Chloe smiled and leaned forward. She took the initiative and gave Vernon a gentle kiss on the lips.
Chu.
Vernon was stunned by the short and gentle kiss. It was almost like a feather brushing on his lips. He didn't even have time to enjoy it before Chloe retreated.
Chloe's cheeks reddened as a sweet smile and glimmer in her eyes had returned, "Thank you for wanting to be Mackie's father. I hope things will improve so we can make it official."
…
Vernon knew that he had told himself about this many times.
But no matter how often he said it, he couldn't help but marvel at Chloe's beauty.
She was truly the most beautiful woman on earth. The goddess in his dream.
"You're truly a beauty when you're brimming with happiness," Vernon murmured.
"Eh? Mmffh—" Chloe was taken aback when Vernon suddenly kissed her, and it wasn't the same light kiss she gave him just now.
It was a kiss full of passion, the kind of kiss you'd expect coming from a lover who had a deep love for his woman.
"Mmhh… ah…" Chloe struggled a little out of reflex. But as Vernon kept kissing her, her defense started crumbling down, and she accepted the kiss wholeheartedly.
Just like how she finally put all of her trust in him wholeheartedly.
'It should've been this way since the beginning,' Chloe thought as she enjoyed Vernon's kiss.
**
Mackie was playing with a doll in her room when she heard a knock on the door. She looked over her shoulder, staring at the door for a while until she heard another knock.
Knock. Knock.
"Come in!" Mackie yelled.
Click.
"Ah, Mommy— Uncle!" Mackie's face brightened when she saw her Mommy standing at the door, accompanied by her Uncle, who stood right behind her. They were smiling at her, so Mackie got up and threw herself into her Mommy's embrace.
"Mommy!" Mackie hugged her Mommy and buried her face in Chloe's stomach.
In response, Chloe patted her daughter's head, "Yes, dear?"
Mackie looked up. She stared at her mother's eyes filled with happiness, bringing the same joy in the little girl's heart in return.
"Mommy, are you okay now? Don't be sad, okay? I don't want to see you cry again…."
"Mommy is okay," Chloe replied. She smiled and looked over her shoulder momentarily, "Thanks to you and your Uncle, of course."
"Un! I will do anything to make Mommy happy!" Mackie said before she released her hug. She sidestepped her mother, hugged her Uncle's thigh, and looked up, "Uncle, thank you for making my Mommy happy! I won't call you Big Bad Uncle for one week as a reward!"
"Heh, only for one week?"
"Un! Only for one week! Uncle is still bad!"
Vernon chuckled, "Fine, we're going on a one-week-truce."
Chloe had fun staring at her daughter and Vernon, who bickered as if they were truly a father-and-daughter duo. Even Mackie never showed that kind of bickering with Vincent because Vincent always gave her fake pampering, not a genuine one like Vernon.
"Alright, it's time for dinner," Vernon said. "We called you here for dinner, you know."
"Oh!" Mackie's expression brightened, she checked on her Mommy and realized that her Mommy's right hand was still wrapped in a cast, so it wasn't her who cooked dinner today.
Then her eyes dimmed again, "Is it your cooking again, Uncle?"
"Hey, what's wrong with my food? I made good food!"
"It's worse than Mom's cooking," Mackie said bluntly.
"Well, you can't compare my cooking with hers. I'm not as good as hers, but mine is still great!" Vernon insisted.
"Mhm, sure, Uncle," Mackie agreed unenthusiastically.
"Ahahah, it's okay. I will help, Vernon," Chloe offered.
"Huh? You're still injured, you should rest," Vernon said. "I don't want you to get another injury because you have to use one hand to help me."
"No, no, I will help by telling you what to do. We will make our dinner with my recipe, but with your hand as the cook," Chloe said.
"Oh, that's great! I can finally eat Mommy's cooking again!" Mackie cheered.
Vernon frowned, "I still don't want you to step on the kitchen for a while. But if you insist, then I will be your assistant, Chef."
**
Mackie was watching with sparkling eyes as she saw her Mommy instruct her Uncle to prepare all the ingredients, cut it, put it in the oven, boil it, et cetera.
They were making quesadillas and lasagna.
"Alright, that's it for the lasagna," Vernon said as he put the lasagna inside the oven and set the timer and temperature based on Chloe's instruction.
"Good job," Chloe said. She pulled a few sheets of tissue and wiped the sweat on Vernon's forehead and cheek. "Sorry that you have to do a lot."
Vernon looked at his beloved and raised his eyebrow, "Why are you apologizing? It's my duty to cook until you've recovered. Besides, I should be the one who thank you, because you gave me the best recipe to make quesadilla and lasagna."
Vernon darted his eyes at a big plate full of quesadillas. He picked one slice and then fed it to Chloe, "You should try it. It's your recipe."
"Mm…" Chloe opened her mouth and gave the quesadilla a bite. She munched it several times and nodded approvingly, "It's good. It tastes like what I usually make."
"Oh, nice!" Vernon ate the half-bitten food in his hand and nodded. "That tastes great!"
Vernon was happy that he could finally replicate Chloe's dishes. He had to admit that Chloe had that special touch because no matter how skilled he was at cooking, somehow Chloe's food would always taste better.
Vernon grabbed another slice and called Mackie, watching them from the dining table, "Mackie, come here and try this! It tastes just like your mother's cooking!"
"Really?!" Mackie jumped excitedly. She rushed to the kitchen and opened her mouth, ready to eat the homemade quesadilla.
"Aaa—umpp—" Mackie munched it a few times, and her eyes brightened. "It tastes just like Mom's cooking! Uncle is amazing!"
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢