From Something To Everything (Bounprem)

135. Kids

"Since Art calls Aa Earth, Papa and Aa Fluke, Poppy, Art will call Aa Prem Popsy." Art said enthusiastically.

Prem smiled and nodded. "Thank you na Art for giving Aa Prem a special name."

Art giggled and ate his red velvet pastry.

"Popsy, when are you going to marry Aa Boun?" Art asked blinking innocently at Prem.

Prem choked on his fudge hearing his question. He quickly took a sip of his chocolate smoothie to stop coughing. "What did you just ask?"

"When is Popsy going to marry Aa Boun?" Art repeated his question.

"From where did you get the idea of us getting married, Art?" Prem asked chuckling.

"The other day when Papa came to our home with Poppy, I asked Poppy why Papa is not marrying Dad. Then Poppy said that only people who are in love would marry each other and Papa was in love with his boyfriend and not my dad." Art pouted.

Prem could already see a huge drop of tears forming in the corner of Art's eyes. Alarm bells went off in his mind. He couldn't handle a crying child. He didn't know how to. He didn't know what to say or do to console a child while crying. All the methods he had tried in the past had only made kids cry even louder causing him to get scolded by their parents.

He internally prayed that Art wouldn't start crying before Earth was back. If he did, then Prem knew he would be doomed. "Your Poppy is right. Only people who love each other should marry each other."

"Don't Popsy love my Aa Boun?" anticipation was evident on Art's face.

Prem bit his lips. He couldn't answer honestly, because it would give the kid hope nor could he lie as it may make the kid cry. "How about your Aa Boun?"

Art cheered up at the mention of Boun. "Aa Boun loves Popsy very much." He spread his arms showing how much Boun loves Prem.

Fireworks went off in Prem's mind upon hearing those words. "How do you know? Did you Aa Boun say that?"

"Yes!" Art nodded cutely. "Aa Boun told me that he loves Popsy so much. He said that Popsy makes him the happiest person in the world. He told me that he loves Popsy's shiny eyes. Aa Boun also said that he loves how Popsy's eyes turn into thin slits when you smile and Popsy loves a hundred times cuter when you pout."

Prem was giddy in happiness. He scooped up the kid into his arms and planted a wet kiss on chubby cheeks.

"No Popsy!" Art screamed. "Popsy should not kiss Art. Popsy should only kiss Aa Boun or Aa Boun will be mad at Art."

Prem laughed out loud at the kid's words. He really liked this kid.

"Looks like I was worried for nothing," Earth said as he arrived at Prem's seat with two little girls.

Prem looked at Earth and the girls. "Yeah. We just hit it off."

Earth squatted down to the girl's level. "Leah, Lyra, this is Aa Prem Aa Earth told you about." He pointed at Prem.

The little girls waied politely at Prem.

"Prem, this is Leah and that is Lyra." Earth pointed at each girl and introduced her. "They are P' Alan's daughters."

Prem's smile faded at the mention of Alan. But he warmly greeted the two girls. "Why don't you guys take a seat, I will go get your orders." He walked away.

Earth helped the twins settle down. Art was more than happy to see his little sisters join him. The three kids started chatting happily.

Earth worriedly looked in Prem's direction. From the looks of it, he could clearly see that Prem's good mood after spending time with Art was gone at the mention of Alan. He grew worried seeing Prem's stoic face.

It took a while before Prem joined the group of four. He sat next to Art while Earth sat next to the two girls.

Prem watched the twins digging into their respective pastries. Especially Lyra, who looked a lot like Boun.

"She is so much like P' Boun, isn't she?" Earth asked softly following Prem's gaze.

"She is." Prem watched the little girl eating the slice of matcha crepe cake which happened to be Boun's favourite as well.

"Lyra, you are being a bad girl again." Leah pouted and scolded her younger twin. "Didn't Daddy tell you that only bad girls would eat this green pastry?"

Both Prem and Earth raised their brows hearing the statement. They couldn't believe that Alan would actually prevent his children from liking anything Boun liked.

"But it is tasty and I like it, na" Lyra whined. She preferred the savoury taste of matcha compared to the overly sweet taste of the pastries Leah normally ate.

Just as he felt that the girls were about to start a fight, Earth intervened. "Leah, dear, Lyra really wanted to eat this, na. let's just let her be for this time. She won't repeat it, will she?" he winked at the younger twin. He had to resolve the matter without contradicting what Alan taught them.

Lyra was a brilliant girl and she understood Earth's signal. She immediately put on her puppy eyes and looked at Leah. "Please Leah, let me have it, na."

"Let her have it, Leah. We just have to make sure that your Daddy doesn't know about it." Art spoke as the big brother.

Leah gave in to her siblings. "Since everyone is saying, I will let you have it. But this is the last time. If Daddy ever finds out he is going to spank you like the time you skipped the homework to play."

"Okay." Lyra cheered up and resumed eating her pastry.

Earth pulled out his phone and texted Prem.

Did you hear that? P' Alan beats his them.

Prem read the message and looked at Earth who was motioning him to give a reply as message. They couldn't discuss the matter out loud in front of the kids.

Isn't it normal for Phor-Mae to beat kids when they don't behave?

Prem had lost count of how many times he had gotten spanked by his parents for being naughty. He didn't find anything odd with Alan punishing the child physically. That was the Asian way of parenting kids.

His phone dinged when Earth texted back.

🤦🏻‍♂️You are an idiot, Prem.

Prem didn't understand why he was being called an idiot.

Eh?🤨

I will let Fluke explain everything to you, idiot.😒

Earth's message made Prem even more confused. What was Fluke going to explain? What is there to be explained here?