Chapter 176

Claire's POV I spent Friday afternoon visiting Lucas, intentionally choosing a time when I knew Lucius would be stuck in his weekly executive meeting at Watson Group. The moment I walked through the door, I was stunned by how much Lucas had changed. He wasn't just crawling anymore—he was walking! His chubby legs carried him across the floor, and when he spotted me, his entire face lit up. "Look who's here to see you!" Gaynor said cheerfully, watching as Lucas toddled over to me. I knelt down, opening my arms. "Hey there, little man! Look at you walking all by yourself!" Lucas giggled and threw himself into my embrace. My heart melted instantly. I wasn't sure if babies his age even retained memories of people they didn't see regularly, but he certainly seemed to remember me. "He's been asking about you," Gaynor said, surprising me. "Really? He can talk now too?" Gaynor nodded. "Just started putting words together. Nothing complex, but he's quite the chatterbox when he wants something."