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Chapter 20
Angelo's P.O.V
"I have a son." He said. I could see the tiny drop of sweat falling on his forehead while he was watching and waiting for my reaction. I could feel how nervous he was on telling me about his son. It's been more or less than three months since we know each other, and two months we've been trying to know more about each other but for some reason, he couldn't tell me that he has a son.
He's been courting me for almost a month now, and I must say that I was really impressed by his effort just to ask me out. I wouldn't say that I didn't like how he serenaded me in front of my apartment one night which made my neighbours almost called the police because he sounds like a dying whale, while his guitarist was shaking from laughter (I didn't tell him about how he sounded though), I wouldn't say I didn't like those cheesy love letters with funny pick-up lines, I wouldn't say I didn't like how he turned the white roses into green ones. I love all of them; however, I was still a guy.
I appreciate all his effort and his perseverance in proving himself to me. And every time he did something to impress me, I got a chance to know him a lot more; especially when we started the endless chatting and talking and text messaging every day from the night he serenaded me.
Right now, he was revealing the biggest and heaviest secret of him to me. I know it is hard to be a single dad especially when you're entering a relationship; it's either the woman would accept his son or reject and dump him. And I wanted to know the real reason for taking so long to tell me about his son.
My face was expressionless and I could feel that he was trying to read what was on my mind. Unfortunately for him, I was really good at masking my feeling from people.
He was waiting for me to say something.
I sighed. "I know."
"I'm sorry for not... Wait, what did you say?" he asked surprised.
"I said I know you have a son. Veronica told me. She almost gutted you for not telling me about it sooner but I convinced her to give you more time." I explained.
His mouth was hanging open until I quirked my eyebrow upward. "Why...Why didn't you tell me?"
I rolled my eyes playfully. "...because it is not my secret to tell."
I could see the relieve flooding on his face as he smiled at me. "You're not mad at me?" he asked with a trace of worry in his tone.
"I'm a little bit upset at you for not telling it to me sooner and for not trusting me enough to know about your son. Did you think I'll reject you because of him? If that's what you thought, you're wrong. I always wanted to have a son someday and I love kids." I said, looking directly at his glittering blue eyes.
"It's not that I didn't trust you. It's just that I don't want my son to expect from someone and just get hurt in the end. He's suffered enough from my previous bitchy girlfriends and I couldn't take it anymore." He sighed. "I'm really sorry about hiding about him from you."
I smiled at him. Now that I knew the real reason behind it, there was no need to get mad and I'm happy that he trusted me now.
"Ohh..." he fished out something from his pocket. When I looked at what he took from it, I was surprised. "Here, I keep on forgetting to give it back to you." He said, handing over my handkerchief.
"Forgetting eh?" I teased. A blushed crept on his face as he began to fidget with his fingers. "This reminds me our first meeting... Maybe if I didn't help the little lost kid at the shopping centre that day, I wouldn't be late for the class, and then maybe I didn't end up kissing the floor. But i don't regret helping him though, he was so cute and.."
"Wait. Is this kid were about four years old and has blue eyes?" he suddenly asked interested.
"Uhh... Yes. Why?" I asked.
"Lucky guess?" he answered. I nodded but I could feel that there's something on his mind.
I shrugged and put my handkerchief in my bag. "Anyways, I want to meet him."
He looked confused and surprised for a moment. "Who?" he asked.
"Your son, silly." I sniggered.
"Ohhh... Yeah sure. What about we go to theme park on Saturday. Is it okay to you?"
"Are you asking me on a date?" I teased. I was actually having fun how Daniel blushed to my teasing.
"If...If you just want to." He stuttered, his face turned red.
"Yeah, sure. I could ask Max for a day off." I agreed.
Professor Landon walked in front of us straight to the class room. It meant that the next class was about to start, and so we started to move along as well.
"Ohh Daniel..." I called out to him. He turned to face me with a questioning look. "What's your son's name?"
He smiled at me and said, "He better be the one to introduce himself to you." He winked at me and trotted to the classroom without looking back again, but I saw the twinkle in his eyes as well as the smirked painted on his face before entering the door to the class.
**********
Friday night, I called Daniel to tell him not to buy a ticket for the theme park. I told Veronica that I asked Daniel if I could meet his son. I could hear Veronica's sigh of relief on the other line as she started to mumble things about almost cutting Daniel's balls. In the middle of her liturgy about Daniel, I happened to mention that Daniel asked me if I could come with them to theme park on Saturday to meet his son.
"Your man has got some smooth moves there." Veronica snickered from the other line. She then remembered that Kite, his fiancé, was the son of the owner of the theme parks in Gold Coast. She then told me not to bother ourselves buying our ticket and she would just send our VIP ticket in my email.
I tried to resist it but Veronica wasn't the type of person to back down in an argument. I accepted the three VIP tickets she emailed me just right after we talked on the phone. I don't know how she did it but knowing her, she always has a way over things.
Daniel was a bit hesitant about accepting the free VIP tickets until I reminded him that he owed Veronica for not telling me about his son. In return, he insisted that he would pick me up at my apartment in the morning and have breakfast at their place before going to theme parks.
He also explained that his mother was excited to meet me and been pestering him about bringing me home to meet me.
I was actually glad that Daniel's family was not the same as other who judge someone without knowing them first. I was just really hoping that Daniel's mum would like me, though Daniel told me that even before he told his mum that he's courting me, she was always keen to meet me in person.
Sunday came and I heard the Anna's knock on my door. Yeah, I called it Anna's knock just like in the movie Frozen. Daniel keep on insisting that it sounds cool, but I think he was just making excuses to express his childish side- and I like it a lot.
I opened the door, revealing a Greek god in front of me- he was wearing a black tight jeans, his blue eyes staring at me and his bleach blonde hair shining from the sunlight.
"Done checking me out?" Daniel asked, pulling me from dream la-la-la-land.
I fake a coughed and straightened my body. "I'm not checking you out. I was just checking the...the..." I couldn't think of anything that needs to check out.
Daniel ruffled my hair, the thing he always love to do in me. He said I look so cute that he couldn't help himself but to touch me and my soft black hair. Though, it makes me feel like I'm a dog, it feels really good to have a contact from your possible soul mate and I love it a lot.
I swatted his hand away softly. "Are you ready?" he asked.
I was actually ready an hour before he came knocking on my door. Not that I was excited of course, but because I had to cook our lunch and packed it on the back. I heard that foods in the theme parks were expensive and they don't sell meals with rice. I couldn't stand a day without rice, and so I offered Daniel that I would prepare our lunch.
"Sure am. Let's go!" I said, a little bit excited than usual. I'll be honest; it would be my first time to go to a theme park. Daniel told me the night I called him about the tickets that we will visit the Sea world theme park first. I got really excited when he mentioned about the dolphin show and a chance to touch them. He also told me that we might get a chance to meet the penguins since we were holding a VIP ticket. I made a mental note to thank Kite for the best excursion ever. "I'll just go get the bags." I started marching into my dining table where the bags are, but Daniel softly grabbed my hands.
"I'll go get the bags, go get in the car." He smiled and winked at me before he spun around and trotted to dining table and taking the bags.
It took us about fifteen minutes to get to his place. When he parked the car on their garage, my heart started to pound in my chest. It was the first time I'm about to meet Daniel's mother and his son. What if they don't like me? What if I disappointed their expectations? What if...
I was cut off from my deep thoughts when Daniel's hand shifted from the stirring wheel to my right hand. "You're thinking..." He said. Usually, I would instinctively grabbed back my hand if someone just randomly held it, but Daniel's comforting touch was all I need before I passed out from anxiousness.
"I was just..." I paused and heaved a heavy sigh. "What if they don't like me, your mum and your son?" I asked, worried.
He smiled and ruffled my hair again. "I'm hundred percent sure that they won't just like you; they will definitely love you." He took off his seat belt and took out the car key from the engine. "Actually, I have a big surprise for you." He opened his door and went out, and quickly ran to my side to open mine.
I mumbled a soft 'thanks' and followed him to the porch. We stopped at the front door. Confuse why we stopped, I asked him. "What's wrong?" He just smiled at me and moved a step on the side away from me.
"I told you I have a surprise for you, didn't I?" he said, his voice was excited. I nodded hesitantly. "I think, you should be the one to press the doorbell."
And I did.
After the first ring, I heard a tiny soft steps running towards the door. I looked at Daniel who was excitedly grinning from ear to ear. The door knob turned for a couple of times before it opened wide.
I gasped surprised.
I was looking at the most gorgeous little boy in front of me, grinning like Daniel. He then stared at me as if he was contemplating whether he knows me or not. And then his big blue eyes opened wide while he covered his mouth in surprise. The little boy jumped on me and I easily caught him. He hugged me tightly just like he did the first time we met. He kissed my cheeked before hugging me back again.
I couldn't say a word. I was surprised, and shocked, and everything.
"Daddy found you." The little boy whispered in my ear.
I hugged him back tightly as if he was a part of me. "He sure did little one."
"You said we will see each other again, didn't you?" he said excitedly while hugging me tight.
I buried my face in his neck, tickling him. "And we see each other now, Jared."
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