Blessing in Disguise

Chapter 45: Bon appétit!

Around 4 in the afternoon, Seher returned home from Mitchell Mansion with Liam, whom she had picked up for the grand dinner she was hosting. The event included a tasting of all the items on her cafe's menu, followed by a sleepover for the children - Meher and Liam. The two kids shared a warm hug as Liam saw Meher and Seher at his home's gates. Amelia stood a few steps away, observing the children with fondness in her eyes. Seher couldn't help but feel intrigued by Amelia's change in attitude towards her daughter.

After bidding goodbye to his mom, Liam happily skipped away with Meher's hand in his, while Seher followed. She collected Liam's overnight bag from Amelia and arranged for a meeting the next afternoon in a nearby corporate park for Liam's pickup, as Amelia had a salon appointment in the morning. Once inside, Seher closed the door and turned to Meher.

"Mahi, show Lee your new room, okay." Seher suggested to Meher. The young girl nodded earnestly, taking Liam's hand, and said, "Come Lee, my woom." Seher followed the two as Liam explored Meher's room and gave her another hug. Seher chuckled at Liam's apparent fondness for giving Meher hugs.

Liam remarked, "It's such a pretty room, baby, but it has a baby bed," pointing towards the crib. He added, "Where will I sleep for the sleepover?" Seher stepped forward, kneeling in front of the kids. "Well, my prince, you and your baby both are going to sleep with me in my room. Come on, I'll show you." She led Liam and Meher to her room, turned off the TV, put on their favorite show on YouTube, and handed Liam the remote control.

"You guys settle down," Seher instructed, "watch some TV while I get some snacks for you and prepare for dinner." Seher then addressed Liam, saying, "Now, Liam, I need you to take care of Meher, okay? You need to also stop her from doing any naughty stuff, such as putting her hand in the sockets. If she gives you any trouble, come and tell me, okay?" Liam nodded earnestly, assuring her, "Don't worry Belle, I take care of my baby."

Seher smiled and gave Liam a kiss on the forehead, much to Meher's displeasure. Meher shot a glare at her mother, promptly using her little hand to clean the spot where Seher had kissed Liam's forehead, and then planted a kiss herself, all the while glaring at her mother.

Chuckling at her daughter's possessive behavior, Seher recalled an incident from a few months ago. When Seher had kissed Liam, Meher, driven by vengeance, explicitly told him that if he allowed others to kiss him, she wouldn't be his best friend and would exclusively kiss Daniel. Leaving the room, Seher's thoughts were consumed by Daniel. She knew his return was imminent, and she could already envision the heartbroken, pained expression he would wear upon discovering her departure from his employment, his home, and, to top it off, his life.

An hour later, the bell rang as Seher opened her door to welcome Richard and Elaine. Hugging them warmly, she led them to her room, where Meher and Liam were deeply engrossed in Frozen 2. As Seher cleared her throat, both children looked up. Meher, upon seeing Richard and Elaine, particularly Richard, excitedly stood up and exclaimed, "Nanu!" Confused, as Meher usually called him Wichie, Richard quickly pulled out his phone to Google the term. Discovering that it was what Indian children affectionately call their maternal grandfather, their mother's father, Richard teared up. Elaine gasped, recalling the last time Richard shed tears was months ago when they saw Rachel in her beautiful bridal attire, and before that, only when Rachel was born.

"Oh My Muffin," said Richard, a lone tear falling from his eye. Taking big steps, he picked up Meher and hugged her tightly. Despite her tiny stature against him, she used all her strength to reciprocate the hug. Looking at Seher, Richard narrowed his eyes playfully. "You sneaky Bambi, just because I make fun of you for crying all the time, you specifically did something that would make me cry, huh?" Seher, also with tears in her eyes, responded, "Well, Mario, you deserve it. You told me how you're proudly sharing with everyone that you have two daughters and one grandchild. I'm sorry, but my child will not be calling her grandfather by his name." Richard teared up again, and with Meher still in his arms, he gave Seher a kiss on her head.