Chapter 17
Chapter 17: A Date... A Family Date
“Are you ready?” Kaleb asked, thrilled for his very first date with Scarlett,
“Umm.” Scarlett was standing at the door to her room, pursing her lips. She replied, “Yes, I am, but –”
“Daddy! I’m ready too!” Liam‘s head popped out from behind Scarlett‘s frame, his smile reaching his ears,” I’m excited!”
‘Daddy, I’m ready too.’
‘Daddy, I’m ready too.‘
The words of Liam repeatedly rang in Kaleb‘s head, and it took several seconds for everything to register, His son was going with
them on his very first date with Scarlett.
“Sorry,” Scarlett softly said. “He was pretty insistent.”
Earlier that morning, all Liam had to say to Scarlett was, “Do you love me or not? Then... you should bring me to your date with
daddy. You can‘t leave me.”
Scarlett just could not say no to him, and she could tell Kaleb was the same.
As Liam showed his enthusiasm, Kaleb eventually surrendered to the charms of his son,
“I‘m excited, daddy!” Liam said, reaching for Kaleb‘s hand,
“I can see that,” Kaleb said. He hissed, but he quickly recovered, scratching his head. “I guess it‘s going to be a family date,
then.”
‘A family date,‘ Scarlett repeated, her ears feeling warm at what Kaleb implied.
The three of them soon arrived at the Wright Wonder World Theme Park, Kaleb explained to Scarlett this was the first theme
park under their company, and over the years, it slowly became the best in the state.
Their supposed date was the reason Kaleb asked her to wear jeans and slip–on sneakers.
The three of them wore simple white t–shirts on and a hat over their heads. Kaleb and Scarlett had sunglasses on, while Liam
refused to wear one.
Their first stop was jumping into the bumper cars where they took three continuous rounds without getting out of the ring. Kaleb
particularly targeted Scarlett very often, while Liam bumped into his father.
“Leave my beauty alone, daddy!” Liam kept repeating,
“No can do, buddy! She is mine!” Declared Kaleb.
“No, she is mine!” Liam countered, taking a turn and bumping into Scarlett again.
Scarlett could not help but laugh at the father and son, all while trying to get away from them. “Stop it, the two of you. Let me
enjoy two rounds of going around the circle.”
Riding the Anchors Away, Scarlett and Liam were screaming at the top of their lungs. Their faces stiffened at that fluttering
feeling in their stomachs, their hearts raced. Kaleb, on the other hand, having gotten used to the ride, simply chuckled at their
expressions,
When Liam hugged Scarlett tightly, however, an idea crept into Kaleb’s head. He brought Liam and Scarlett to the Haunted
House next.
As expected, Liam stuck to Scarlett like glue, his back facing her as they advanced throughout the passages.
“Scarlett, I’m scared,” Liam said, his hand holding Scarlett‘s.
“Stay with me, Liam. Stay with me,” Scarlett said, assuring the boy.
At the peak of the Haunted House’s route, Kaleb also embraced Scarlett from behind. He said, “I’m scared.”
“No, you are not! You are an adult! And you have probably been here like a thousand times,” she countered, but she still giggled
at his sly tricks.
“Not a thousand. Please. Maybe a hundred times,” Kaleb admitted, still holding her steady, his lips breathing against her hair.
“But that‘s not really what I‘m afraid of.”
“Huh? What?” She asked, bemused.
Pressing his lips to her ear, he revealed, “I‘m scared of losing you.”
Scarlett laughed boisterously despite being inside a Haunted House. She remarked, “I don’t know what to do with you, Mister
Wright!”
They hopped on other rides after that, taking pictures along the way. Kaleb and Liam fighting over Scarlett’s attention was a
constant hilarity.
In the afternoon, the three went to the souvenir shop to buy items. Liam immediately rushed to the side o fa huge white teddy
bear. He turned to his father and asked, “Daddy, can you buy me this, please? Please.”
While Kaleb‘s family owned the theme park, the employees do not necessarily know them by heart. The only time when he used
his name was to get multiple rounds at the bumper cars. Thus, he paid for the bear and handed it to Liam.
“Here you go, buddy.” He made a mess of his hair and said, “I love you.”
“I love you too, daddy,” Liam said and then a very wide grin became painted on his face. He dashed to where Scarlett was and
offered the stuffed toy. “My Beauty, I bought this for you!”
Seeing just that, a hiss left Kaleb‘s lips. He became determined to let his son realize where they both stand in Scarlett‘s life.
Competing with his own son was just not going to work.
In the evening, before heading down to the Third Diamond Hotel‘s dinner buffet, Kaleb had a one-on-one with Liam in his room.
He was helping him change when he began, “Liam, do you know why Scarlett will b e moving to a condo unit downstairs next
week?”
Liam abruptly frowned and answered, “No, daddy. Why can’t she stay?”
“Because she has her own life. We don’t own her,” Kaleb explained,
“Then I‘ll ask her to marry me,” Liam blurted out. “I want her to stay with me forever.”
Kaleb chuckled, his blue eyes sparkled as he explained to his son, “Liam, it does not work that way. We have to share Scarlett.”
“I don’t want to share Scarlett. I’ll marry her,” he insisted. “Listen to me buddy. I’m sure Scarlett cares for you. She may love you
already.”
“She loves me. She said,” He crossed his arms against his chest, his lips pouting.
“Okay, granted, but whatever love Scarlett has for you is that of a mother’s,” Kaleb explained. “The love you have for Scarlett is
different from the love I have for her.”
You love her too?” Liam asked, raising a brow.
She doesn’t know that yet, but I think I love her,” Kaleb answered. “Listen to me, Liam. Marriage is between two consenting
adults who love each other. That‘s how they form a family. You are not an adult who can marty Scarlett. Technically, you need to
be eighteen years old to marry.”
If you love Scarlett so much, the best way to keep her is for me, your daddy, to marry her,” Kaleb revealed. That way, both of us
will be happy. Don‘t you want me to be happy too?”
want you to be happy,” Liam replied.
Then, if I marry Scarlett, that will make us both happy. She will move in with us because she will be my wife and your mommy,
too,” Kaleb added.
“She‘ll – she’ll be my mommy?” Liam asked, and his eyes seemed to gleam with the idea,
“Yes, but that will happen only if she chooses to marry me,” Kaleb explained. “And when that happens, Scarlett and I can give
you a brother and sister, too. Don‘t you want that?”
Just like my cousins?” He asked eagerly.
“Yes, just like your cousins,” confirmed Kaleb. Liam was silent for seconds, thinking about what his father said. He then took a
deep breath and replied, “ I’ll think about it, daddy.”
At the hotel restaurant, during dinner, Kaleb was away to take an important phone call.
Liam was left in Scarlett’s care. The young boy turned to Scarlett and asked, “My Beauty, daddy said, I can’t marry you? Is that
true?”