“My daughter…”
In an instant, Carl froze, his gaze fixed on Hailey with a bewildered expression.
For days, he had been living in a haze, his thoughts becoming dull and stagnant.
“Yes, just now I received a call from your mother. She said she saw a baby at the welfare center while volunteering, and the baby looks a lot like Janelle, and it was recently adopted.”
Hailey explained in detail, but seeing Carl still in a dazed state, she directly pulled him up from the bed.
“Don’t just stand there. If Janelle is still alive, she is your hope. Do you want to spend your life lying in bed?”
Hailey earnestly persuaded, throwing clothes at Carl one by one.
By the time the two of them arrived at the welfare center, it was already getting dark.
Hailey explained the situation to the director, but due to the lateness of the hour, they agreed to come back the next morning for a paternity test with the baby.
If the results were accurate, the welfare center would hand the child over to Carl.
After setting the time, Hailey noticed Carl lost in thought and asked in a low voice, “Carl, do you want to see the baby? At least confirm it first.”
But Carl shook his head, his expression conflicted. “No, let’s wait until tomorrow.”
At this moment, he didn’t want to see the baby who resembled Janelle, afraid that at first glance, he would realize it wasn’t her.
Carl wanted to prolong this expectation until tomorrow.
On the way back, Hailey received another call from Mrs. Waters.
Upon hearing that Carl had already been to the welfare center and scheduled a paternity test, Mrs. Waters was overjoyed and prepared to accompany them.
The next day.
Mrs. Waters woke up early, finished breakfast hurriedly, and took Grace to the welfare center.
At the same time, Carl and Hailey came out of the apartment.
Soon, the two parties met at the entrance of the welfare center. Carl saw his mother’s figure, but his attitude remained unchanged.
However, when Mrs. Waters saw him, not only did she find his appearance haggard, but he had also lost weight. She felt sorry for him but was powerless to help.
“Carl, look at yourself…”
Mrs. Waters sighed, looking at him with a pained expression. “Your face has no luster, your hair has grown long, and you have a beard. How long has it been since you shaved?”
“Why should I shave?”
Carl’s voice was as cold as ice.
Mrs. Waters had no response, so she had no choice but to follow him, holding hands with Grace, as they stepped into the threshold of the welfare center.
Seeing Carl’s cold and resolute attitude towards his mother, Hailey wanted to say a few words of persuasion, but in the end, she shook her head.
“Let’s go in too. Don’t you want to see your daughter as soon as possible?” Hailey asked with a smile.
“Yes.”
Carl simply replied, showing little change from before.
Next, the four of them entered the reception room. Shortly after sitting down, the director of the welfare center appeared carrying a baby.
“Hello, Mrs. Waters, I have brought the child.”
Upon hearing the director’s voice, Mrs. Waters quickly stood up.
She walked over, wanting to hold the baby with an expression of adoration, but she recoiled her hand because of the dirtiness on the baby’s clothes.
Meanwhile, Carl’s gaze also turned to the baby in the director’s arms a few meters away, and his heart suddenly tightened.
How could he not recognize his own daughter?
Carl slowly stood up and walked in front of the director to take the baby in his arms.
“Janelle, so you’re still alive…”
In that instant, Carl’s eyes couldn’t help but moisten.
Although they hadn’t done the paternity test yet, he was certain that this child was Janelle.
Noticing Carl’s excited expression, the director kindly informed him, “Mr. Waters, I understand your emotions, but until the paternity test is done, the child will have to stay at the welfare center.”
“Then I’ll do the test right now!”
Upon learning about the welfare center’s regulations, Carl couldn’t wait any longer.
Mrs. Waters also pretended to be happy on the side, exclaiming with a joyful voice, “It’s fate! It’s really fate! I just wanted to do some good deeds to give back to society, but I didn’t expect that heaven would favor the Waters family and return our granddaughter to us so quickly.”
“Yes, good people do get rewarded.” Grace echoed along.
Seeing the heartwarming atmosphere at the scene, even the director was moved, thinking that this was truly a miracle.
Afterward, Carl suppressed his overwhelming joy and took Janelle to the paternity testing center.
After a simple collection of blood samples and hair, the staff informed them that they would need to wait for about seven working days.
Carl furrowed his brows upon hearing this and asked, “Do we have to wait that long? Can’t we get the results on the same day?”
“It’s possible, but if you want it expedited, there will be additional charges.”
Money was not an issue for the Waters family. Before Carl could say anything, Mrs. Waters decisively said, “The sooner, the better. I’ll go and pay the extra fees.”
She wasn’t hoping for her granddaughter to come home, but rather, she hoped to use this child to make Carl accept her again.
After more than three hours passed, it was already afternoon. During this time, Carl had been holding his daughter without letting go, and he even fed her formula himself.
Carl understood that the paternity test was just a formality. When he saw this fatherless and motherless baby girl for the first time, he immediately recognized her as his precious daughter.
Janelle had Nana’s beautiful and delicate features in her overall appearance, but her facial features were as exquisite as Carl’s, even though she hadn’t fully developed yet.
“Why hasn’t the test result come out yet…”
Mrs. Waters grew impatient and paced back and forth in the hallway of the testing center.
“Please have a seat and rest. Since they said the results would be available today, it should be ready soon,” Grace said considerately, staying by Mrs. Waters’ side as always.
Meanwhile, the director of the welfare center, seeing that all of Carl’s attention was focused on his daughter, approached and engaged in casual conversation.
“About a month ago, one night, a child in our welfare center had a high fever. We were about to take him to the hospital to get a fever-reducing injection when we opened the door and saw a baby wrapped in a blanket at our feet.”
“Fortunately, I didn’t step on the baby. Otherwise, the child could have been injured.”
As Carl listened to the director’s recollection, his expression changed from gloomy to bright.
He hadn’t smiled for many days, but at this moment, his lips curved up as he expressed his gratitude, “Thank you, Director. You have taken care of my daughter for so long. I will always remember this kindness.”
“You’re welcome. Now that the child has found her father, it’s better than growing up without parents in the welfare center.” The director responded with a cheerful smile.
While the two were talking, a staff member from the testing center appeared in the hallway, holding a report.
“Mr. Waters, the test results are out!”
Hastily approaching, the staff member handed the report directly to Carl. “After multiple verifications and comparisons by our staff, it is confirmed that you are indeed the biological father of the child. It fully complies with the laws of inheritance.”
Those words were like a heavy burden lifted off his shoulders, signifying that Carl could officially take his daughter away from the welfare center and raise her himself.
With excitement shimmering in his eyes, Carl handed the report to Hailey and thanked the staff members while holding his daughter.