Chapter 27 Impossible
Happiness was infectious. His father was happy, and it made him happy too. He started to smile, and joy welled up within him. He remained two steps behind Philip and the kids, and his gaze never left them, in case they slipped up and fell.
The sun shone on Philip and the kids, their shadows stretching far, far behind them. Sebastian followed them slowly, and he wasn’t impatient at all. His gaze was as gentle as water, and it was never seen by anyone before. It was as if Philip and the kids were his whole world.
Madeline was following not far behind, and she could see how Sebastian was looking at the trio before him. The look in his eyes assured her, for she knew someone who could have that gaze could never be evil. Or at least he won’t hurt the boys, and that’s enough for me.
The living room was filled with all kinds of toys Philip asked his men to buy, while the coffee table was filled with snacks and drinks, which was also for the kids. Philip had even prepared a thick menu too. Philip sat the boys down beside him and handed them the menu. “Take a look, boys. You’ll be deciding what we’re having for lunch.”
Kids were perceptive creatures. They could see that Philip truly liked them, and Buddy quickly fell for the love bombs. He sat beside Philip and looked down at the menu, pointing at all the dishes he loved. “I like this one. Aldo likes this one. Mom likes this one. Oh, I like this one too.”
“Alright, you’re getting all of them.” Philip ticked every dish Buddy pointed.
Sebastian wasn’t a fan of heavy food. Everything Buddy ordered was either sweet or spicy, and even though there were a dozen dishes, he didn’t like any of them. Philip didn’t realize that though. After Buddy was done ordering, Philip happily handed Zacharias the menu and asked him to get the chef to make it. He only had eyes for his grandsons and spared not a moment for Sebastian.
Guess once he has his grandkid, he doesn’t need his son anymore. Oh well, he has been complaining about me even before the boys showed up. What can I do?
He went to the kitchen and asked the chef to make some light dishes. The chef obliged.
When he came back out, Philip was already sitting on the rug with the kids, playing with them. The rug was only bought that morning. It was pure white, soft, and smooth, and it was comfortable to sit on.
A few minutes later, Aldo opened himself up too, and he started to smile. He even called Philip ‘Grandpa’.
Philip sat between the kids, and he wouldn’t stop smiling just because the kids were calling him Grandpa.
It was lunchtime a moment later, and Philip took the kids to wash their hands. While they were eating, Philip kept filling the boys’ bowls with food, worried that they might starve. That was especially the case for Buddy. He was Aldo’s twin, but he was shorter than his brother, and it saddened him to see that. If he could, he would have given him enough food to make him the same height as his brother. While he filled Buddy’s bowl with food, he muttered, “This is all because he didn’t stay with me since the day he was born. If I was the one taking care of him, I would have fed him enough to make sure he grows tall.”
Sebastian sighed. “Dad.” Are you sure you should talk like that in front of their mother? You’re making it sound like she didn’t take good care of the boys.
Philip noticed his slip of the tongue, and he looked at Madeline. “Don’t mind it, Madeline. I didn’t mean anything. Just saying it’s a shame I only got to see them after so long. I know it’s been hard raising them on your own. I have a lot of questions, so let’s talk after lunch.”
Madeline nodded. She knew what Philip wanted to talk about, but she had nothing to hide, so she wasn’t worried.
The kids were feeling sleepy after lunch. Buddy was lying on Madeline’s lap, rubbing his eyes. Aldo was tired as well, but he kept his eyes open and sat on the couch seriously, staring at Philip and Sebastian as if they would do something bad. He had heard what Philip said during lunch. He was worried that the talk was a pretext to hurt his mother.
Philip smiled and waved at the boys. “Come with me, boys. I’ll take you to the bedroom. It’s naptime.”
“I’m not sleeping.” Aldo sat up straight. “I want to listen to this negotiation,” he answered seriously. “I’m a man. I want to protect her.”
Buddy leaned against his mother and tilted his head to the side to look at Philip. “Grandpa, what do you want to talk about with Mom?” he asked cutely.
Philip’s heart melted from Buddy’s adorable attitude. How can they be so cute? Oh, my heart! “It’s nothing, boys.” He smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s just something about the past. I won’t hurt her, I promise.”
“I want to listen!” Aldo insisted.
“It’s alright, Aldo. It’s time for you and Buddy to take a nap.” Madeline got up and carried Buddy in her arms, then looked at Sebastian. “Lead the way please.”
Sebastian nodded. “I’ll take the kids to their bedroom, Dad,” he told Philip.
Philip was angry that Sebastian took his job, and he glared at his son. “Go, and take good care of the boys.”
Alright, that’s going to be a problem. I can see my life getting that bit harder here. Sebastian took Madeline and the kids to the guest room. He opened the door and told them, “They can stay here for now. The nursery’s under renovation. Once it’s done and confirmed to be safe, they can move in.”
“No! Not the nursery!” Buddy, who had been dozing off on his mother’s shoulder, suddenly woke up. He hugged his mother, tensed up, and his eyes widened in fear. “I don’t want to stay in the nursery! Mom! We’re not staying in the nursery!”
