Dorothy's POV
"Come on Liam!" I shout from the kitchen.
Today is Sunday which means we have lunch with the Kings. Having lunch with them is like a tradition that they had even before I met Ethan. I'm not quite sure why they do it but Mia said it was something about bonding with one another.
I quickly decorate Liam's pancakes with blueberries. I wonder what's taking him so much time to come out of his room. We need to leave early. Wendy said she has something very important and by the sound of her voice, I could tell she was being serious.
"Liam, I need you here now!" I shout once more but I still don't get an answer from him. I drop the cleaning cloth on the counter and head to his room.
I don't know when this-whatever it's called-started but I'm not liking it at all. I see him sulking on the floor with a drawing in his hand.
"Hey, buddy," I say as I sit beside him trying to see the drawing. "What's the problem?"
"What is the meaning of a bastard child?" He asked looking up from the drawing.
"Where did you hear that from?" I tensed hearing the word come out from his mouth but he doesn't answer. "Liam, who called you that?"
"I heard Tasha's mother say something to Miss Gwen and I heard the word." He started to explain himself. "Then I asked Tasha what it meant but she didn't know and then she told that her mother always told her to be nice to me because I have no father."
I was almost on the verge of exploding. How dare that woman talk about my son like that and then tell her daughter to pity my son. I seriously hate that bitch. This isn't the first time she's doing something like this.
Before she was so adamant to cancel father and I day so she could confirm her suspicions on Liam not having a father in his life. She even dared to come up to me and tell me how I need to get a man in Liam's life.
"The truth is not everyone has a father Liam." I hold him close to me and stroke his hair lightly. "But that doesn't mean you are different from everyone else. And it doesn't matter if you don't have any because people are still going to love and even if it feels like no one does just remember that I'll always love you."
"I'll always love you too." He whispered back at me.
"And one more thing Liam," I say placing a kiss on his forehead. "Try to stay away from Tasha, I don't want you getting the idea that people only like you because you are fatherless."
"I don't like her." He confessed scrunching his nose.
"Really, why not?"
"She makes fun of my drawings sometimes and she is selfish too."
"I'll tell you something," I let out a soft chuckle tickling him a bit which made him burst into a fit of laughter. "I don't like Tasha's mother either."
"Really?" He asked raising a brow.
I nod at him. "She doesn't know how to mind her business."
"That can be annoying." He concluded pulling away from my grasp. "I'm hungry."
"You know I made you pancakes this morning," I say picking up his drawing from the floor.
"Shaped dinosaurs and blueberries?" He exclaims eagerness in his voice.
"Yup," I say popping the p.
I didn't have to say anything after that because he took off to the kitchen already. Probably forgetting the conversation we just had.
I pick up the drawing and see a family portrait of him, me, and some other figure which I assume to be his father.
I still wonder he had to leave? Know he's back everything is just confusing because it felt like he regretted leaving me at the clinic. But you can never know if he was just trying to manipulate me again.
Mia was right, Liam does need a father figure in his life and I'll do anything to get him the perfect father even if I have to go on a date with blue eyes.
I stand up from the floor tucking the picture into my pocket and head over to where he is.
I see him wolfing down the food like it was going to go away any second from now. I know exactly how that feels like, there was once upon a time I felt that way.
"You know you might choke on your food," I warn picking up a mug and pouring some coffee into it.
"I'm being extra careful and extra fast." He responded still stuffing his mouth with pancakes.
I smile at him and decide to go clean up the little mess that was made yesterday. I made a mistake buying Liam a new Lego set and now the pieces are all over the living room. I should have listened to the voice in my head.
After ten minutes Liam finally showed up in the living room right when I finish putting up every little brick away.
"Well since we are all satisfied, can we go now?" I asked smiling at him.
"Not quite yet." He said and ran away to his room and back with a sketchpad and a few crayons. "Okay know I'm satisfied."
I made a quick branch to the clinic and figured out what went wrong. An old woman was going through some toothache and we needed to pull out a tooth. Other than that everything was normal at the clinic.
"Mommy?" Liam called me when both entered the car.
"Yes, Liam."
"Why was the old lady crying?" He asked referring to Mrs. Adams. "Did he get hurt by someone?"
"No baby, she was crying because she was happy."
"People cry when they are happy?" He sees him raise a brow from the rear-view mirror.
"Yeah, we call that happy tears," I explained pulling out of the parking lot. "When you are so happy and smiling isn't enough, you start to cry. Like I did the day you were born."
"You also cried when I gave you my first drawing." He pointed out making a smile form on my face.
"You remembered?"
"Yes, you said it was because it was so beautiful."
"Anything you make is beautiful to me," I say turning back to ruffle up his hair.
"No stop." He swats my hand away giggling.
I smile and turn back to face the road.
We spent the rest of the car ride singing along to songs that played on the radio. It didn't take as long as it would have usually taken, for some reason the road wasn't as crowded.
I reached the mansion gate where a security guard came to my side window. "Hey Dora, how are you?" He asked when I wind down my window.
"Hey you, I'm doing great." I grin back at me
"What bout you, little man?" Sam asked Liam.
"I'm awesome!" Liam beams back at him.
"Have a nice time." He said signaling someone to open up the gate.
"Thanks, you too," I say when the automatic gate opens up.
I drive up to the driveway to see Grace waiting by the parking lot. I just hope she wasn't waiting for us.
"You made it." Grace hugged me the moment I came out of the car. "I'm so glad that you could come."
"Grandma!" Liam shouts and runs to her.
"Liam!" She shouts back picking him up and he hugs her tightly. "Come on let's go join the others."
The moment we get inside Liam spots Jojo and demands Grace to drop him down.
"Those two are the cutest little things I've ever seen." Grace sighs placing a hand on her chest.
"Just wait till you meet your newest one." Mia walks into the room caressing her baby bump.
"Hey, Mia," I said giving her a hug being a bit cautious of her bump.
"Dad has been dreading to meet you ever since we told him you're coming over." She says letting go of me.
"Has he been taking a lot of licorice lately?" I asked knowing the answer already.
"Yes," Grace mutters under her breath. "In fact for an old man, he shouldn't even enjoy all those sugary stuff."
"It is healthier than regular candy," I say trying to calm her down. "I don't have much sugar in it at all."
"It doesn't matter with what happened last year, I'm just being extra careful."
"I understand." I place my hand on her shoulder. "I'll come up with something to make him stop."
She gives me a grateful smile and I walk to the living room where he was.
"Hey, Matt," I say the moment I entered the room. "How are you doing?"
"Let me guess Grace set got you to talk to me about cutting the sugarless candy." He raised a brow.
"That's right." I let out a soft chuckle. "She just cares for you and what happen last year scared her."
"I know but I need sugar in my system somehow I already quit smoking and drinking." He explained to me leading us to the sofa. "What happened last year won't repeat itself I assure you"
"I know it won't happen again, but I think it's Grace that needs to hear this." I give him a soft smile.
"Enough about me." He chuckled leaning into the sofa. "How are you doing nowadays?"
"You know, the same old thing," I rub my hands together. "checking people's teeth, listening to their complaints-"
"You know that I mean Dorothy." He flatly says cutting me off from my rambling.
"Well, I've gotten a raise so I don't have any financial issues." I let out a soft sigh. "Liam is progressing in school, I think he finally gets the concept of using his voice instead of his fist. I haven't gotten any death notes from anyone so far, so I'm good." I say sincerely.
"Remember if-"
"I need anything I could always come to you anywhere, anytime, no matter what." I complete his sentence
"We're back!" Jojo shouts entering the living room with Liam and David.
"Hey, Dora." David greets me.
"Hey, you." I smile at him. I look down to see Liam and Jojo engrossed in a conversation. "I'm going to help set the table," I say excusing myself.
I enter the kitchen to see Grace and Mia laughing at something they said. I can't help but smile at both of them. I was never close to my mother. She was always ill so the majority of the time she was in the hospital. She died a few months after I started High school leaving me with Dad and Jacob. It was a tough time for all of us especially dad but you know as they say 'When the going gets tough only the tough get going.'
"What is keeping you in such deep thoughts dear," Grace asked bringing me out of my thoughts.
"Nothing much, just some memory," I say smiling at her. "Need a hand?"
"Yeah, can you take this bowl of coleslaw to the table for me?" She asked handing me the bowl.
"Sure." I took the bowl and walk to the dining I pass the living room to check on how the boys are doing.
I see Matt telling the kids a story and David rolling his eyes, probably at Matt. I smile and continue my journey to the dining room. Having lunch with the kings is so nice they are one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. I'm so grateful I-
"Sorry, I'm late!" That voice again.
CRASH!
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So like, I finished my exams so I have more than enough time to write. I hope you liked this chapter. I want to see what will happen in the next chapter. Love you all
Jo