Chapter 5

SIX YEARS LATER

“Mommy! Hurry! I can't wait to see grandpa, grandma, and Auntie! I’ve missed them so much!” exclaimed a charming five-year-old boy, drawing the attention of many at the airport.

“Leo, honey, please calm down! We're already here, remember? They're just outside waiting for us. We’ll meet them very soon!” the lovely woman next to him said affectionately.

“Hello, beautiful Auntie! You look amazing!” Leo cheerfully remarked as he spotted a woman passing by.

“Aaawwww! Thank you!”

The woman blushed as a warm feeling washed over her in response to the boy’s sweet compliment.

"What a sweet boy!" She said to herself.

She was taken aback that such generosity of words could come from someone so young and cute.

“You're welcome! But um… next time, you might want to wear red lipstick with your outfit instead of purple. It will make you look even more beautiful, just like the sun!” Leo suggested confidently before walking away, leaving the woman speechless with her mouth agape at his unexpected advice.

Other travelers who overheard the exchange were also surprised and amused by the boy’s honesty and perceptive nature.

Was he even a child?

“Madam, I’m truly sorry! He acts like this all the time,” Leo’s mother said

apologetically to the woman.

She sometimes feel the urge to throw her son into the sea to wash his mouth. Did the woman even asked for his opinion?

“Oh, it’s perfectly fine! In fact, my fiancé told me the same thing this morning before I arrived here, which is why I’m startled,” the woman replied with a smile, signaling that Leo's remarks hadn't bothered her at all. If anything, she was happy to receive such a compliment from such a lovely boy.

“Your son is truly a good child with sharp eyes for such a young age. His father must be very proud of him.” The woman continued with a smile.

Leo's mother could only smiled in return,

grateful yet speechless, before moving on.

Bouncing joyfully around the airport, Leo became too caught up in his excitement and collided with someone when his mother was looking for their bags at the luggage retrieving area.

“Ouch! That hurts!” he yelped, rubbing his forehead. Looking up, he found himself face-to-face with a tall, handsome man who bore a slight resemblance to him.

“Uncle! You need to pay more attention to where you’re going. You bumped into me and now my forehead hurts. But since you’re handsome as me, I’ll forgive you—on one condition!" Leo bargained, making the handsome man raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, it's nothing you can't do. You just

have to marry my mom. She’s beautiful, you know! Every man wants to marry her.”

He contemplated for a moment before continuing, “Well, you might be a bit older than her, but that doesn’t matter to me. You're as handsome as I am, so I’m happy to give you a chance. What do you say? Will you become my Dad as compensation for bumping into me?” Leo proposed, extending his small hand to the man as if to cement their agreement.

Margaret, his mother, was horrified at her son’s audacious proposals and rushed to his side immediately.

With a slightly embarrassed expression, she hurried apologize to the handsome man who seemed to come put of a comic book.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir! Please forgive my son; he enjoys teasing. You know how children can be these days," Margaret explained, glancing down at her son before encouraging him to apologize.

"Leo, why don't you say sorry to this uncle? You can't go around offering me up for sale. And how many times must I tell you that I don't need a husband? Now, dear, quickly say sorry to the uncle!" Margaret urged, feeling flustered and a bit embarrassed.