Chapter 25 Take You Home
Madeline didn’t have much luggage. There were only three of them, and two of them were on the smaller side. She was pulling the big one and a smaller one, while Aldo was pulling the other one as they walked out of the room.
Sebastian put Buddy down and went to take the luggage from her.
Madeline evaded him. “I can do it myself.”
“I know.” Sebastian took it from her, refusing any arguments. “But when there are men around, do please let us do the heavy lifting.”
She had never been treated this way ever since she was a child, and she didn’t know what to do.
Aldo said seriously, “Mom, Mr. Hart is right. Let the men do the heavy lifting. Just you wait. Once I grow up, let me handle all the lifting around the house.” He actually wanted to help his mother with all three luggage, but she wouldn’t let him. She said it would hinder his growth. He agreed with Sebastian though. Men should handle the heavy lifting. A frail lady like Mom should stay out of it.
Mr. Hart? Sebastian squatted down. “Aldo, I’m your father. Your real father. Shouldn’t you call me ‘Dad’?”
“As if.” He looked up proudly. “You never cared for me a day in my life, and you want me to call you ‘Dad’? Nothing comes easy in this world.” He looked at him. “But I can call you ‘Daddy-o.’ Do you want that?”
Uh…
Buddy hung his head low and poked his fingers together. Oh, but I called him ‘Dad’. I wonder if Aldo will get mad if he finds out. But I like Mr. Hart. He’s the kind of Dad I want.
“Okay then.” Sebastian patted the boy’s head. “I’ll take care of you for now then, Mr. Quincy Hart. If I pass, then you can call me ‘Dad’.”
Aldo frowned. “I’m Quincy Taylor, not Hart.”
“Why do you want to be a Taylor?” Sebastian smiled. “They bullied your mother, so why do you want to take their name?”
“Because that’s my mother’s name, and I want to take after her.”
“She won’t be a Taylor soon,” Sebastian said. “She should have been a Wendel in the first place.”
Aldo pursed his lips and looked at Madeline. “I’ll go with what Mom wants. I’ll take whatever name she wants me to.”
Buddy agreed softly, “Me too.”
Sebastian chuckled. “I understand.” If I want to get through to them, I have to get through to their mother first. I see. He patted Aldo’s head and stood up. “We’ll talk about that later. For now, let’s go home.”
He took the luggage and led the way.
Quinton saw him coming out with the luggage in hand, and he took them from Sebastian at once.
Buddy noticed that. He turned around and saw Aldo talking to Madeline. He’s not looking at me right now, and Dad’s not doing anything. He quickly trotted over to Sebastian and held his right hand. “Dad, is your home our home too?” he whispered.
Buddy suddenly holding his hand made Sebastian’s arm shiver. The boy’s hand was so soft, he felt he could break it if he held it too tightly. For some reason, Sebastian’s hand sweated, and he didn’t even dare hold the boy’s hand too hard. He even started to breathe quietly. When he looked down, he saw the boy looking back at him with anticipation in his eyes. His heart melted from that, and he held the boy in his arms.
He kissed Buddy’s cheeks, smiling gently. “Yes. My home is your home,” he answered, his voice as warm as the spring breeze. “You guys will stay there for a long, long time, yes? Our home is your fortress. As long as you’re there, no one can harm you, your brother, or your mother.”
“Yay!” Buddy cheered. He looked back, but Aldo’s attention was still elsewhere, so he pecked Sebastian on the cheek. He hugged Sebastian’s neck and huddled closer. “I like you, Dad. You look just like the man I dreamed of.” In his dreams, his father was just like Aldo, but a lot bigger and stronger.
The boy was soft, and he smelled sweet. As he lay in Sebastian’s arms, it melted his heart. He held the boy up and kissed his cheek. “I like you too, son.”
“You have to like Aldo too!” Buddy said.
Sebastian smiled. “Of course.”
“And Mom too!” he continued.
Um…
He’s taking his time. Buddy tilted his head to the side suspiciously. ‘You don’t like Mom?”
Sebastian couldn’t say no, not when the boy was looking at him with unease. “Of course I do,” he said.
He had mixed feelings about Madeline. He didn’t actually like her, but he didn’t dislike her either. She was someone worth his respect and affection, but he had only known her for a few days. If he said he liked her just like that, it would sound too irresponsible and flippant.
But he couldn’t say that to the boy. He was still too young, and there were a lot of things that he couldn’t understand. He had to say that he liked Madeline if he wanted to put the boy at ease. And as he expected, the boy smiled happily the moment Sebastian told him the answer he wanted. His smile shone even brighter than the sun.
It was as if the smile had shone on Sebastian’s soul as well, and it filled him with a sense of warmth. It’s magical. For some reason, I just like this boy. He wanted to spoil him, to love him, and to protect him. He wanted the boy to be happy every day. Is this the power of the bond between father and son? He kissed the boy again. “Time to go home, son.”
