Melon was still around and saw his motherâs action.
When the person answered, Melon realized she was calling the man just now back and looked at his mother in surprise.
âMommy, why are you calling the scoundrel back?â
Flustered, Ariana cleared her throat and said quickly, âOh, I was just checking on a delivery.
â
Gently stroking Melonâs hair, she ventured, âWould you Like to speak to your father, dear? I know you miss him.
â
Melonâs eyes went wide, disbelief evident on his face.
Half-eager, half-doubtful, he exclaimed, âIs he truly my father?â
With a warm smile, Ariana pinched his chubby cheek affectionately and set the call to speaker mode.
âYour son would like to talk,â she told the man before she handed the phone in air.
On the other end of the line, the man chuckled in response.
âs
âWhy now?
He called me a scoundrel just a moment ago!â
But Melon didnât explain himself and piped up, âIf youâre really my father, why did you call me Max instead of Melon? Mommy said that you chose my nickname yourself.
Did you forget already?â
The silence on the other end returned once again.
With a gentle tug,
Melon held onto Arianaâs hand, doubt etched on his face.
âMommy, whatâs the matter? Is the connection breaking again?â
Ariana felt embarrassed, realizing she had forgotten to mention his nickname yesterday.
The man on the other side must be unaware that he had a special moniker.
âThere seems to be a hiccup in the connection at the border,â Ariana explained with a sheepish smile.
Embracing Melon in her arms, she continued softly, âYour father hasnât actually forgotten the nickname Melon.
Itâs just been a while, and he could be aiming for a more formal tone in addressing you.
â
In an attempt to bridge the awkwardness, Ariana said âhelloâ to the phone once more.
After a moment, it appeared that the other end had finally caught the signal.
The manâs voice returned, echoing Arianaâs story.
âApologies, the reception was patchy earlier.
Is Melon still on the line?â
âIâm here!â Melonâs eyes brightened, a mix of happiness and skepticism in his voice.
His delight was palpable, but he still held back from using the word âdaddy.
â
This sudden appearance of a father figure had thrown him off balance, and the title felt somewhat foreign.
Taking the phone confidently, Melon ventured, âDad, can you tell me when I was born?â
Sensing the challenge, the man chuckled and answered Melonâs query.
After that, Melon kept asking again and over, âWhatâs my favorite color? Whatâs my favorite food?â