Yet, Melon didnât seem nervous at all.
He strode over confidently.
People knew Rodney as a no-nonsense guy, always leaving behind an aura of seriousness.
He gave Melon a long, hard look.
Then he asked Catalina, âWhoâs this bold little fella?â
Before she could answer, Melon said in a gentle tone, âIâm not bold.
Mommy calls me her little gem.
â
That caught Catalina off guard.
She laughed.
Nobody ever answered back to her dad like that before.
Smiling, she messed up Melonâs hair a bit and nudged him closer to her father.
âHeâs the son of one of Mitchellâs buddies.
â
Rodneyâs face turned thoughtful for a moment.
âHe reminds me of.
Lost in her dadâs sudden shift, Catalina asked, âReminds you of who?â
Rodney just shook his head.
âNever mind.
Just getting nostalgic in my old age.
â
Just then, a maid came over.
âMaâam, the banquet menu needs your approval.
â
Catalina hesitated, worried about leaving Melon alone with her dad.
But Rodney seemed rather taken with the youngster.
He chuckled.
âGet on with it.
What, you think Iâd snack on the kid?â
Reassured, Catalina went on her way, leaving the two of them alone.
The room echoed with silence for a bit.
Then, filled with childlike wonder, Melon peppered Rodney with one question after another.
Rodney, with his formidable presence, took his time to answer every curious query from Melon.
Suddenly, Melon popped a question.
âHow come you never smile? Mommy says lucky folks always wear a grin.
â
With a dismissive snort, Rodney said, âPoppyc@@k.
â