Chapter 8 Unanswered Question

Darlene

I turned just in time to see a blur of curls and cotton pajamas hop down the last few stairs.

Lyn.

Her tiny feet landed with a quiet thud before she bounded across the living room with arms wide open. I dropped to my knees instinctively, laughing as she collided into me with an excited hug.

"There you are!" I said, wrapping her small frame in my arms. I ran a hand gently through her thick hair, and she leaned into the touch, warm and familiar.

Both of us were beaming like the rest of the world didn't exist.

"I missed you!" she chirped.

"I missed you too, munchkin," I replied.

Her eyes sparkled. "Wanna see my room?"

"I'd love to," I said without hesitation.

She grabbed my hand eagerly, her tiny fingers wrapping around mine like it was the most natural thing in the world, and began tugging me toward the staircase she'd just flown down.

"Come on! It's this way!"

I threw Rosie a quick smile over my shoulder, and she nodded, the corners of her mouth lifted knowingly.

We climbed the stairs, Lyn practically skipping, and soon arrived at a door decorated with sparkly stickers and a nameplate in pastel pink letters that read LYN'S ROOM.

The door swung open, and I stepped inside.

It was a little girl's dream. The room was drenched in bright pinks, walls, curtains, the plush rug, even the lampshade wore the same cheerful hue. A canopy bed sat in the center, draped with soft gauze, and tiny twinkling lights framed the ceiling.

I didn't have to guess, Pink was clearly Lyn's favorite color.

"Well?" she said, arms wide like she was presenting a kingdom. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," I said, eyes wide in genuine wonder. "This room is magic."

She giggled and twirled, her dress fanning around her legs. "I just had a makeover a few months ago, and daddy made me pick everything!"

"Wow...I can tell. You have amazing taste."

Lyn beamed and then flopped onto the bed like a miniature queen. I stood by the door for a moment, just watching her. Watching how safe she felt here. How happy.

And strangely, for a second, I did too.

"Come, sit on my bed. I have so many storybooks. Do you want to see?"

"Of course," I said, moving to sit cross-legged beside her.

Lyn jumped off the bed and scampered to a nearby bookshelf, her small arms grabbing as many books as she could carry. She returned with an armful, books stacked haphazardly, some nearly slipping out of her grip, and dumped them proudly onto the bed in front of us.

"There!" she announced with a triumphant smile. "We can read whichever one you like."

We began going through them one by one, The Brave Little Bunny, The Princess Who Saved Herself, Nia and the Moonlight, each cover more colorful than the last. She told me which ones were her favorites, which ones made her laugh, and which ones made her cry, but she loved them anyway.

Then her hand paused on one. She pulled it from the pile, turned it upright, and stared at the cover.

"Alice and Her Step Mother!" she shouted brightly, holding it up for me to see.

My smile faltered slightly, just for a second.

Then she turned to me, all innocence and wide eyes. "Darling," she said slowly, "are you my new mummy now?"

I blinked. My breath caught.

"Who... who told you that?" I asked, carefully.

"No one," she said with a shrug, as if it were obvious. "But Daddy's never brought any woman home before. Not even one. And now you're here. So... I guessed." She grinned, proud of her deduction. "I'm a smart kid. Right?"

I gave a quiet laugh, though my heart was racing.

Then, her tone shifted. More serious now. Her little fingers fidgeted with the edge of the storybook as she looked down, then back up again.

"You're not going to be like Alice's stepmother, are you?" she asked. "The one who was mean and didn't like her at all?"

My chest tightened. My mouth opened, then closed again.

I hadn't thought about this part. I hadn't thought about being someone's mother, or even the idea of it. The weight of that title, the responsibility behind it...it suddenly felt like a mountain pressing down on me. Was I ready for this? For her?

My stomach twisted, and a coldness crept into my fingertips.

"I..." I tried, but the words wouldn't come.

Then, mercifully, a voice floated into the room, warm and grounding.

"Hi, princess."

We both looked up.

Mr. Stark stood by the doorway, one hand casually resting in his pocket, the other loosening his tie as if he hadn't just walked into the middle of my existential crisis.

Lyn's face lit up. "Daddy!"

She jumped off the bed and ran into his arms, the book forgotten, the question still hanging in the air like a ghost.

He picked her up with ease, his eyes flicking briefly to mine. There was something unreadable there. Knowing, maybe. Or maybe just tired.

"Were you bothering her with your ten thousand questions again?" he teased gently.

She giggled. "Only a few!"

He looked at me again, and this time there was a softness in his voice.

"I need to take Darlene away for a bit. We have some things to discuss," he said. I knew he was trying to rescue me. But somehow, it kind of did.

"Adult stuff?" She asked curiously.

"Yeahhh...Adult stuff!"

"Okay," she said lazily as she agreed. He then put her back down.

"Shall we?" he gestured to me as I gave a soft nod. Lyn walked back to me and gave me a parting hug, and just then, we stepped out, with a thousand and one thoughts running through my mind.

As I stepped out of the room, the soft glow of Lyn's fairy lights still lingering in my vision as the door clicked gently shut behind us. Mr. Stark followed, his footsteps silent on the plush hallway carpet. He paused only to pull the door until it latched, careful not to make a sound.

We walked a few steps down the hall in silence. The quiet was heavier than it should've been, at least for me. It was full of thoughts, pressure, and expectations.

Finally, I spoke, my voice low and uncertain. "I'm not sure I can do this."

He turned slightly, his expression unreadable. "Do what?"

"The whole... contract marriage thing," I said, twisting my fingers together. "It's already hard enough lying to my parents. And now her. Lyn is just an innocent child. She's so sweet, trusting, and doesn't deserve all this deception. You know she..." I paused and swallowed, finding a way to put what I wanted to say, "she asked if I was going to be her new mum."

I exhaled sharply. "And I didn't know what to say, because I don't know. I don't know how to be a mother. I've never really thought of it, I don't think I'm ready to be one." I said all the more confused

He stared at me for a long moment, eyes cool and sharp.

"You don't have to be her mother," he said flatly. "That was never part of the contract."

My stomach sank.

"You're here to play a role, my wife...on paper." He stressed it as though he wanted to remind me it was just a contract.

"Not her mother," he added, voice clipped. "And if you're having second thoughts, I suggest you remember you've already signed the contract. Backing out is no longer an option."