Amber followed Ilay with a big smile on her face as they went down the stairs after she told him she wanted to eat ice cream and go to the park.
"I'm taking Amber with me."
Ilay stood by the door of the living room with Amber right behind him. Helena and Daniel were enjoying some afternoon tea while Scarlet took her nap on one of the sofas.
"Where are you going?" asked Helena.
"Uncle is going to buy me ice cream," Amber said with a big smile. As if by magic, Scarlet woke up from her nap and walked, still half asleep, to her sister.
"You already had a sweet today. Tomorrow you can have an ice cream."
Amber looked down, clenching Ilay's trousers with her hand, about to cry. Her little sister leaned against Ilay's leg while dozing off.
"I wasn't asking," Ilay said. "Just letting you know she will be with me."
"I'm the mother. They already had sweets today, and that's enough."
"Does it look like I care? I'm the uncle they never get to see. I'm spoiling my nieces while they are here. If you don't like it, leave."
Ilay and Helena glared at each other. Helena didn't care that much if the girls had another sweet or not. However, she didn't want Ilay to do whatever he wanted like always and be a bad example.
"Dear, it's okay," said Daniel. "We are on holiday, so let them enjoy it. It's not every day they go out with their uncle Ila–"
Helena's hand slapped his mouth shut, and Daniel realised the mistake he was about to make. He gave a curt smile and apologised for the slip of tongue.
"Let's go, girls." Ilay nodded and turned to leave with Amber right behind him, but Scarlet grabbed his trousers, rubbing her eyes.
"Uncle Ilay... carry me..."
Helena's brows shot up, seeing her daughter asking to be carried. Not the fact she asked, but more who she asked. She was ready to pamper Scarlet when Ilay made her cry by saying something like 'walk by yourself' or 'stay home.' However, without a word and no signs of displeasure or being uncomfortable, Ilay leaned down and picked up Scarlet to his chest. Scarlet smiled and leaned against Ilay's shoulder, her eyes about to close again.
Kyle who had just arrived from work, stood motionless as Scarlet dozed off on Ilay's shoulder and Amber held his hand waving 'bye bye'. After they walked out of the door, Kyle finaly regaining his senses looked at Helena and Daniel.
"Ice cream one, parents zero," Daniel said, laughing. "Also, uncle one and mama bear zero."
Helena's glare was vicious, and she stormed out of the living room without a word. Kyle was about to leave for his office to finish some tasks when Daniel asked, "Why does he hate people calling his name?"
Kyle gave him a sympathetic expression and a soulless chuckle before responding. "If he knows we told you the story, he might do something crazy, so I can't say it. Sorry."
It was already after dinner when Taeui woke up and went downstairs to see the house in an uproar.
"Calm down, dear. I'm sure they will be here any minute." Daniel was trying to calm Helena down while looking at Kyle, who had his phone to his ear.
The second Kyle saw Taeui his eyes shone for a brief moment and pulled him closer before asking him to call Ilay. When Taeui raised his brow in response and looked around the room again, noticing that Mrs and Mr Riegrow were sitting down on the sofa, Kyle explained.
"Ilay went out with the girls after lunch and hasn't come back yet and isn't answering his phone."
For a moment, Taeui wondered why they were so worried that Ilay was with the girls. If anything, Ilay was the safest person they could be with. But then he remembered that danger tended to follow him, and he worried slightly about the girls. He didn't want them to see anything bad while so young.
"If Ilay is with them, I'm sure they are fine." Taeui sounded confident, but that only made Helena angrier.
"How can you be so sure? He only took them to piss me off, it's not like he cares. He probably left them somewhere to go meet his so-called girlfriend and forgot about them. Why else wouldn't he answer his phone?"
"He wouldn't do that," Taeui spoke with certainty. When everyone looked at him, the feeling that he had done something unnecessary grew in his belly. With several pairs of eyes waiting for an explanation, Taeui brooded over his words before speaking. "If he didn't care and was only doing it for that reason, Ilay wouldn't do it at all. It would be too troublesome for him, and he hates troublesome things the most."
"If he went out with them, he will be back with them safe and sound. He actually cares for them a lot."
Everyone kept staring at him without a word, and Taeui felt he was just digging a hole. Then another voice on the other side of the living room sounded.
"Ilay wouldn't hurt the girls. I believe that as well," said Mrs Riegrow, smiling at Taeui.
"But he doesn't know how to look after people. If they start crying or throw a tantrum, he won't know what to do. Besides, it's past dinner time, they should have been home hours ago."
At that Taeui couldn't say anything. Ilay didn't have children so of course he didn't know how to look after them. But nonetheless Taeui knew they would be fine with him.
At that moment, a loud knock on the door was heard. More than a knock, it was more of a hard thump, as if someone was trying to break down the door. A staff member ran to the door and everyone. Walking through the door was Ilay, carrying both nieces on his arms, as both were asleep on his shoulders, while he carried two bags full of plusies and knick-knacks. He had kicked the door.
"Ilay–" Helena screamed, briskly walking to Ilay. However, when he glared down at her, she stopped. His cold eyes were too harsh even for his sister.
"You will wake them up if you keep screaming." He continued walking, but Daniel stopped him a few steps later.
"Let me carry one of them. They must be heavy."
Ilay clicked his tongue and then handed him the bags. "Take the bags instead and just tell me where to lay them down."
Taeui giggled, watching from the sidelines. Seeing Ilay carrying the girls despite his cold eyes, he could tell he was happy. He looked like a doting uncle, not letting even the father take them from him.
'He would make a wonderful father.'
"That's why I said the would be fine," Taeui murmured.
"This is the first time I see my son looking after someone else," said Mrs Riegrow, watching as Ilay and Daniel climbed the stairs. Then she paused and looked at Taeui. "You must be good friends since you know him so well."
"Ah, yes. We are good friends." Taeui said, unable to look her in the eyes for long.
"This is also the first time he introduces us a friend."
"We used to work together. Some things happened, and he let me stay here for a while." Taeui had that answer at the tip of his tongue, knowing that it could come up.
Mrs Riegrow smiled and nodded, and when Mr Riegrow appeared, she put her arm on his. Mr Riegrow stared at Taeui and spoke. "If he is mistreating you or threatening you to stay here, let us know. We can help."
Before Taeui replied he started walking away with his wife on his hand. Helena was still ranting about Ilay when her parents returned to their room, and Kyle stayed next to her trying to calm her down.
"It's normal to feel like this since you haven't seen him for so long. But Ilay has become... calmer. No, that's not the word I was looking for."
Kyle pondered a moment before continuing, "He is not as volatile as before, and he even takes care of his partner in his own way. Right, Taeui?"
Kyle looked back at Taeui for a helping hand. Taeui had not expected this type of question before, so he stammered when he said, "Ah... yes."
Helena looked suspiciously at them but didn't say anything before turning around and returning to her room. Taeui scratched his head and chuckled lightly. It was the first time he was alone with Kyle, and he wasn't sure how to act after lying to the rest of the family since Kyle knew he was dating Ilay. Before Kyle spoke, Taeui apologised. "I'm sorry. I got nervous and didn't know what to do, so I ended up lying to your family. I'm really sorry."
Kyle smiled like an older brother. "I know. You should talk with Ilay and be honest with them. Take your time, but don't worry too much." Kyle seemed like he wanted to say something else but refrained from it and just smiled again, leaving to his office.