âYou have my word,â Marcus affirmed, a sincere promise to his son.
Melissa exhaled softly, a blend of fondness and exasperation in her voice.
âYouâre spoiling him.
â
But Marcus just shrugged, his love for his son clear as he responded, âItâs no trouble at all.
Besides, Matthewâs not in pre-school until later this year.
I want to cherish these moments.
â
Silence was Melissaâs acquiescence.
Post-dinner, Marcus, Matthew, and Minnie disappeared into the tool room.
There, they didnât just build a dining set for Minnie; they crafted a small bed, too, with Marcus taking the time to smooth down every edge until it gleamed.
Minnie, sensing the bed was her own, leapt onto it with joy, her tail a cheerful flag.
When the creations were complete, Marcus brought them upstairs, sawdust sprinkling from his clothes, a stark contrast to his usually neat appearance.
He approached Melissa, who was poring over a financial report in her post-shower calm.
Casually, amidst the evidence of his handiwork, he said, âIâm thinking of making a cushion and some other things for Minnie.
Got any pink fabric?â
Lifting her eyes, Melissa took in the sight of him dusty, disheveled, but unmistakably content in his labors of love.
Caught off guard, Melissa paused before responding, âIâll just order them on Amazon.
Theyâll turn out better than anything we could make.
â
Yet Marcus was nonchalant, gently pressing, âMatthew mentioned heâd like them more if you made them.
â
With a resigned nod, Melissa agreed.
At that moment, Minnie, full of energy, bounded into the room and leaped into Melissaâs arms, sniffing curiously at the financial report she set aside.
Melissa quickly put that away to save it from the puppyâs playful gnaws.
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She petted the puppy with a smile and teased Marcus, âSeems Like youâre treating Minnie as if she were your little girl.
â
Marcus, with a hint of something deeper in his gaze, threw out a playful challenge.
âWhat do you think about adding another kid to the mix?â
Melissa remained silent at the suggestion.
Marcus, sensing the weight of the moment, smoothly shifted gears.
âIâm taking Matthew to the Civil Office tomorrow to change his name and address.
â
The words hung in the air;
Matthew was to take Marcusâ last name instead of her own.
Looking into her eyes, Marcus spoke earnestly.
âYou know, we could just get married.
Iâm not looking for a stepmom for Matthew.
â
Before Melissa could reply, her phone disrupted the moment.
Jessieâs name flashed on the screen.
She didnât take the call but instead look up at Marcus.
âWhat, is that a call from your lover? Need me to step out for a moment?â