Prince

Chapter 14

(KM)

"Is YuKi here?" I asked again, but they are like frozen statues staring at me, especially this lovely young woman on the counter.

I looked around with confusion. Thinking was wrong with my question. I waved my hand at the woman in front, trying to snap her out. "Hello..."

That snapped her out, and she just rapidly blinked as if a speck of dust had entered her eyes.

"I'm sorry about that... but..." She gazed to her side, looking at the woman who greeted me earlier.

"I'm sorry... but he is not here..." The woman said.

"Oh... where is he?" I then faced and asked her.

"He is off today... maybe he is with his HUSBAND... ON... A... DATE..." Her voice is specifying every last word after 'husband.'

I smiled, but that actually felt like a dagger was piercing through my heart. I am jealous as to why YuKi is with that worthless man.

"Oh... is that so... well if he comes... kindly tell him that... Kelly came..." I told them. Then I paid for the tart and left.

I was a bit disappointed that I didn't get the chance to see YuKi at the bakeshop. I was planning all sorts of surprises for him. I admit things did not go according to my plan to be with him the whole day and observe him working hard on the shop. All these little things running through my mind keeps the smile on my face. A smile and emotion that I never experienced in a long time.

I was walking on the street and took a bite of the tart. The flavor and the crisps are perfect. The crusts are crispy and chewy at the same time, while the flavors exploded in my mouth that felt like heaven.

A permanent smile was glued onto my face the entire travel back home.

"Hi, Papa!" I kissed him on the cheek

"Daddy!" I hugged him like an excited kid.

"Woah... looks like you had fun???" Papa asked me.

"Nah, I just felt refreshed. It has been more than a year since I was able to go out, which felt like an adventure for me." I explained to them. I cannot even explain why I am like this, but somehow I feel great. Don't get me wrong, I still feel angry, but somehow right now, my anger has somewhat subsided. This smile and this feeling are as genuine as you can get.

"You wanna tell us what you did?" Daddy asked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary..." I answered him, but he is not that convinced. His eyes are staring at me like I am guilty of something heinous.

"Relax, dad... I was just out, and I have met an old friend of mine." I explained

"Are you sure that is all?" He asked again

"Now... Jam... My love... what more do you want to hear?" Papa interrupted. He is reading some emails on his computer while taking a sip of his tea.

"Look... I can feel something is not right..." daddy said.

"Dad... Look, I was out for a while, and yeah... I might have gone to where YuKi is working, but that is because I heard they are selling the most amazing tart, and I want to try it for myself."

I cannot read his expression after what I said about YuKi. So I just took a bite off of my sandwich and then went to my room.

(Jom)

"Love... what was that?" I looked and asked him.

"What was what?" He replied

"Look, love..." I stood up and went closer to him. "I am worried about our son too, but... remember that he is no longer a small boy... so don't be so hard on him... ok?" I continued to explain while rubbing his shoulders then kissed him.

He was silent—typical Jam when he is not satisfied with the situation. He can be too controlling, but I know he can restrain himself.

I resumed my reading, and then after some time, I decided to console my son.

'knock...knock...knock...' no answer, so I tried to open the door. I was open, and as I enter there, he is lying on the bed, crouching like a little boy. I silently approached him, then lightly tapped him.

"Kelly... 'nak..." I said.

He looked over me with the same expression of a little boy who has just been scolded.

"nak... do you wanna talk about your day?" I said in a slightly awkward voice. He just shook his head and covered it back again with his blanket.

"Kelly..." I lay next to him and hugged him under his blanket. "nak... come on... talk to papa..." I added

"so what? So you can stare at me like did something terrible?" he said while his blanket is still covering his head.

"So... I know what made you so happy today... you know it has been ages since I last saw my son's beautiful smile and... I want to know why..." I answered him while my arm is still hugging him.

He gently pushed my hands away and slowly peaked out of his blanket. I smiled to show that I am serious about listening to him as the promise I made to be a good father and spend more time with him.

"So... do you want to tell me?" I asked again.

He just gave me a slight nod, and then he started to talk about how he got lost in Bromley, which I found quite hilarious, and when he met his old tennis club captain until the very last detail about the taste of the tart that he bought.

I had never been so interested in my son's day as this, and I can see that he, too, was happy, which in turn also made me happy.

(Jam)

Maybe I was a bit too harsh on him. My instinct is telling me that something terrible is going to happen to my son. That is why as much as possible, I wanted to know everything about his activity. I understand that I went overboard earlier, so I want to apologize.

I walked closer to Kelly's room, and I can hear some laughter coming from inside. The closer I get, the more I can listen to that Joms' voice, and I can both hear them laughing.

It has been ages since I last heard Kelly's laugh, and it felt so wonderful. Ever since we came back here, if it is not screams of fear, it just pure silence. Hearing him laugh again is so new to me right now.

I cannot get myself to enter his room and ruin his happy moments, so I stood there outside his room listening, and I can feel my tears running down my face.

'What have I done?' I was so afraid of the terrible things that might happen, and I forgot about my son's happiness.

I silently wept outside his door as every strict rule I gave him felt so right before, and now it just felt so wrong and controlling