Hush, My Sweet Darling

Chapter 43: Jackpot!

He dashed toward the little girl and swooped her up in his arms. Just milliseconds later, the trolley swooshed past him and hit the conveyor belt. It made a huge clang sound as it hit the metal surface. All the luggage that was on it scattered on the ground.

Jared's sudden and unexpected action, combined with the racket caused by the collision, frightened the little girl. She began to bawl.

"Shh, it's okay... You're safe, now." Jared cooed to her in his arms, rubbing her back.

The man who had lost control of the trolley quickly approached them. "I'm really sorry, sir."

"You shouldn't have put that much luggage on the cart," Jared said in a bitter voice. "The child could have been severely hurt."

Several members of the airport personnel also came to make sure that no one got injured.

Knowing that he was in the wrong, the man profusely bowed and apologized.

The little girl, who had stopped wailing, looked at Jared with her big, bright, but still tearful eyes. She understood this uncle had protected her from being hit by the big cart. Still hiccuping from the sobs, she instinctively hugged Jared's neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

Her action startled Jared. A certain kind of warmth filled his chest. 

Not wanting to agitate the little girl more, he quickly dismissed the man who was still apologizing to him and reassured the airport staff. His hands never stopped patting the little girl's back. 

"Where are your parents?" he asked as he stepped away from the crowd.

Still holding on tightly to Jared, the little girl answered, "Mommy picking Minna up."

Jared raised an eyebrow. So, her name was Minna, and she wasn't with her mom.

"What about your dad?"

Little Minna raised her head from Jared's shoulder. Without saying anything, she pouted her lips and shook her head.

Jared frowned. She wasn't with her dad either? If she weren't with either of her parents, then whom was she with?

"Were you here with an uncle or auntie?"

The girl nodded. "En! Uncle Chawlie!"

"Charlie? You're here with your uncle, Charlie?"

The girl nodded again.

Jared released a sigh of relief. So, she wasn't all by herself.

But his irritation soon flared. Where was this Uncle Charlie? How could he let his niece roam around unsupervised like this?

As though she could read his mind, Little Minna told him, "Uncle Chawlie went pee-pee!"

Ah! It looked like she had slipped away while her uncle was taking nature's call.

"Does Uncle Charlie know you were going to watch the moving bags?"

Little Minna looked at Jared guiltily. She started to fiddle with her hands and shook her head. 

Seeing those large, innocent eyes peering at him remorsefully, Jared couldn't help but chuckle. He wiped away the remnants of tears on Little Minna's face and bopped her on the nose. "Your Uncle Charlie must be looking for you. Let's look for him, okay?"

Little Minna nodded. "En!"

She then realized she wasn't holding her rabbit doll anymore. She looked around and saw the stuffed toy lying on the ground.