Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Chapter 190: It’s Okay To Talk

As Abigail and Genevieve walked into the house, Josh ran out to welcome them. ”You’re back!” He exclaimed happily as he embraced Abigail, and then he turned to Genevieve to embrace her as well.

”How was school today, Jojo?” Genevieve asked as she embraced him.

”School was fun. We did lots of fun things today,” Josh said before turning back to face Abigail, who was signing to him.

Genevieve couldn’t help but wonder how Abigail must feel returning home daily to see Josh and spend time with him. She could tell it was a nice feeling, and she wondered if she would ever get to experience it.

Will she get married and have kids? The thought of being a mother and having her own family unit made her smile as she walked upstairs to her room.

[Don’t call me Mummy or say anything about Daddy. There is a recorder in my bag. Daddy is listening to what we are saying.] Abigail signed to Josh, and though frowned, he gave her a nod.

[But I can sign if I want to call you Mummy?] he asked, and Abigail smiled and nodded.

[Now tell me about your day in school.]

As they made their way upstairs Josh told her about school and all that he had done, and once Abigail got to her bedroom, she took the handbag to her closet but just as she wanted to drop , she paused when she remembered that she had not even bothered to check the car outside. She had not noticed it.

She turned to Josh with a smile as she took out the car key, [I got a car.]

”Wow! Where is it? Where is the car? Is it big?” Josh asked excitedly and Abigail laughed.

[Let’s go and see it outside.] she signed and they both returned downstairs with Josh running ahead of her.

Once they opened the door and stepped outside, Abigail saw the car parked away from the entrance and she realized that was the reason she had not noticed it before.

She pressed the button in the key and the lights came on. She laughed when Josh screeched happily as he ran over to the car, circling it with childlike excitement.

”Can we ride in your car? Please?” He asked, and she nodded as she unlocked it.

She took out her phone and took a selfie of herself and Josh standing beside the car with wide smiles on their faces and she sent it to Ryan.

[I love it so much. Thank you, Dad. You’re the best.] she rolled her eyes as she typed and sent the text.

Having sent the picture, she made Josh sit in the front passenger seat and strapped on the seatbelt, then she got into the car and drove them around the compound.

Josh screamed and laughing happily as Abigail drove round and round in circles, and Abigail laughed, enjoying his contagious happiness.

When they were done test driving the car, Abigail parked the car and as they got out of it, Josh looked at her hopefully, ”So, will you drive me to school every day now?”

[Why? Don’t you like Pete driving you to school?] she asked, and Josh shook his head.

”I want you to drive me,” Josh said, and Abigail sighed deeply and raised him up, placing him on the trunk of the car.

[I like Pete driving us together everyday. I want you to like Pete, too.] Abigail signed, and Josh’s brows pulled together in confusion.

[Don’t speak. Only pay attention to me okay?] Abigail signed and Josh nodded, watching her with curious eyes.

Abigail looked around, and then looked at Josh as she made up her mind to talk to him.

The earlier his mind was prepared for what was coming, the better for him. She believed that he was smart and would be able to understand her and handle it.

[I can trust you to keep secrets, right?] she asked, and he nodded.

[There is something in the car key. Daddy put it there so he can listen to whatever you say. You have to be extra careful. When we go back inside, go wait for me in your bedroom. I’m going to go back upstairs to my room to freshen up and keep the key, then I will come to your room so that we talk.] Abigail signed, and Josh nodded.

They returned inside and Josh did as Abigail asked him to, while she went to her room to keep the key and her phone.

When she was done freshening up she went to Josh’s room and she opened the door. Josh was sitting on his bed when she walked in, and seeing the look on his face as he looked up at her she could tell that he was thinking.

Abigail locked the door with a key so that no one would badge in, and then she went to sit on his bed.

”Baby,” she called with a soft smile, her heart racing.

Josh’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped in disbelief at the sound of her voice. He stared at Abigail like he was seeing a magic trick in real life. His little hands reached up slowly and touched her lips, as though he needed to be sure that the sound really came from her.

”You spoke,” he whispered, his voice full of wonder. ”Mummy, you just talked! You talked to me!”

Abigail smiled gently, her heart tight in her chest. She reached forward and held both of his little hands in hers. ”Yes, baby. I talked to you,” she said softly, her voice warm and full of emotion.

Ever since she began to speak, she had always wanted to speak to him and read him bedtime stories and sing him to sleep. And being able to speak to him this way now filled her heart with so much joy.

Josh blinked, stunned, then blinked again. ”But... but you can’t speak,” he said in a small confused voice, his eyes shimmering.

”I couldn’t in the past. But I can speak now. You can’t tell anyone,” she said, brushing her fingers through his soft curls.

”But how?” He asked, not understanding.

”I learnt how to speak. I didn’t talk all this time because of Dad. But now I can speak,” she promised.

He looked at her again, still trying to wrap his young mind around what he had just heard. ”So you can talk all the time? You don’t have to sign anymore?”

”We will still sign sometimes. Especially when others are around, or when my car key is with me. It’s safer that way, okay? But when we’re alone, like this, I can talk to you with my voice.”

”Why can’t you talk all the time? Why do you have to sign? It’s okay to talk. Everyone talks,” Josh said, and Abigail smiled.

”When the time is right I will speak. For now it’s not safe. There are bad people that might hurt me or try to hurt you if I don’t keep acting this way...”

”I will protect you,” Josh said, holding her hand. ”Is it Daddy? Is he the bad people?” He asked, since he had always wondered why his father and Genevieve talked about Abigail running away from school.

Abigail’s eyes filled with tears, and she nodded. ”Yes. He is a very bad man, and we both have to be careful.”

Josh frowned. ”What about Genny? Is she bad like daddy too?”

Abigail shook her head. ”No. Genny is not like daddy.”

Josh nodded, his brows pulled together thoughtfully. ”Should we run away and go far away?”

Abigail smiled. ”Won’t you miss daddy?”

Josh shrugged. ”If I’m with you I will be fine even if I miss him. I don’t want to stay with him if he is bad to you.”

”Oh, baby,” Abigail said, leaning close to him and kissing his forehead.

”If we run away my real daddy can keep us safe and make sure daddy doesn’t hurt you or me, can’t he?” Josh asked, and Abigail nodded.

”Sure, he can. And he...”

Before she could finish, Josh suddenly launched forward, throwing his arms around her neck. ”I love your voice, Mummy!You sound like an angel!”

Abigail laughed softly as she wrapped her arms around him. Her eyes burned with tears, but she didn’t let them fall. ”I love you so much, baby. So, so much, you have no idea.”

Josh pulled back just enough to look at her again. ”Can you always read me bedtime stories now? With your voice?”

A soft laugh escaped her lips. ”Yes. From now on, I’ll read them with my voice.”

”And sing sleepy songs?”

”Yes. Definitely. I learned lots of lullabies I want to sing to you.”

With a wide smile, Josh leaned against her, resting his head on her chest as he closed his eyes. ”You’re the best mummy in the whole wide world.”

Abigail held him tighter, swaying gently as she kissed the top of his head.

Maybe for now this was enough. Slowly she will tell him all that he needed to know.

She wondered how he would handle knowing that the face he had grown up loving wasn’t her real face.

That was what troubled her the most.