DAVID

She sat beside me while I drove, and I couldn’t help but marvel at her beauty.

I wonder why she cried over losing her money. It was just a hundred.

But I guess it meant a lot to her.

She looked gloomy, and I wished I could brighten that smooth face.

My phone buzzed. A message popped up.

I checked it. It was from my colleague, Alicia.

📩 You’re almost late for lunch, babe.

I shrugged and pocketed my phone. Lunch?

Speaking of lunch, my kids must be starving.

And for the record, Alicia is just a female friend who hasn’t met my kids.

If she had, she wouldn’t keep pushing her feelings.

I know she has feelings. Every woman in this town who knows me has a crush.

I’m charming— you can say that again.

Single mothers and even the principal of my kids’ school have a liking for me.

And that’s something I never want my kids to know.

They don’t like seeing me with other women. They don’t even like me talking to their classmates’ moms.

I don’t know why.

Their rule is always the same: Do not get involved with ladies. They do not want a second mommy.

Wait.

My brain snapped back to reality.

I turned in bewilderment to the lady sitting beside me.

"What? Is there a problem?" she asked.

She had noticed I was staring at her weirdly.

"N-Nothing…" I swallowed hard.

There’s a lady beside me.

And we’re both on our way to pick up the kids.

Why didn’t I think of this earlier?

My kids are going to fry my hair.

THE KIDS

"I’m hungry…" Kayla complained bitterly as they waited outside the school gate.

She was running out of patience.

"How long does it take someone to drive down here!" Janietta almost shouted.

"Maybe he’s buying us a surprise food pack," Noel said excitedly.

He’s a total foodie.

Janietta scoffed.

"The day you stop thinking about food all the time is the day you’ll mature."

"Whatever…" Noel rolled his eyes.

"Wait… I think I see Dad coming."

A smile spread across Janietta’s lips.

"Yay!" Kayla jumped joyfully as their father’s car stopped in front of them.

David stepped out, greeted by their smiling faces.

But not for long.

Their smiles turned into frowns when Rosianna stepped out too.

"Who’s she?" five-year-old Kayla asked, puzzled.

"I think Dad has some explaining to do…" Janietta muttered.

DAVID

"Dad, what took you so long?" they chorused, looking almost angry.

"Hey, I’m sorry, kids… I got held up in something," I explained.

"Something? Or her?"

Janietta frowned, glaring at the lady standing beside my Jeep.

I realized I didn’t even know her name.

"What? No, no. She—"

"Daddy, is she your girlfriend?" Noel asked suddenly.

"Hahaha… no, no, she isn’t—"

"If she isn’t, then who is she? And why was she sitting in the front seat with you?"

Janietta ranted, leaving me speechless.

Before I could stop her, Janietta charged toward the lady.

Oh God. What kind of child is this?

"Janietta, come back here!" I whisper-yelled, but she didn’t hear.

Soon enough, Kayla followed.

And then Noel.

"These kids are going to be the death of me…" I muttered, half laughing, half crying.

ROSIANA

I was observing the school compound when a little girl’s voice caught my attention.

I turned and saw three kids marching toward me.

They must be his kids.

"Hey, miss," the oldest girl spoke, looking up at me with a serious face that almost made me laugh.

"Hi…" I smiled politely.

"Who are you? What are you doing with our dad? How do you even know him? Where did you meet him? And most importantly, why were you sitting in my seat in my dad’s car?!"

"Whoa! Slow down, fiesty. Too many questions. Which one am I supposed to answer first?"

I was shocked. This girl was dead serious.

"Were you trying to kidnap my daddy?"

The younger girl asked softly, almost in tears.

Gosh. What is this?

He was the one driving, not me.

"No darling, I wasn’t. Something happened, and I’d like it if you let Daddy explain."

I gently patted her cheek.

"Daddy is a big guy. He can’t be kidnapped, okay?"

She giggled and ran back to her dad.

Aww. What a sweet little girl.

I looked up and saw the older girl still glaring at me.

"I swear, girlie, I wasn’t doing anything with your father."

She still looked suspicious.

I can’t handle this alone.

Her dad better come here and explain himself.

I looked over and saw him talking to the younger girl.

"Mr. David, please… your attention is needed here," I called out.

That was a mistake.

The older girl’s expression changed instantly.

"OH MY GOD! You know my dad’s name? How do you know his name?! You’re not supposed to know his name since you’re not my mom or his girlfriend…"

She paused, her eyes widening.

"Or are you?"

"DADDY!!!" she screamed so loud it almost deafened me.

What have I gotten myself into?

…

TBC

DAVID

The moment Janie screamed my name, I knew there was trouble. I led Kay to where they were.

"Yes, Janie," I drawled.

"Dad, how come she knows your name? I thought Mom was the only person who knew it... and your best friend, Mark."

OMG! She’s so childish.

"Can you stop acting childish, Janie?"

"I am a child, Dad," she retorted, her brow furrowed.

"But you don’t act like one. A good child would wait for explanations before jumping to conclusions.

This lady here is with me because I made her lose her money and worse, I ruined her dress."

I paused as my kids focused on the stained dress, finally noticing what they never saw in the first place.

"She isn’t my girlfriend, okay? We don’t know each other. We just met today. I was supposed to take her shopping for a new dress to replace the one I ruined, but she insisted I come pick you guys up first.

Isn’t that enough to thank her for?

I think that’s enough reason to show her respect."

I added, looking disappointed at their behavior.

"It’s okay, Mr. David. You’re making them feel bad," the lady — whose name I still didn’t know — spoke on their behalf when she noticed their faces.

"Now say sorry to her, kids." I ruffled my hair, frustrated.

"Let’s just go home..." Janietta grumbled, walking to the side of my car.

I stared at her reaction, not even sure what to say. Then I turned to the other two — Noel and Kay.

"You two, say sorry to her." I formed a straight face at them.

"I’m hungry," Noel complained, walking out of my sight.

This is crazy. Correcting my kids is one thing they never take well. The moment I scold them, they suddenly become upset and unhappy with me.

Great. Just great!

"Sorry..." Kayla smiled at the lady.

"It’s okay, sweetie. What’s your name?" she asked, squatting to my little girl’s height.

"Kayla. And yours?"

Yeah... one question I forgot to ask her in the first place.

"Rosiana."

"You’re pretty, Rosiana," my baby remarked.

True. Absolutely true. She isn’t just pretty — she’s physically endowed with beautiful features.

"And you’re beautiful," she complimented Kayla, who giggled in excitement and ran to meet her siblings.

"Omg! Janietta, she just said I’m beautiful!"

Hahaha! I love my baby girl so much.

"Dad! Come open your car. I wanna go home," Janietta called out.

"...and eat," Noel added.

"Let’s go, please," I said to Rosiana, and she nodded.

I used the key control to unlock the doors before hopping in.

Janietta quickly sat in the front seat beside me, leaving Rosiana standing outside.

"Get down, Janie. Join your siblings in the back."

"But Dad—"

"No questions. Rosiana wants to sit here." I hushed her.

She angrily mumbled something before stepping down.

"Don’t get too comfy with my dad," she said straight to Rosiana’s face before joining her siblings.

"Ignore her, she’s always like that," I told Rosiana as she got in.

"No problem. Thanks," she said, settling into the seat as I started the engine.

"Seatbelts!" I mouthed as I adjusted the mirror above me, watching my kids through it as they strapped themselves in.

"Good," I muttered as I reversed out of the school, heading straight home.

ROSIANA

The silence in the car as he drove was… something else. It wasn’t comfortable at all. I suspected I was the cause of it.

Why would a family be so quiet on a simple ride home?

Kids should be talking about school, homework, or something interesting to their dad.

I bet they’re not comfortable with me here.

I just can’t wait to get back home.

"Dad, I’m hungry..." David’s little boy said as his stomach growled.

"You’ll eat when you get home, okay?" his dad replied.

"The last time I checked before school, there’s no food at home. ’Cause you didn’t wake up on time to make us breakfast. And lunch..."

Wake up on time? So David makes breakfast for his kids before going to work?

What about his wife??

"Oh God! I didn’t remember..." he palmed the steering wheel.

"You kids will wait till I go get Junior from daycare. Then I’ll buy food packs from a restaurant so you can eat to your fill."

Another baby??

My eyes almost popped out as I realized he has another child.

This man is the father of all nations. Imagine staying home with the type of kids he has. Four in total.

"I’m gonna die of hunger before you get back..." my favorite, Kayla, almost cried.

I don’t like seeing her upset.

I like her so much.

"Kay, baby. You won’t die. I’ll beat the traffic for your sake. You won’t die, okay? Not when there’s enough water to revive you," David joked.

"Dad, no way! I’m hungry too, and I can’t wait for you to get Junior first. It’s our stomach first. Our stomach. Your first priority," the older girl declared.

I cocked my ears in amusement.

"Yes, Dad. Justice for our stomach!" Noel added.

"I want pancakes for lunch!"

The three kids began ranting.

Their ranting almost deafened my ears.

Passersby stared at the car — it was that noisy.

"Alright... kids! Kids! Calm down! Ca—"

But they didn’t even listen to their dad. Instead, the noise increased.

Is all this because of food?

"I’ll cook for you guys," I said.

The car suddenly fell completely silent as they stared at me, shocked.

"I mean... I could help with lunch before your dad gets back," I added.

Did I say something wrong?

Well, I used to work as a cook at Dean’s restaurant until he fired me this morning.

I could help them, at least for Kayla’s sake. I don’t want her to die — like she earlier said.

"That’s if you guys are okay with it," I quickly added.

"You sure about that?" David asked, as if unsure.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Kids?" David called out, wanting to know their opinion.

"Sure, you can cook for us. As long as it doesn’t taste like Dad’s socks!" little Noel agreed.

Wait. What??

Did he just say his dad’s socks?

"NOEL?!" David screamed his name, his eyes turning smoky red.

I quickly suppressed my laugh.

.

..

.

TBC

DAVID

Saying I’m embarrassed right now is a total understatement. I don’t even know how to describe how I feel.

Noel is so annoying!

How could he say that? In front of a lady, too.

What if she was my crush? He would’ve buried me in shame.

Does it mean he’s tasted my socks??

I wouldn’t be surprised. He’s a foodie. He’s always been one since he was a baby.

As a baby, he would chew on his diapers and lick his cream…

I wonder what it tasted like to him. Strawberries?

And to think my socks weren’t left out!

Noeeellll!!!!

I silently cried inside as I pitied myself. I couldn’t help but wonder what Rosiana thought.

If I ever take my kids out in public again, I’m going to stitch their mouths shut with glue.

That way Janietta won’t freak out the moment she sees me talking to a lady and say ridiculous things.

And Noel won’t eat up the party and describe how my socks taste.

As for Kayla, I won’t just stitch her mouth — I’ll tie her to a chair, so she won’t wander off.

Because my baby Kayla is a wanderer.

There was a time I took my kids shopping. While talking to the cashier, Kayla wandered out of my sight without me noticing.

I didn’t realize until I was done.

Janietta and Noel were busy arguing and didn’t notice either.

I searched the entire store for hours and almost went mad because I couldn’t find Kay. I felt like I had disappointed my late wife, Maria — I promised her before she died that I would always protect our kids.

I contacted the police and asked customers for help, panicking.

I searched everywhere like a lunatic until I finally found her near the waste bin beside the mall, pouring trash into the dirt bin.

When I asked what she was doing and why she left my side, she opened her small mouth and said...

"Mommy always said we should be neat and never stay in a dirty place so we don’t fall sick. The mall was pretty dirty so I had to pick around."

She looked so innocent saying it.

Imagine that. Picking trash around a mall??

Meanwhile, I was searching like a madman. I even called the police.

"You will never frustrate me, Kayla," I said, not knowing whether to cry or laugh.

She thought it was a joke.

I compensated the police before they left.

The salesman in charge of the mall was pleased by her sweet nature and gave her a free toy.

He didn’t know giving her a toy would only encourage her to do more.

Kayla can be unpredictable sometimes, and she reminds me so much of my late wife, Mariah.

••••••

I finally drove into my compound and parked in the side garage.

My kids climbed out immediately and ran inside. Yes, they have their own keys — just in case.

Rosiana got down after me, and from the look in her eyes, she was definitely surprised to see such a magnificent building.

"Please come in," I said, and she nodded with a smile, following behind me.

"Welcome to my home, Rosiana."

She stepped inside, her lips parting slightly as a soft gasp escaped.

"Oh my... so beautiful," she whispered, staring around in amazement.

"Thanks. Feel free," I said, smiling at her.

Oh! That reminds me — her clothes.

She’s still wearing stained clothes. I don’t have time to take her shopping.

"Mr. David, please... I can’t cook in this outfit," she said.

"Yeah... I was thinking the same thing. You need to change into something. Come with me to the guest room."

She nodded and followed me.

I led her into one of the guest rooms.

"The shower’s inside. You can use it. But before that, I’ll get you a dress."

I walked out and headed to my room.

Mariah’s clothes would definitely fit her, I thought as I searched through her things.

Her unique scent filled my nostrils, and I suddenly missed her again.

I picked a free sun-dress and brought it to Rosiana.

"Thanks a lot," she smiled, taking it.

"When you’re done, ask one of the kids to show you to the kitchen. There are lots of uncooked foods. If you’re unsure what to prepare, just ask Noel — he’ll gladly tell you."

I chuckled lightly and she smiled again.

"I’ll be back shortly," I said before walking out.

With Rosiana in the kitchen today, I felt relieved from stress.

ROSIANA

I’ve never been in a house this big and beautiful before. I marveled as I washed up in the bathroom, letting the water cascade down my body.

I made sure not to spend too long because I still had to make lunch.

I dried myself with a new towel on the bed and let my hair fall over my shoulders before putting on the sun-dress.

I checked my reflection — wow. It looked so good on me.

I walked out and saw the kids playing in the sitting room. They’d already changed, and I guessed they had bathed too.

I approached and cleared my throat.

"Can someone please show me to the kitchen?" I asked.

"Is that my mom’s dress you’re wearing?" Janietta stared at me, shocked.

Her mom’s?

"Oh my God, I didn’t know. Your dad gave it to me—"

How could David give me his wife’s dress?

"Well, now you know. It’s my mom’s dress, and it doesn’t belong to you," she said with a straight face.

Oh hell. I felt embarrassed.

"But it fits her... and she looks pretty in it," Kayla said, her voice tiny and soft.

"Didn’t you notice she had stains on her own dress? What do you expect her to wear? Your clothes?" Noel laughed sarcastically.

"Duh… she should’ve brought hers," Janie huffed.

"You complain too much, Janietta. The dress fits her and she looks good. Don’t you know people have to look good before cooking... so the food can taste really good too?

Unlike Dad, who doesn’t mind tying a towel around his waist to prepare a meal," Noel added seriously.

Hell no! A towel?? Who does that?

"...and his food tastes just like his appearance," he added.

This boy is too much!

I wish David were here — actually, thank God he isn’t. Noel would be dead meat.

Noel stepped forward dramatically, clearing his throat.

"Most beautiful milady, I hope you don’t mind me taking you to the kitchen... because I’m starving," he said in a Spanish accent, stretching out his little hand.

He looked so funny.

"No, Mister… I certainly don’t," I giggled, replying in a Spanish accent too. I placed my hand on his and curtseyed, lifting my gown slightly as I bowed my head.

Then he led me to the kitchen, our hands still joined.

Kayla held the hem of my dress as she followed behind.

.

..

.

TBC