The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 105: Chapter 105

This was the first time Serena had ever heard Alyssa's voice since they'd met, and she felt a rush of excitement.
'Does this mean if we keep going like this, Alyssa might actually recover and become like a normal kid?' she thought. Serena genuinely cared about her and really hoped she could get better.
"I'm so happy that you can talk to me now, but you can't just call me 'Mommy'," Serena said seriously, looking directly at her. She could see how much Alyssa depended on her, but she couldn't let her get confused about their relationship.
Seeing Alyssa nod so sweetly, Serena felt her heart completely melt. Nothing else mattered anymore. She took Alyssa's hand and led her out of the kindergarten.
Keith was already waiting by the school entrance. When he spotted them, he waved them over. "Over here."
Serena had been planning to call Keith once they got in the car to tell him about Alyssa, but there he was right in front of her. She walked up to him with Alyssa, her face lighting up with excitement. "Keith, Alyssa just started talking!"
"What?" Keith didn't quite process it at first. Then, after a moment, surprise flashed in his eyes.
Alyssa hadn't spoken a word in all these years. Even after going through something as traumatic as being abducted, she couldn't manage to speak up to protect herself.
"I'm sure it was Alyssa who talked to me. She admitted it herself just now." Serena told Keith everything about how Alyssa had spoken up. Keith really hadn't expected that Alyssa's first words would come from her love for Serena.
"Okay, I understand," Keith said seriously. "When we get home, I'll have a doctor come check on Alyssa more thoroughly. If she's really getting better... Serena, I don't even know how to thank you."
Serena waved her hand, looking a bit overwhelmed by the praise. "This is all thanks to Alyssa's own hard work. I'm sure she'll keep getting better and better."
Keith had originally planned to take them around and show them more places, but Alyssa's health was the priority now.
He picked her up and carried her to the car, then sent a message to the doctor. "Serena, I'll drop you off at home first, then take Alyssa for her checkup."
Serena's eyes flickered with hesitation. She felt a bit awkward asking, but she pushed through anyway. "Could I come with you guys? I'd really like to know how Alyssa's doing."
Since Alyssa had started speaking because of Serena, Keith didn't see her as an outsider. He agreed to her request without hesitation. "Sure, let's head back to my place and wait for the doctor to come over."
The three of them went back to Brannon Villa, and the doctor arrived quickly. As soon as he walked in, he greeted Alyssa like they were old friends.
Serena sat on the couch, feeling a bit stiff since she was a guest in someone else's home. When she heard voices, she stood up politely.
"You must be Ms. Gray. You're beautiful," the doctor said with a warm smile and a nod. "I'm Nate Sutter. I'm Alyssa's therapist and Keith's friend."
Serena nodded back, feeling a bit embarrassed by his straightforward compliment.
"Let's check on Alyssa first, then we can catch up," Keith said from the side.
That reminded Nate he had work to do, so he straightened up and got serious. "I'll take Alyssa to the room for testing. You guys wait here for a bit."
Alyssa clearly trusted Nate and let him take her little hand without any fuss. She kept staring at Serena with those big, watery eyes, looking like a perfectly crafted little doll.
Serena's heart was melting. "Okay, go ahead and check her out."
As Alyssa was led into the side room, she kept turning back to look at Serena. Seeing this, Nate didn't even need to run tests to know that Serena had definitely made a big impact on the little girl.
"Why don't you rest for a bit? I ordered some food. You've been with her all morning, so you must be tired," Keith said gently.
Serena didn't feel tired at all. Ever since she'd heard Alyssa speak, she'd been filled with pure joy.
It was the same feeling she'd had when she first saw Leon take his first steps, except everything had changed now. Leon wasn't that little kid who used to depend on her anymore. But Serena was lucky. She'd found Alyssa.
Soon enough, Nate finished Alyssa's basic examination and brought her back out of the room.
"How did it go?" Keith asked, getting up from his chair.
But Nate just shook his head. "I tried to guide her a bit, but Alyssa still doesn't want to talk in front of me. She probably only wants to speak with Ms. Gray."
Serena hadn't expected this result, and she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. She thought she could actually get Alyssa to talk.
Keith noticed the change in Serena's mood and tried to comfort her. "At least this is good progress. Alyssa's definitely going to keep getting better."
That made Serena force a small smile. "I guess I was just being too impatient."
Watching this whole exchange, Nate was amazed. "If I hadn't known Alyssa for so many years, I'd probably think Ms. Gray was actually her real mom."
There was something else he didn't say out loud. 'I've never seen Keith treat anyone else like this, or even notice someone's emotions this quickly. When did my cold, all-business friend turn into such a caring guy? I've never seen him act like this before,' Nate thought.
"You know what? You two should just get together. Then Ms. Gray would actually be Alyssa's mom," Nate said, nodding like he'd just solved everything. "It might even help with Alyssa's recovery."
Serena looked stunned, and her face immediately turned red. She waved her hands frantically in embarrassment.
Keith frowned slightly. "Don't joke around like that," he said firmly.
Seeing Nate defend her so enthusiastically, Graham shook his head helplessly and threw up his hands in surrender. "Fine, I shouldn't play matchmaker. Just joking around. Don't take it seriously."
The outcome wasn't exactly what Nate had hoped for, but at least it was heading in a positive direction.
Soon, their food delivery arrived, and the four of them sat around the table eating together. Serena took care of every little detail for Alyssa, and Nate could see clearly from the outside that Alyssa's dependence on Serena went way beyond normal.
'If things keep going like this, and Serena ever has to leave one day, Alyssa's going to crash hard—maybe even worse than before,' Nate thought. But he definitely wasn't going to bring up something that depressing right now.
Serena genuinely loved kids, so she probably wouldn't be that heartless anyway.