***********

CHAPTER 72

​​

It was at that time that the girl nodded her head at him and a smile formed on his lips. There was undeniable progress and he felt proud.

"Okay, after we get the ice-cream and biscuits, we would go look for your parents. Do you know where they are?"

She shook her head this time, making Xander wonder if she knew how to talk at all.

"Do you know how to… No, can't you reply to me with your mouth and not your head? Tell me your name, please."

"Lisa."

"Oh Lisa, nice name. So, why haven't you been speaking since?"

"Mother said not to talk to strangers."

That was it…

Jade could no longer hold it in and let out her laughter. This had only irked her lover boyfriend but he shrugged it off and smiled at the little girl.

"That is very good, your mother is right. Let us go get your ice-cream then we can tell mummy you did well. Is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Good girl. Shall we?" He looked over to Jade, expecting her reply. She nodded as well and they left to get some ice-cream.

After buying bigger ice cream as promised for Lisa and Jade, Xander proceeded to get her the cookies he promised.

All through they had a nice walk and talked about some fun games in the park. By the time he had bought all the necessary things, Xander looked down at little Lisa.

With a smile on his handsome face, he asked, "Is this uncle still a stranger?"

Rather than the favourable answer Xander was hoping for, little Lisa shook her head at him. He felt his ego was bruised by her negative reply.

Ouch!

Really, money wasn't everything, was it?

Jade let out another peal of hearty laughter at his predicament. She looked at the little girl and smiled sweetly at her. The little girl reminded her of herself.

This was how she was unresponsive to Xander at first but eventually, she opened her heart and warmed up to him.

Even though he had that cold outlook, he was still such a gentle soul and had a way of making people agree to his whims and find his way into their hearts.

"Okay. I guess I would just have to become friends with little Lisa then." As he spoke, he let go of her hand and handed her the cookies while he unbuttoned his sleeve button and folded the sleeves half way then loosened his tie a little before undoing the first button.

Right now he looked like a dashing young father about to play with his kid. "You want to play some games with your uncle?" The young girl nodded repeatedly and he laughed. "Good. I thought so too, let's go."

They played some games till little Lisa got tired and Jade had a nice time watching them while occasionally participating.

She had not planned for her day to go this way, but she was glad it did irrespectively.

It was already getting late, so Xander had to stop, so they could find her mother before it got dark. Little Lisa had told them that she came to the park with her mum and ended up not seeing her when they passed the crowd of onlookers in a circus show.

Just as Jade predicted, little Lisa was already getting used to Xander and had begun to talk more frequently with the latter than she did before.

"Let us take her to the security post. Perhaps we can find her mother there or there may be news regarding her being missing.

"Okay. You two did wonderfully well today," Jade praised them.

Hearing the words of praise, little Lisa's face lit up the more and Jade accompanied her words with a smile.

"Come, let us go." She stretched forth her hands towards little Lisa and she took it. Together, she and Xander took the little one to the security post.

The moment they got there, they met a hysterical woman who was pacing from one post to the other and would sometimes stop just to nag at the police.

"Excuse me," Xander called out disrupting the nagging session the security guys were getting from her.

Everyone paused and turned to look at him, all except the weeping mother. "Please I have a missing child here."

No sooner had he finished his statement than she turned and as her eyes landed on little Lisa her lips parted in his belief.

With her eyes wide open, she brought her hands up to cover her mouth. "Oh My… Lisa!"

"Mum!"

The girl ran forward, pulling her hands away from Jade's and rushing to meet her mother. Watching her daughter run towards her, the woman let her tears flow uncontrollably and she too moved to pick her daughter into her waiting arms.

"Oh my baby, Lisa. I am so sorry."

"Mum. I am sorry too."

"No my love. You did not do anything wrong." She pulled her child from her embrace and stroked her hair with her hands while checking her body, making sure there was no bruise on her.

"Do not cry, mum. I am sorry. Sorry for making you worry so much but I was with Uncle and aunty."

That was when Lisa's mother realized that indeed a kind couple had brought her daughter to her then she got up and held Lisa's hand.

She quickly used her free hand to clean the tears off her face before moving towards Jade and Xander.

"Thank you so much for bringing her back to me." Lisa's mum appreciated them both.

"It is nothing. You raised a nice daughter." Jade complimented.

"And she told me her mother said she should not talk to strangers and still considers me one till now."

"Oh my, I am very sorry. Pardon her."

"We know. He is just being sentimental kind of. We would be on our way then."

"Thank you so much for everything. I sincerely appreciate it," Lisa's mother once again thanked them.

"No worries."

"Lisa say your thanks to your uncle and aunt," her mother urged her. Little Lisa stepped forward, standing between her mother and Xander.

"I enjoyed the ice cream and cookies, Uncle."

"And the games?" Xander asked her. He was waiting to know how he fared on their gameplay.

"I loved it the most." Her face shone with radiant joy as she recalled the events of the day.

At first, she was sad that she could not find her mum and so there would be no games for today. It was the major reason while they came to the park, she wanted to try out the different slides and fun things there.

"So, am I still a stranger?" His question was a little bit hard for her to answer and she turned her head to seek help from her mother.

Getting the go-ahead from her mother shaking her head, little Lisa's smile only brimmed further and she replied Xander.

"No, mother says you are not a stranger."

"Mother is right." Xander bent down to her level and poked her nose playfully, earning a giggle from the little child. "I am glad you enjoyed your day, I did too and so did aunt. You see, she hasn't stopped laughing ever since we met you."

The little girl giggled again upon confirming what Xander had said. Truly, Jade was brimming with joy no doubt.

Little Lisa gestured with her hands for Xander to come closer and she went to whisper something in his ears when he did.

"Then Uncle should not play the kind of adult games outside with Aunt. Aunt does not seem to like it, she prefers children games."

Did he just get schooled by a little girl? Oh, what surprises awaited him for just being with Jade.

"Hahhaa…" Xander burst out laughing before nodding his approval to the young girl. "I think so too. Do not worry, point taken and noted, little one."

"Pinky promise?" She raised her pinky finger in front of his face, waiting for him to promise her.

"I think I would pinky promise to see you again instead. That way we can both make aunt laugh so much. Is that okay?"

"Yes, very okay."

"Good. Call me whenever you want to do this again, I would be happy to accompany you." His gaze moved to her mother, seeking her permission and when she nodded, both parties were overly joyed.

For Lisa's mother, this was the first time she was seeing her daughter all too happy like this and if her little one wanted to have another time with this gorgeous young man, then by all means.

All she could think of was how relieved she was that little Lisa was in safe hands and back to her.

Xander and little Lisa pinky promised to see each other again and Xander gave Lisa's mother his complimentary card then Jade and himself waved them goodbye.

It was after they left that Lisa's mother decided to look at the card and when she saw the name on it, she almost collapsed from the shock.

'Oh my God. I just met…"