"As expected, you were here."
Gabriel, who was sitting hiding behind a tree, turned his head when he heard the voice and saw the faces of his twin brother.
Nothing came out of his little mouth, he just sat with his arms around his knees and stared ahead.
Seeing no reaction from his little brother, Raphael decided to sit beside him hugging his knees.
The atmosphere between the two brothers became silent. Only the sound of the leaves on the tree where the two of them took shelter could be heard.
"So why did you run away?" asked Raphael suddenly, still looking straight ahead. "After telling Mommy why I had a fight."
Gabriel licked his lips when he realized his brother's voice sounded cold when he said the last sentence. Actually, he wasn't afraid of the little boy who was born five minutes ahead of him.
It's just that sometimes Raphael puts on a scary expression and his tone sounds like a villain in the movies.
"I didn't run away because of that!" Gabriel denied turning to look at his brother. "And Mommy should know about it!" he continued to defend himself.
"Then why did you run away?" asked Raphael, turning to his brother.
"It…." Gabriel did not continue his words. His face looks confused about where he should start the story.
"Is it about Daddy?" asked Raphael trying to guess.
Gabriel remained silent, but the expression on his face showed that what Raphael had said was right on target.
"Why? You know, you can tell me. At least I can keep a secret and won't tell Mommy," Raphael continued sarcastically.
He was still upset that Gabriel had told their Mommy why he had a fight with his friend.
"Stop scolding me, Rapa! Why are you upset that I told Mommy?" Gabriel asked, still not understanding why his brother looked annoyed.
Before Raphael was called by his teacher, his older brother warned him not to tell Mommy if he had a fight and the reason for the fight.
However, Gabriel thought it was wrong. Raphael had a fight because of him and he didn't want his brother to be scolded by their Mommy.
But, why is his brother angry instead of thanking him?!
"You won't understand! You're still too young!" Raphael answered seriously while shaking his head.
Gabriel snorted at that. "You are only five minutes older!"
"You are still too young, Riel!" said Raphael, still shaking his head.
To be honest, the reason Raphael didn't want to tell Sarah wasn't because he was afraid of being scolded by his Mommy. However, he was afraid that his Mommy would feel sad when she heard that.
His too young brother didn't know what Single Mom meant, but he did and he was sure his Mommy would be sad to hear those words.
"Hmph! Whatever! I won't tell you!" said Gabriel looking forward, his rosy lips seeming to move forward a few inches.
"Don't you like… Daddy?" asked Raphael who was still awkward to call his Daddy. But trying to get used to it.
Gabriel kept his mouth shut when he heard that question. He won't talk to Rapa again!
"Or… you feel disappointed?" asked Raphael, still trying to guess. He was determined to find out why his brother was reacting this way.
"I wasn't going to tell you! I'm sulking! Hmph!" said Gabriel looking at his brother with pouty lips.
"So you are disappointed," said Raphael, who knew his brother very well. He wouldn't respond if his guess was wrong.
"That's not it! I won't tell you!" said Gabriel with a face that looked awkward.
How could Rapa know that?
"I was right! Just tell me why you are disappointed!" said Raphael with an annoyed look.
Why did his brother have to pretend when he had guessed it right?
Gabriel bit his lower lip when he heard that. Feel hesitant to tell.
Raphael sighed at his little brother's attitude.
"Riel. You have to tell me. Remember, I'm your brother. You can tell me anything," Raphael said softly then put one hand on Gabriel's shoulder, trying to hug him.
Gabriel's lips moved when he heard that. From the beginning it looked hesitant, until it finally opened perfectly.
"Mommy says Daddy's cooler than Batman!" Gabriel said the reason why he ran away after knowing his Daddy.
Raphael's eyes looked surprised when he heard that.
"Well… you're right, I didn't expect our Daddy to be an old man!" said Raphael, nodding his head.
When he heard that their Daddy was cooler than Batman, Raphael thought that the man would look young, like Batman. Not an old man.
"No, it's not like that. Uncle isn't that old!" said Gabriel shaking his head, disagreeing with his brother's words.
"Daddy," Raphael corrected hearing what his younger brother said.
"Well… Anyway, he's not that old!" said Gabriel who still felt awkward to change uncle to Daddy.
"Then why are you disappointed?" asked Raphael in confusion.
"That…" Gabriel didn't continue his words. He suddenly couldn't explain the reason why he felt disappointed.
His father was not what he had imagined.
"Besides Daddy who looks old. Daddy's cooler than Batman! Mommy's right!" said Raphael, nodding his head.
He had absolutely no complaints, other than his Daddy's appearance which looked like an old man.
"Think about it again. Daddy has a car that looks cooler than Batman's Car. You said that back then!" said Raphael telling the reason why their Daddy is cooler than Batman.
Gabriel was still silent, but his head nodded slowly. When Michael picked them up to go to London, the man drove a cool car.
When Michael picked them up from school, the man's car became cooler than before. Much cooler than Batman's car.
"Daddy also has a very spacious two-story house! There's a swimming pool, too! I've never seen Batman have a pool at his house!" Raphael looked excited when he said that..
"Even though Uncle Steve's house is much cooler, it doesn't matter," he continued nodding his head.
Gabriel's expression started to change when he heard that. After he thought about it again, what Raphael said is right.
"And, have you forgotten about Daddy's workplace? People greet Daddy with their heads down. We even have to take the elevator, like in a hotel!"
"Hmm… I think you're right," Gabriel said as he thought back to when they had gone to Michael's office.
"Of course I was right! Our Daddy is cooler than Batman! Why should you be upset about that?" asked Raphael with a smile when he saw the expression on his brother's face that had changed.
Gabriel nodded at that. His mood got a little better.
"Then let's go, Mommy and… Daddy are waiting for us," said Raphael then stood up and cleaned his pants sitting on the floor.
"Rapa..." Gabriel said suddenly still sitting down
"Why didn't Da...Daddy tell us earlier and introduce himself as uncle?" asked Gabriel with a confused look on his face.
Raphael fell silent when he heard the question. He couldn't answer the question because he didn't know. Well… he never thought about it either.
Right! Why didn't Daddy tell them he was their Daddy?
***
Sarah still felt her heart pounding when she and Michael walked out of the teacher room. Did Michael just call her his woman? Didn't he look very manly?
Sarah knew right now she was behaving like a teenage girl who had just met love, but it indeed made her heart flutter.
Maybe if Michael had called her his wife, Sarah wouldn't have felt the same way. However, the man called her his woman.
"Do you know where the kids' classes are?" asked Michael, turning to Sarah. His expression looked confused.
Sarah came back from her reverie when she heard the question.
"There," Sarah pointed in a direction.
Michael then stepped his foot towards the direction Sarah was pointing, still holding the woman's hand..
She had another strange feeling.
Sarah shook her head, this was not the time to think about her feelings. She had to find her kids.
"MOMMY!"
Michael and Sarah turned when they heard the sound of kids behind them.
Raphael and Gabriel stood holding hands, then immediately ran to Sarah.
Sarah's hand reflexively let go of Michael's hand and crouched down to hug her baby, and kissed them on the cheek.
"Gabriel," said Sarah with relief and hugged her youngest child tightly.
As usual, Michael just stood beside Sarah looking awkward. His gaze couldn't take his eyes off of Gabriel who had run away after he told him that he was their Daddy.
Did Gabriel not like him? Was he disappointed?
Negative feelings filled Michael's mind again.
"Da…Daddy!"
Michael turned his head when a familiar child's voice sounded.
Raphael was looking at him with a flushed face with his hands stretched out towards him, as if to ask for a hug.
A smile appeared on Michael's face when he saw this. Who would have thought that a fierce puppy, now asking to hug him?
Well… although he still felt sad and worried about Gabriel, at least there was Raphael who accepted him. It made him feel a little better.
Follow current novels on freewe(b)novel.c(o)m