Bright was practically vibrating with excitement as she paced around the apartment, watching anxiously as Tul put together some sandwiches while Max read the side of a box of cookie mix with a serious expression on his face.
"You're sure he's coming?" She asked, her voice wavering, hopping from foot to foot.
"Yes sweetie, his mother just texted they're a few minutes away." Max said with a smile, reaching over the counter to ruffle her hair. She pursed her lips to step back, her nose scrunching up in annoyance.
"And everything is going to be fun right?" She asked.
"Did you finish cleaning up your room?" Tul asked, ever the responsibility addict.
"Yes, and Uncle Max helped me put up a tent in the middle of it for us to sleep in." She said.
"A tent? When did you do that?" Tul asked, turning to Max who gave a cheeky grin.
"When you went to the store, I borrowed a little tent from Neung, I thought it would be fun for the kids." He said with a shrug, continuing his examination of the box of cookie mix.
"How long do you have to stare at that box? It's cookie mix, you add some water and an egg and chuck it in the oven." Tul said with a laugh, rolling his eyes.
"And sandwiches just have to be slopped onto bread and smushed together but you seem to be taking your sweet time making them." He said, leaning over and giving Tul a kiss on the neck.
"Gross!" Bright said, squinching her face further. "Don't do that when Jun is here, he might get grossed out." She declared with an air of five year old superiority.
"But I love your Uncle so much I want to kiss him all the time." Max said with a laugh, pinching Tul's cheek. Tul rolled his eyes, shoving his hand off as though swatting away an annoying housefly.
"Fine... but try to not do it too much." Bright conceded. "Seeing adults kiss is gross." She finished, crossing her arms.
The doorbell rang and her face of disapproval turned to one of excitement and she practically left a dust cloud in her wake as she ran to the door, grabbing it and swinging it open so forcefully the door knob hit the wall.
"Bright! What did I say about opening doors so hard!" Tul admonished, wiping his hands off on a tea towel and walking to the door to greet Star and Jun.
"Hi!" Star said brightly, her teeth flashing white in the sunlight filtering in from outside. "Jun hasn't been able to stop talking about how excited he is for tonight. And to think, he'd be spending the night at his girlfriend's house at only five years old. They grow up so fast." She fake wiped away a tear and laughed.
"Moooooom, she's not my girlfriend." Jun protested, his assertion undercut by Bright grabbing him by the hand and pulling him into the apartment and toward her room.
"Come see my new room! Uncle Max put up a tent for us!" She declared and he followed along silently, nodding sagely as she chattered at him.
"I swear, he talks a lot at home, but everyone always says how quiet he is everywhere else." She said with a shrug. "But he's your problem for the night. I have a hot date." She said, giving the two of them a wave. "Text if he's dying!" She called behind her. "Otherwise I'll see you tomorrow afternoon!"
Tul gave a little chuckle, shutting the door and Max smiled at him, leaning against the hallway entry, looking at him appraisingly.
"What?" Tul asked. "Why are you staring at me?" He looked down at himself, patting himself down as though looking for something wrong.
YOU ARE READING
Love after Five
Romance[Completed] Love comes when you least expect it 🌈❤️ Tul didn't expect to find himself the father of a five year old girl, but his sister and her husband died in a car accident leaving him to be the sole guardian of his niece Bright. While struggli...
