837 He Wasnât So Bad
Some might say Daniel was old-fashioned, but in his view, he was being himself and right now, he didnât feel like himself. Although his makeup was minimal, he still felt like scrubbing the chemicals off his face. But then, he looked younger and Haz mentioned something about women liking men who made efforts to their dates. Tonight was all about showing Angelica that he could be normal and capable of loving another woman â after Natalie.
They branched off at a store before and Haz purchased the white sneakers which he wore. Angelica already sent him the location and it was at a child care center. There was no way they could have their date there, so she probably had something to do there and would be out as soon as he arrived.
When they finally reached the destination, Daniel ordered Haz to be on the lookout. He could get carried away and give the enemies a chance to strike. But with him here, nothing would happen, and did Daniel forget to mention that he was nervous? Just a tiny bit. If he needed help, Haz was here for clues.
Standing outside the one-story building, Daniel called Angelica and waited for her to pick up. However, the phone rang on without an answer. Daniel didnât think much about it and called the second time. But then, when the same thing happened the second and third time, his expression hardened with his eyes as cold as ice.
There was no way Angelica stood him up, right? There was no way that he would have made all of this effort only to be played for a fool. Great anger coursed through Daniel and his hands curled into a fist. This is why emotions are useless, in the end, heâs the one who showed weakness.
The phone rang almost immediately and lifting it and seeing that it was Angelica calling him back, the coldness in his eyes eased away.
âHello?â He asked, hope growing inside of him.
âHi Daniel, Iâm so sorry for missing your calls, I have my hands filled in here and I know that itâs too much, but could you come upstairs, please?â She begged him.
Hearing her plea, Daniel turned around and stared at the building, his brows drawn together. What in the name of trouble was she doing in here? He did not have a good idea about this, but in the end, he walked into the building.
.....
What Daniel first noticed was the bright vibrant colors and then the noises from disturbances aka children. While Daniel appreciated having a grandchild to carry on the legacy of his hard work, it didnât mean he appreciated the company of a swarm of them. He liked them when they were all grown up, and could think and produce results.
Hence, Daniel looked like a stranger in a foreign country when he stepped into the spacious hall and it was chaos everywhere. The children were crying! Some were running helter scatter while the care providers chased after them. Some of them were kind enough to settle down and play with their toys. However, the ratio of the crying and unruly children was much higher than the âsensible onesâ.
And it was in the middle of the chaos that she saw Angelica, she had two toddlers in her arms and they werenât the best because they were crying at the top of their voices and she looked distressed. No wonder children were a pest to society.
Before Daniel even knew what was going on, his feet already took him to where she was.
âNo wonder you missed my calls, itâs self-explanatory.â He said with a bit of criticism in his tone.
âDaniel!â Angelica said, âIâm so sorry!â She began to apologize while also dealing with the children in her arms. âIâm running low on staff currently and I should have canceled on the date. However, I didnât want you to think that I didnât want you or something.â
âYou want me?â He grinned, exposing his white teeth. The strict appointment with the dentist finally paid off.
Angelicaâs jaw dropped open when she realized the weight of her words and thanks to that distraction, one of the kids slipped from her arm and nearly fell if it hadnât been for Daniel. His movements was swift and he caught the child on the arm before lifting the baby so he could take a good look at her.
âJesus, thank you!â Angelica breathed in relief. It would have been claustrophobic if the child sustained injury. How would she relay the news to her parents?
âYouâre welcome,â Daniel said without looking at her, all of his attention on the ugly thing that was now staring back at him, gripped with the shock of the fall. However, as if the switch was flipped, the childâs expression distorted and the next thing, she cried out at the top of her lungs.
However, to everyoneâs surprise, Daniel pointed a finger in her face and boomed âSilence!â
The child stopped crying, looking startled and Angelicaâs face palmed mentally. Daniel just provoked her, her cries would be worse now. But contrary to her thoughts, the baby didnât cry rather she reached out and grabbed Danielâs finger pointed to her.
âHey, let go.â Daniel tried to pull her hand off but the little nuisance was stubborn and held onto it further. If anything, she smiled at his attempt to pull free.
âItâs not funny,â Daniel was serious and tried to pull free but the little devil clamp her tiny fingers around it and wouldnât let go. She even had a laughing fit even though he has no idea about what was hilarious about his finger being held hostage by her.
And while this was going on, Angelica watched the drama with a smile on her face. Perhaps, he wasnât so bad after all.
Realizing that the little devil was not going to let him be, Daniel stopped struggling and let her take his finger hostage. But that freedom lasted until the toddler started pulling his finger in the direction of her mouth
Nooâ¦..