Time went by…Mike continued his studies. Justin did not leave his side the entire time they were in University. Nicole and Justin’s deal did not push through when Nicole got into an accident but when Justin sent the information that proved Charlie Green’s involvement in the accident, Justin did not reveal himself, but the Parker couple did not let the chance to reward the person who helped them bring the criminal to justice just slip away. As a result, Justin was given a huge sum of money through a cheque that was sent to his mailbox. It took Justin a while to decide if he would turn the cheque into cash because he was waiting for Nicole’s next move regarding their agreement. But when nothing came after two months of waiting, Justin assumed Nicole was not in a condition to keep her end of their deal. Considering she had an accident and according to the information that Justin had gathered, Nicole was still in recovery, including her memory. Mike did not know what happened to Nicole
Nicole’s POV“Sweetie…. I love you so much….” “I love you, too, Mommy….” My three-year-old son replied. “How about me?” “Of course, I love you, too,” I replied eagerly. “You guys!” my mom whined. “How about me, huh?” She made a pouty face, pointing a finger to her chest. “What a silly grandma, right kids?” My dad embraced my mom as if comforting her, but his words were actually teasing my mom as well. “Did I say anything wrong?” My mom whined even more. “I want my babies to say they love me, too!”Dad and I burst into a hoot of laughter. Mac and Chris, my fraternal twin kids, pulled my mom off my dad’s embrace, and taking each side of mom, they hugged her tightly. “I love you, grandma….” Mac whispered sweetly and kissed his grandma’s cheeks closest to his side. My daughter, Chris, did not dally to comfort my mom after seeing her brother’s example. “Of course, I love you, as well, my beautiful grandma,” Chris said with her words accompanied by slowly and cutely blinking of her
Mike’s POVThree years had passed. I have been so busy living my life. Not because I needed money to survive. It was mostly because I wanted to keep my mind busy. I could not let my mind wander and think about Nicky, so I made sure my body was exhausted enough to doze off as soon as I lay my head on my pillow at night. As a result, my diligence and perseverance were acknowledged, and I was given more opportunities to get busier. I was asked to do more modeling gigs, fitting my schedules according to my priorities. I might sound crazy, but it felt like fate was somehow trying to lift me up. Because as soon as Nicky declared she would cut ties with me, I was sad, yes, but I tried to understand that we were from two different worlds. Of course, she should not mingle with someone like me, especially when her mom does not agree. So, I wanted to build an identity of my own. I wished to be successful in my endeavors, not to prove to her parents that I could be good for their daughter, bu
Fadz POV“Boss, we can’t be doing this,” I tried to coax the three-year-old toddler. “If your grandparents find out we did not go straight home without their consent, I might lose my job. Please….?”“We are just going to stroll for a little while before heading home. Everybody isn’t there anyway, so what’s wrong with me having a good time myself?” the boy answered indignantly.I sighed. This boy is only three years old, but he can express himself well, although some of his words would still sound cute due to slight difficulty in pronouncing a few letters of the alphabet. “May I remind you that I am turning four in less than a hundred days,” the boy said with pride. I almost choke at his words. ‘How did he know what I was thinking?’“It’s written all over your face,” the boy answered. My jaw dropped. ‘Oh. My. God!’“Anyway, let’s go,” Mac Parker said decisively. He sounded like he would jump off the vehicle anytime soon, so I hurriedly stepped out of the driver's seat to make su
Nicole’s POV“Fadz?” I received a message from Fadz, so I excused myself from class and dialed his number to know what was wrong. I wanted to hear him say his reasons because Fadz would not do such a thing unless it were an emergency. “First, I have to apologize that I am at the shopping mall with the young Boss Mac right now,” Fadz answered with urgency. “But we bumped into Mike Wilson. I don’t know why, but Boss Mac wanted to pretend he was lost and ask Mike for help. Boss Mac told me to stay at a distance and keep an eye on him discreetly. When I tried to disobey, he glared at me. I froze in my spot. I have never seen him with such a scary face. Now, he is with Mike Wilson. What do I do, boss?”“Just keep an eye on him,” I answered calmly. “Let’s see what Mac is going to do,” I added. “But what if….?” Fadz asked worriedly. I had an idea of what he was worried about. I know no one is allowed to mention Mike to any of my kids, but it wasn’t because I did not want my babies to kno
Justin POVI did not expect Mike would forget the date today, which happened to be my birthday. But neither was I expecting his offer to ask me for help to spend his bonus on treating me. It was a bit extravagant to be taken, knowing how much he can get for a bonus on his gigs. I cannot help feeling so excited. I was not as busy as I would always be today because I was also thinking about asking Mike to celebrate with me. It’s been a while since Mike joined me to spend a wild night. So I was actually thinking about taking him with me to the new hot spot downtown. It only happened that one of my clients online asked for a few changes in the design I submitted in the morning, so I had to stay for about half an hour more. “All done!”I exclaimed as soon as I got the confirmation from my client that I had done everything they wanted to be enhanced on the design. I quickly called for a cab to take me to the shopping mall, where Mike said he would be waiting. It was almost rush hour, but
Mike’s POV“No nuts of any kind, especially peanuts,” the child, who introduced himself as Mac, said. “Okay. I will make sure to ask the baker if the bread has peanuts or not,” I answered assuringly. I looked around the racks and displayed items. I was going to ask the boy if he would like the kind of bread right in front of me, but I saw him staring intently at something. I moved closer and realized he was staring at an animated decoration on top of a small chocolate cake. “Do you like it?” I asked. I was ready to buy it for him if the boy wanted it. “No nuts for me because I have an allergy to them. I don’t like sweets. No allergies, but I cannot stand the taste,” the boy said. The kid obviously spoke his words in his early stage of speech, judging by the baby-talk-like sound of his pronunciation. But I felt even more amused as I looked and listen to him. The funny thought that the sound of his words and the look on his face were two different descriptions tickled me inside, m
Justin’s POV“How old is he again?” I asked Mike as we watched the lady and child walk away. The boy kept looking back, so Mike and I could take our eyes off them. As a matter of fact, Mike seemed untired of waving his right hand goodbye to the boy. “He said he is turning four soon,” Mike answered without sparing me a glance. “He doesn’t look old for the age he mentioned, but I think he behaves older than the number he declared,” I chuckled. I heard Mike laugh along with me. “I think I agree with you on that,” he said. “I think we should proceed with our plans. What do you want to eat, birthday man?” My eyes flew to check if the boy was already out of our sight, and I realized I was right. Mike was able to remember the reason we were here since the adorable and unexpected child who Mike had bumped into was now gone. “I am never choosy when it comes to food,” I said as I walked with Mike opposite the direction where Mac and the lady went. “Alright then, how about a Japanese bee
“Really?” Jude Parker said. “I didn’t hear the sound of it.” “When did the two of you leave the room?” Nicole asked worriedly. “When Chris said she needed to pee,” Mac answered innocently. “I see,” Nicole answered. “Did you ask for help from the nannies?” the mother asked gently. “Mac helped me. Right, Mac?” the little girl widened her eyes to her bother as if telling him to just agree. “Ah, yeah. Right!” Mac answered after nodding with his eyes closed to Chris as if affirming Chris’ words to be true. But their actions made the people around them doubt that whatever they were saying was the entire truth and nothing but the truth! “I have to welcome my guest,” Jude said. Then he turned to Lisa and the twins. “Do you mind if you guys come with me?” “Let’s go!” The twins answered excitedly. “The two of you should take your time. Mike, she cannot walk with speed yet like we normally do. Can I entrust her to your care or shall I do it myself?” Jude asked seriously. “Please,
“First things first,” Jude said. He fished his phone out of his pocket and right in front of everyone at the table, he dialed a number and spoke like he was alone in the room. “My friend, am I not going to beat around the bush.” Jude’s words obviously expressed closeness to the person he was talking to. Not just by the tone and informality of his words, but by the loud cackle he made after saying them with a radiant smile sporting his face. But with only himself hearing the response of the person he was speaking to over the phone, only Jude’s voice could be heard by everyone with him in the room. “I am in darn need of your help, right now. And that means to say I need your presence right here in my place. I will send you the address—”Jude took a halt as if the other person said something to make him pause from his words. But the older man just laughed even louder than earlier he did. “I know, I know. Of course. Yeah. Yeah—” He halted again for a moment but reasoned with a boistero
Third Person's POVThe family of four, Mike, Nicole, Mac, and Chris, along with the older couple Lisa and Jude Parker had a wonderful meal. But of course, it didn’t end there. The whole day they had a blast. From the dining room where they had the most enjoyable brunch meal one could ever ask to experience, being with their beloved ones, the whole family moved to the air-conditioned gazebo in the backyard to enjoy their dessert. Aside from Chris, who chose to eat the cake first before eating the meal as her request, although it had been her habit to eat their servings before eating something else which made her take just a bite of the cake and eat her meal like everyone else at the table, everyone had the taste of the cake at the fancy resting room in the gazebo after their brunch. then they moved to the family recreation room or more of the kids’ play gallery to watch the twins play. “I am glad you all liked it,” Mike stated timidly. “This bakery is not unfamiliar to us, actually,
Mike’s POV“Oh, that cake….” I mindlessly murmured when we arrived at the dining table and saw the design of the cake that I bought for Mac. The very same reason I had to run back home because I realized halfway down the stairs of my apartment building that I was not carrying anything in my hand aside from my phone. “I believe this is from you,” Mister Parker said as I timidly stood after I assisted Nicky to sit properly and comfortably on her chair. “But Fhadz brought it in when Mac realized you guys left the cake in the car,” he continued. I nodded as I smiled shyly. I had guessed Mac was from a well-off family. That was one of the reasons why I was hesitant to grant his request when he said he was inviting me to his birthday party. The same reason why I was cautious and conscious of what gift to bring him so I wouldn’t be attending his birthday party with empty hands. “I am not sure what to buy and bring for Mac to his birthday party and I have not been to any children’s party
Nicole’s POV“Dad, you might have to carry Mom to the dining hall,” my bubbly daughter said to Mike.“Huh?” Mike grunted.He seemed flustered for a moment. But before Chris could say anything to acknowledge Mike’s very brief expression, Mac explained to Mike for Chris as if they were telepathic about what Chris was going to say to elaborate on her words.It amazed me how my toddlers could communicate in such a mystical way, even in other instances where they seemed to have the same idea and thoughts. I guess I will never know such things on my own because I never had and never will I ever get the chance to have a twin sibling in this lifetime.“Mom has been in a wheelchair for years, but she started taking treatment and therapy a few months ago. I think she is a bit shocked to have you around today. Her legs must have frozen again. She can’t walk,” Mac spoke indifferently.“What do you mean?” Mike asked, frowning. More than any other emotions, I saw pain and regret in his eyes as he
Mike’s POV“I am glad you didn’t know. See, you are graduating from your chosen course. While I am still taking my degree,” Nicole laughed softly, comforting me. My chest hurt like crazy, but the fact– although it was unbelievable, that Nicky was comforting me appeased me as well. Her simple words, the mere sound of her voice, the mere scent radiating from her body–even from her breath, they all soothed me like magic. Yet, again, I could not keep the sound of my muffled cries from being heard. But Nicky continued. “I had to take a longer break than usual maternity cases due to the accident.”The last word she mentioned pierced my heart fiercely again. I blame myself so badly for shutting myself out from anything that had to do with Nicky. I begged Justin not to mention her name or anything about her. Now, even if Justin knew about what happened back then, I can’t blame him for not telling me. This thought made me groan in pain even more.“Don’t despair so much. We got who the crim
Nicole’s POVI struggled to collect my composure. I was drowning in different emotions. I have always feared to meet Mike after parting ways with him saying I was going to study abroad when all the while, I wasn’t planning on leaving the city, let alone the country. And when I got into an accident, my condition made that decision even firmer. Well, I could have had chosen to get treatment from somewhere with better medical facilities and assistance to ensure everything would be next to perfect, but I did not want to be farther than how I already was from Mike, so I preferred to stay and asked my parents to hire the best in the field of medicine to take care of me personally at the comfort of my home when I was able to be sent home for further recuperation. But now that Mike was right in front of me, there was only one emotion that felt so immense and potent to care about anything else. My heartbeat was pounding my chest so wildly, I had lost control on what words slipped out of my l
Mike’s POV“Dad!!!!”“I missed you!”These words scared me like hell. But who could blame me? I was standing in the yard of a fancy house without a doubt that this property belongs to someone rich. But to call me “Dad” by a girl, a cute, sweet, and adorably lovely little girl, I was afraid the real dad would show up in front of me and give me a punch right on my face. Okay, maybe that would be too much, to be violent. But I don’t think I will like even the thought of my child calling someone else “Dad” instead of me. “Let’s get inside,” said Mac, after introducing the girl as his twin sister. With the little girl named Chris in my arms, I walked along with Mac when he started heading to the front door of the house. Everything in the surroundings was unfamiliar to me. I don’t think I have even been here in this house before. The interior of the house patently showed luxury and kids friendly, including the wallpapers, the guarded corners of the sharp-edged furniture around it, as we
Nicole’s POV“Let’s get inside.”From inside the house, I heard Mac said after my daughter bolted to meet her dad. I couldn’t move. “Sweetie, are you alright?” My dad asked gently. I nodded. “You don’t look like you’re alright to me, though,” my dad whispered. “You’re so pale, dear. Would you like to go on with the plan or join the kids when you’re ready?” My mom was obviously worried for me. I’m not so sure I was ready. When Mac said he was going to pick up Mike, I was hesitant, yes, but I could tell I was just half-hearted. However, when I heard the sound of the vehicle approaching our yard and stopped there, my heart started pounding. Now, my legs, which had been back and almost perfectly normal, wouldn’t even budge. Not just that, because my stupid legs were shaking out of control! I couldn’t even get up from where I was sitting while waiting for my son to return home.“Wait, Mac, are you sure I will survive if I step inside your house?” Mike asked Mac with the sound of playf