My Only Exception

Chapter 19

"Come here, Cali."

It was just the two of them and Ethan has nothing to do. He finished his work and sent the e-mails he needed to finish. He was craving for something but didn't know what to do nor to buy.

The little boy obeyed and went to the kitchen where he was. He was looking at the contents of the ref.

"These are what we got. Which one do you want to eat? It's getting boring and we don't have a car to go out," he said and made a mental note of checking cars.

"I'm not hungry," he answered and Cali was about to go back playing alone but Ethan stopped him.

"I know now what to do," he came up with an idea and took the bread out, tomato sauce, ketchup, cheese, bacon, bell paper, pineapple chunks, and ground beef. "We won't order pizza but we are making them."

Cali sure didn't want to join him but it got his interest that they were making pizza. He took a seat and silently watched Ethan spread the mixed tomato sauce and ketchup on the slice of bread, topped it with the ingredients he took out. After trying it with three slices, he got them toasted and gave one to Cali.

"What do you think?" Ethan asked him.

"It's okay," Cali said but Ethan noticed how Cali took a bite after bite until he was able to consume all of it.

It made Ethan smile. He took some more bread and created more pizza bread for the two of them. He took a glass out and prepared fresh orange juice for them and settled in front of the television. He played Cali's favorite cartoon DVD and laughed with him. Inabutan ni Raffy na nagtatawanan ang dalawa sa itaas.

She smiled upon seeing them and sat beside Cali.

"What's that you're eating?" she asked.

"Pizza. Tito Ethan made them," he answered happily.

She glanced at Ethan who was elated. "Really? Is it good?"

"Yes," he answered and let his mother bite on his slice.

"Wow, it's good. Do you like this better than what we order?"

"Yeah... It's better. He let me make some myself," Cali said while staring on the screen and laughing.

"Congratulations," she told him silently and smiled.

Ethan continued coming up with little ideas to get Cali work with him. They washed Raffy's car one time and he allowed him to scrub one part and helped him clean it with the hose. He walked with him when they brought their clothes to the laundry shop and voluntarily went with him to pick it up. When they went to the grocery, Cali pointed what he wanted and Ethan would carry him so he could grab it himself. They bought him a new pair of shoes and he learned to ask him if it looked good on him. Ethan was happy with the improvement and he constantly made it a point to involve Cali with what he was doing. The kid still called him Tito Ethan but it was better than not have the kid talk to him at all.

He was trying to fix his visa while he was there to make sure that he wouldn't be away from them for long. One afternoon, Cali asked him if they could go to the park and since it was a warm afternoon, they locked their doors and went to the park where he usually went with Seff. He allowed him to run freely and play while he sat on one side and looked after him.

He was on the phone when he noticed that Cali was nowhere to be seen. He dropped the call and went to the slides where he last have seen him. He found Cali being bullied by bigger kids and he was about to cry.

"You three little pigs, what are you doing to him?" he said authoritatively. He stood behind him.

"He's wimpy!" one of the kids teased him.