43: CAN I VISIT?

CAN I VISIT?

"Look who's here! Clifford, is that you? Why are you carrying, Clark?" Liane, at that moment, looked from one person to another. She pretended not having noticed Clifford at first and busied herself with greeting the old folks.2

"You know uncle Cliff, too, Aunt Liane?" Clark was more amazed now at how popular his uncle Clifford is, and he remembered seeing him on TV.

"Yes, of course! He is your uncle Frank's close friend. What a small world after all." But Liane's eyes became so unfocused, and it seems like she is bothered over something.

To avoid being distracted, she came across a good-looking man beside Ingrid.

"Hi, I'm Liane, and you must be?"

"I'm Lance McNaught, a family friend. Please to meet you." He showed gentlemanly behavior.

"Same here." Liane moved her attention to the Howards, "…when will you go back home, Aunt Rose? So that I could clear my schedule and tour you around the best places here."

"It depends, maybe a week after, perhaps. I am depending on my husband's decision. What do you think, John?"

"Hmmm, I would love to spend more time with my grandson, so it depends.."

"If you like, dad, you can transfer your things at my home. I'll send someone to get it for you."

"That would be nice, dear." Her mother replied. "..ahh, how about you, Lance?" Mrs. Rose remembered their companion.

"I'll stay here in the hotel, aunt Rose, it will be awkward if I'll live with you in your daughter's house." Lance replied. Although deep inside him, he wanted to know Ingrid more, but he had to respect their privacy as a family.

"You've got a point."

"How about, uncle Cliff, mom? Will you not invite him to go to our house, too? We have plenty of rooms there, right?" Clark all of a sudden spoke.

Ingrid doesn't know what to say anymore. She thought that she has been punished by fate, and sometimes, his son's brilliance could also send some little mishap in her peaceful mind. However, Clifford chuckled at the child's suggestion that left Liane in wonder. She could not believe she is seeing.

"I have a house on my own, Clark, don't worry about me."

"Really? Is it big, like ours?" the child's curiosity became passionate.

"Ahh, maybe." His is filled with amusement when he saw the child's big blue eyes. It seems like he mirrored himself on it.

"Can I visit your house instead, uncle Cliff, please?" the child begged him that he could not understand why, but he can't refuse.

"Listen, son, you see, Mr. Briggs here is busy with so many things, so it's not proper for a child to bother someone as busy as him, okay? I apologize for my son's peskiness, sir," Ingrid could only apologize for her son's behavior but deep down inside, she is angry.

But since the child knew his mother so well, that he could not help but climbed down from Clifford's lap and hurriedly climbed to her mother's embrace and lovingly caressed her face.

Everyone was moved, seeing how warm the child's reaction. Clifford, on the other hand, was more than amazed; he could not believe that the child's behavior was the same as his when he was a child. Then, the child spoke.

"Mom, don't worry no one's gonna place you in my heart, I love you very much, but I also like uncle Cliff, so please allow me to visit his house to know if what he said is true that his house is bigger than ours."

John Howard laughed so hard when he heard his grandson's reasoning.

"Grandpa, why did you laugh? You don't believe me?" the child is almost in tears because he is serious when he said those words.

"Come over here and sit on grandpa's lap." His grandfather tapped his lap.

On the other hand, Ingrid froze. She could not believe that as the days pass by, her son's intelligence is increasing, he now knew how to reason with her, and she is always caught off guard on his ways. She must really reverse her approach in her child, as he is maturing at an early age.

Her son again climbed down from her and went to his grandfather's lap.

"Just nod if your answer is Yes, okay?" he whispered to Clark so that no one would hear. "…You really want a daddy?" without doubt, he nodded.

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