The Runaway Mom

Chapter 7

"Oh, wait! Did you hear that, Poppy?" Para gasps, her eyes darting to the window as a faint beep echoes. "Pops is here!"

My ears perk up, and I join her at the window. Sure enough, a familiar white-tinted car pulls up outside—the same car he's had since my preschool days.

"Wait here, Poppy, I'll go get him," Para dashes to the door.

I grab the confetti, my heart thumping with excitement. After catching up earlier, we decided to throw Pops a welcome celebration, preparing his favorite Italian and English dishes. Despite our culinary shortcomings, we successfully executed the recipes without burning the kitchen down.

I position myself behind the door, confetti in hand, ready to surprise Pops the moment he steps inside.

As the door creaks open, exactly as I had planned, a shower of confetti erupts into the air as I leap out from my hiding spot. Para mirrors my wide-open arms, and together, we shout in unison, "Welcome home, Pops!"

Tears well in Pops' eyes as he envelops us in a warm embrace, planting kisses on our heads. "Oh, my girls."

Just then, as I lift my head in surprise, I see Caspian standing there. He meets my stare with initial shock, which soon melts into a knowing smile; he must have already figured out who I am. Pops notices Caspian and clears his throat to introduce us.

"Caspian, this is Poppy, my daughter," Pops begins, but Caspian steps closer to me, wearing a look of feigned curiosity on his face. "Poppy, he's Caspian, my youngest cousin. You guys haven't mee—"

"What are you doing here, Poppy?" Caspian asks, cutting Pops off abruptly. His voice is soft and sincere. Without waiting for an answer, he gently cups my face and leans in to kiss me.

Pops and Para exchange surprised glances, clearly taken aback by Caspian's immediate familiarity with me and the unexpected display of affection.

"Uh, oh, woah, what's going on here?" Pops stammers, clearly confused.

"She's the one I told you about, Jack—my girlfriend," Caspian replies.

Pops gapes at the lie, as if momentarily believing him, and I can't bring myself to say a word.

"But she's my daughter with Emily, Caspian, my ex-wife," Pops clarifies, his brows creasing.

"You mean Para's mom? So what? You guys only had Para. Poppy is not yours by blood, so we're not related at all. I didn't mean any offense. I'm sorry, I didn't realize. We haven't had the chance to meet, like you're about to say," Caspian responds calmly, his gaze still fixed on me, as if implying there's nowhere I can run. "You can't just tell me to give her up at this point, Jack, because I traveled all around the world just to see her." Eww! How could this guy be so dramatic? I grimace.

"Poppy is ours by heart, young man," Pops' voice carries a hint of hurt. I feel like I could slap Caspian at any moment now. "While she may not be my flesh and blood by birth, she is in every other way. She's my daughter, always has been, and always will be. Can you stop whatever act you're putting on? I'm not asking you to end your relationship."

I want to deny it, to make clear that we're not in any kind of relationship, but I'm paralyzed. Stuck between them, my eyes flicking nervously from left to right, lips slightly parted.

Pops sigh. "Well, I'll be..." Pops break into a warm smile. "As long as you're happy, that's all that matters to me. But next time, maybe give an old man a bit of a heads up, huh?" He taps Caspian's shoulder. "Take care of my daughter, Casper. But young man, we'll talk. I don't want to ruin this moment with my daughters just yet."