "He’s an unusually friendly baby. Even at such a young age, he doesn’t seem to have any stranger anxiety."

"Oh?" Mama Rena chuckled, watching Alexander continue reaching for Isobel. "From where I’m standing, that doesn’t look like friendliness."

She smiled knowingly.

"That looks like a baby asking to be carried by his mommy."

Almost as if he understood every word she had spoken, Alexander’s tiny face crumpled.

His lower lip quivered before a loud, heart-wrenching wail burst from his mouth.

The cheerful atmosphere instantly dissolved.

"There, there..." Kristoff murmured, gently rocking his son. "Daddy’s here."

But Alexander only cried harder.

His little body twisted in Kristoff’s arms as he continued reaching desperately toward Isobel, tears streaming down his rosy cheeks.

No amount of soothing could calm him.

Mama Rena watched the scene for a moment before smiling gently.

"Why don’t you let Isobel hold him for a while?" she suggested. "She’s wonderful with babies."

Charlotte’s smile froze.

Her fingers instinctively tightened around Kristoff’s arm until her manicured nails dug into his sleeve.

Kristoff felt the pressure.

He lowered his eyes briefly to Charlotte’s hand before lifting them to meet her strained smile.

Then, without a word, he stepped toward Isobel. Carefully, he transferred the sobbing Alexander into her waiting arms.

Their fingers brushed. It was the briefest touch. Barely a second.

Yet it sent an unexpected jolt through Kristoff’s body.

His breath caught. Almost against his will, his eyes lifted to Isobel’s face.

She never noticed.

The moment Alexander settled against her chest, her entire attention shifted to the crying child.

"It’s all right," she whispered softly, gently rubbing the baby’s back. "I’m here."

Almost instantly, Alexander’s cries began to fade.

Within moments, only soft sniffles remained.

The little boy nestled comfortably against her, his tiny fist clutching the fabric of her blouse as though he had finally found where he belonged.

Mama Rena watched them with misty eyes before letting out a nostalgic laugh.

"This little fellow reminds me so much of you, Isobel."

Isobel looked up in surprise.

"When you were about his age, every time Richard walked into the nursery, you’d stretch out your little arms exactly like that. And if he didn’t pick you up right away..." Mama Rena laughed. "...you’d cry until he did."

A blush instantly spread across Isobel’s cheeks. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

"Mama Rena..." she protested shyly. "I was just a baby."

"You certainly were." Mama Rena smiled fondly. "But babies have remarkable instincts. They always know who makes them feel safe."

The words were spoken casually. Without the slightest hidden meaning.

Yet they landed heavily.

Kristoff’s body went still.

His eyes lingered on Alexander, peacefully nestled against Isobel as though the child had never cried at all.

Beside him, Charlotte’s expression darkened for the briefest moment.

Jealousy flashed across her features before years of practiced composure swept it away.

When she smiled again, it was as graceful and flawless as ever.

Only the tightness around her eyes betrayed how deeply the moment had unsettled her.

"Mama Rena," Richard said with an easy laugh, sensing the subtle tension beginning to settle over the group, "you’re making it sound as though there was some mysterious connection."

He gestured toward Isobel with a fond smile.

"I practically raised her. Of course she felt safe with me."

His gaze swept briefly over the people standing before him.

Isobel, gently cradling Alexander. Kristoff, watching them in heavy silence. Charlotte, whose pleasant smile never quite reached her eyes.

For a fleeting second, the picture before him made him pause.

With Alexander resting so naturally in Isobel’s arms, she looked far more like the baby’s mother than Charlotte did.

The thought came unbidden. And for reasons he couldn’t explain, it unsettled him.

Mama Rena chuckled.

"All right, all right." She waved a dismissive hand. "I know you were always the dependable big brother who protected her."

Richard’s smile faltered.

Big brother.

The words echoed unpleasantly in his mind. That had never been how he wanted Isobel to see him.

Before he could respond, Charlotte spoke.

Although her tone remained light and conversational, her eyes were fixed on Isobel.

"But somehow..." she said thoughtfully, "...Richard doesn’t look at Isobel like a sister."

A curious silence settled over the group. Charlotte tilted her head ever so slightly.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

The question hung in the air.

Several caretakers exchanged surprised glances before instinctively looking from Richard... to Isobel... and finally to Kristoff.

Richard’s heartbeat quickened. Isobel looked completely caught off guard.

Mama Rena, however, laughed warmly.

"I certainly wouldn’t object." Her eyes sparkled with affection. "If these two ever became a couple, they’d have my wholehearted blessing."

Richard couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips.

Kristoff’s expression, however, hardened almost imperceptibly. The muscles along his jaw tightened. His eyes lingered on Isobel for a fraction longer before he calmly shifted his attention to the children waiting nearby.

"We should start handing out the gift packs," he said evenly. "The children have been waiting long enough, and they’ll get tired if we delay any further."

His voice was composed. Perfectly controlled.

Yet beneath the calm surface was a quiet edge that even Richard couldn’t miss.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.