The Man of My Dreams (Fitzmael 2) - SOON TO BE PUBLISHED

19: Never the choice

A FEW MINUTES later, Archer knocked and walked in with some food. He handed it to Marcus. "Here, feed your son," he said.

He was about to leave when I called him. "Archer, I'll go downstairs with you," I said, glancing at Marcus. "You can spend some time alone with our son," I forced a smile at him.

He nodded, his face showing joy.

I pressed my lips together while watching Archer. I noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes, as if he were silently asking if I was alright. I quickly approached him and stepped out of the room, holding his arms. "Will you be okay?"

"I don't know..."

When we reached the ground floor, my phone suddenly rang. It was Ren calling. I cleared my throat before answering. "Ren..."

"Are you okay?"

I gulped. "Y-Yeah..."

"Imil told me Marcus is there."

"Ah, yes. He already knows."

"So, are you okay?"

I sighed. "As long as Vandre is happy, I'm happy."

The other line went silent. I heard him sigh. "We're on our way."

"Okay..."

I RETURNED TO the living room. Amaris was holding Maximus, while Archer was feeding Amara. I sat next to Archer, chatting with Amara. She had a mix of Imil and Amaris in her features. We heard a horn honk outside. At that moment, Nay Rose informed us lunch was ready and being set up. I smiled at Imil and Ren as they walked in.

A few minutes later, Marcus came down with Vandre in tears. Marcus frowned and walked over to me. "He's looking for you."

I took Vandre in my arms and hugged him tightly. He wasn't quite used to Marcus yet.

Ren, Archer, and I were seated on one sofa, while Marcus sat on the opposite one next to Imil. Marcus kept his gaze fixed on me—well, on Vandre, really.

"Uncle Ren..." Vandre uttered.

Archer leaned closer with a playful smile. "What about me, little one?" he asked. "What is my name?"

"Uncle Arch!" Vandre exclaimed.

Vandre rested against my chest, and I gently caressed his back. He went quiet, and I could see his eyelids getting heavy—he was ready for a nap. After another hour, we decided it was time to go home. I was still holding Vandre when Marcus walked over to us.

"Can we head to my house?" he said. "I want to introduce Vandre to my parents."

I glanced at Vandre, who was sleeping in my arms, then looked at my friends. They all nodded at me, as if encouraging me to agree. "O-Okay," I said.

"Here. I have Vandre's clothes, formula, and diapers," Archer said as he handed over the bag to Marcus.

"Okay. Thanks," Marcus said.

WE ARRIVED AT their house quickly. I remembered the first time I visited Marcus' place. I took a deep breath. Marcus opened the door for me before we grabbed the bags and Vandre.

"Let's go to my room first. My parents might take a while to get here, and I don't want to disturb our son's sleep," he said, guiding me up to the second floor of their house. Once we entered his room, he didn't let us near the bed right away. "I just need to change the bed sheets. It has to be clean for you and our son," he said.