Chapter 7

Third Person’s POV

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Colton had now one option in with him to leave both card and the toys and run quickly out of there before the shop owner called the Police.

He was praying to God to do some miracle because he could get a chance to meet his father, but instead, he punished him for stealing the card and for lying to his elders. And now, because of all these things, his mother could land in a problem or he himself. He started to regret all the things he had done. He shouldn’t have stolen the card in the first place.

“Is something wrong, Colton?”, He heard Aunt Eden’s voice and looked at her in fear.

What more could be worst than this.

‘Now even she will get to know about everything and then scold me and worst tell everything to Mom.’, he thought.

“Is something wrong with the card?”, She asked, looking at him on which the shop owner spoke.

“Is this kid with you?”

“Yes! I’m his aunt.”, Eden answered, picking Colton in his arms. “What happened? Is there any problem?”

“Yes! He had this black card with him, and also, the PIN number was written on the top. That’s why I felt something was fishy.”

“Oh! This is his dad’s card.”, She replied. “And you know kids these days, they want to keep everything in their little pocket. Sometimes, he runs away carrying phones in his pocket and sometimes cards. There’s nothing fishy. If you can cross-check whether ‘Brandon Dennis Haybert’ had given this card to his wife or not.”, Eden pointed out.

While Colton looked at her in shock, ‘Brandon Dennis Haybert,’ so, this was his father’s name. Is that why when he searched about him without using his middle name, a lot of options popped out.

“No, Ma’am. That’s not required. I’m sorry for the inconvenience caused. You see, I didn’t have any bad intention.”, he apologized. “And, I’m sorry too, Kid.”

“It’s okay.”, Colton responded with a smile. 

“Here, One for you and the other is your brother.”, The shop owner gave two chocolate bars to him. Colton first looked at Eden, and when she signaled him to take him, he forwarded his hand and took both the chocolate bars.

After that, the shop owner billed all the toys that Colton wanted to buy and then swiped the card. Colton was not sure whether it would work or not until the shop owner gave him a smile and started packing all the toys in a bag.

“How would you like you to take this Panda?”, He asked Eden, on which her eyes widened.

“You bought also bought this giant Panda?”, She stated more like she asked Colton, to which he nodded his head.

“Calvin will love it.”, he replied in a low tone.

Eden shook her head before looking at the shop owner, “Can you please arrange home delivery? I will pay you for that.”

“Sure. Please note down your address.”, With this, Eden noted down the address on the diary that he had passed toward it, along with the contact number.

“Here.”

“Please, Uncle, do deliver this today itself because it’s my brother’s birthday.”, Colton requested.

“Sure. Dear.”, Agreeing to him, he pinched his plump cheeks softly.

Eden smiled and picked up the bag in the other hand in which she wasn’t carrying Colton and walked out of the shop. Colton now knew that he was in danger because Eden was glaring at me. He just wrapped his hands around her shoulder and started looking everywhere but her.

“Colton!! Are you going to speak, or should I call Sophia?” Eden asked even though she knew everything, but she wanted to see whether Colton would be honest with her or lie to her.

“I’m sorry, Aunt Eden. I was just trying to look for my dad.”, He finally looked at her and apologized. “Why is he not with us? Why doesn’t he visit us? Doesn’t he love us?”

“It’s not like that, sweetheart. Every father loves his child.”

“Then, unlike other fathers, why is he not with us? He doesn’t even call us. Why is that? It means only one thing that he doesn’t care or love us.”

“Colton, baby! You shouldn’t say these things about your dad.”, Eden said to clear his misconception about his dad.

“Why?”

Eden looked at Colton, who was quite persistent in knowing about his father, and he wouldn’t listen to anything else until he got his answer.

“Fine. I will tell you but dare you open your mouth in front of Sophia, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Your father doesn’t know about your and Calvin's existence. Just like you don’t know anything about your dad. In the same way, your dad knows nothing about you two.”

“What? How?”

“Because Sophia never told him.”

“Just like she didn’t tell us about dad.”

“Hmm. Kind of.”

“So, Mom is the villain in the story?” Colton asked, not understanding the reason why his mother did something like that.

“No, sweetheart. She is not a villain. It’s just around five years back, your mom and dad had a fight, and after that, they stopped talking to each other. Just like sometimes you stop talking to your friend after fighting with him or her.”, Eden explained instead of using the word ‘DIVORCE.,’ And if that topic would have risen then, she would also tell the back story behind it, which neither did Eden nor Arya knew.

They both only knew about the incident after Sophia tried to kill herself. Sophia rarely mentioned her past because that was a touchy subject for her because she had lost her daughter because of whatever thing happened in the past.

“But I start talking with my every friend after a few hours of fight.”, Colton replied.

“That’s what kids do, but the fight between Adults is a bit different.”, Eden explained.

‘Mom tells me to end the fight with my friends or Calvin on the same day by either apologizing or forgiving them. Then why didn’t she end her fight with dad? Why did neither of them apologize nor forgive each other?

“Aunt Eden?”

“Hmm”

“Did I do right?” he asked in a low tone because now he doubted the action which had been pulled a moment before. What if things would turn sourer than previously? What if whatever he did would give his parents one more point to fight again?

“Do you regret using your dad’s car?” Eden asked, on which Colton shook his head. “Then you already know whether you did right or not. Moreover, don’t overthink too much because what did you do today. I have a feeling that you’re soon going to meet your father.”

“You think so?”

“Hmm!! By observing how you think, I can already imagine how smart your dad can be! If he wouldn’t change his number, then I’m must that he would have received the notification of this transaction by now. And though it, he can reach near you.”

“I can’t wait to meet him.”

“Don't be so excited, Kid. That can be only possible ONLY if he wouldn’t have changed his number of Emails.”, Eden said and made him sit near Calvin. Arya had already ordered Pizza for everyone, and both Calvin and Arya were waiting for both of them.

“What’s in that bag?” Calvin asked, pointing his finger toward the bag that Eden kept near him.

“There are toys for you.”, Colton replied. “And here, this is a chocolate bar for you.”

“Thank you.”, Calvin chirped, and he tried to look at what toys his brother had brought for him.

“Calvin, sit straight and finish your Pizza. You will be getting these toys at home.”

“Okay, Aunt, Eden.” he nodded his head like an obedient child and then whispered in Colton’s ear, “Did you get caught?”

“I will tell you about it at home.”, Colton whispered in his ear.

They both nodded their heads and waited to reach home.

*****

When everyone reached home, Sophia was already waiting for all of them. Calvin’s smile immediately dropped, spotting her. He remembered how pissed his mother was before she left the apartment. He hid behind his brother so that she would slap him or spank him.

Sophia reached near Colton, who was also trying his best to hide his brother, but whom he was kidding. They are both of the same sizes.

Sophia grabbed Calvin's arm and pulled him out of the hidden spot, and then picked him in her arms.

“What should I do with you? Hmm. Drop you from my arms?”, She asked.

Calvin gulped his saliva nervously and spoke, “You can’t do that, Mom.”

“Why not? I’m mad at you. I can hurt you to teach you a lesson.”

“I know you won’t.”, he said, shaking his head.

“Why not?”

“Because you love me.”, he replied.

“So, does that mean you can talk to me like that?”

“No. I’m sorry, Mom.”, he apologized, kissing her cheek.

**

(Flashback!!

*

‘You can’t change my mood, Sophia. I’m mad at you.’

‘Are you sure that you are mad at me?’

‘Yes.’

Sophia held her collar and made him lean toward her. He knew what was going to happen next, but he didn’t stop her, and in the next moment, Sophia kissed him passionately and felt him kissing her back for a while until he realized what he was doing. He grabbed her hair and pulled her away, looking directly into her eyes.

‘You can’t bribe me with this kiss.’

*

Flashback ends!!)

**

“Are you still angry?” Calvin asked softly. She could see how much his nature resembled her even though the little munchkin looked like his father.

“Are you trying to bride me?”, She asked, on which Calvin gave her a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry too.”, Even Sophia apologized and kissed his forehead. “By the way, what all things do you do in the mall?”

“Nothing much. We bought a couple of toys for the birthday boy and after eating Pizza and chocolate lava cake. We’re here.”, Arya replied, grabbing the seat on the sofa.

“Why did you waste money on buying toys? He already has a lot of toys, and on the top, you already gifted both the Kids cycle as their birthday gift.”, Sophia asked and sat on the sofa. Along with that, she signaled Colton to come in her lap so that he wouldn’t feel left out.

“It’s fine, Sophia. Not a big deal. Both the kids have to keep their toys safe, so we can later donate them to the orphanage.”, Eden explained and then started wondering how she would react after seeing that giant Panda.

At the same time, the doorbell rang.

“Who can be here at this moment?” Sophia muttered. “Are we expecting someone?”

“No! No!”, Both Eden and Arya replied though they already knew who could be.

“Let me check.”, Saying this, Eden walked toward the door while Calvin ran from Sophia’s Lap to check his new toys.

“Hello, Ma’am!!”, The delivery man greeted Eden before pointing toward the Panda.

“Sure! Bring it inside.”,

“WHAT THE HELL!!!” Sophia screamed and made Colton sit on the sofa. Then she stood on his feet. “WHAT IS THIS?”

“Mom, This is Panda,”

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#TBC