I shook my head. “No, I don’t.”
He nodded. “So why would you be bothered about that when you were simply defending yourself? Black and white are not the only colors in this world, you know? It is impossible to classify someone as good or bad based on their actions alone.”
Hmm… That is indeed true. Fine, I’ll admit that he’s right.
I stood up and said, “I’ve already eaten with Aunt Sally in the mall earlier, so you can have dinner with Summer instead.”
“That was in the afternoon. You will join us for dinner later,” he said in a firm and commanding tone.
I glared at him. “Are you ordering me around?”
He paused for a moment before reaching out and pulling me back toward the sofa. “I mean… Dinner just isn’t complete without the whole family at the table, right?”
What kind of logic is that?
I pouted at him and repeated, “Hmph! You were ordering me around!”
“How about you do the same to me, and we’ll call it even?” he asked with a smile.
I rolled my eyes at him. “No, thank you!”
“What will you have me do, then?”
“You’re not allowed to sleep in the bedroom tonight,” I said after giving it some thought.
He leaned in closer and whispered in my ear, “But that’s a little too much for me to handle… Can you come up with something else instead, hmm?”
His deep voice sounded incredibly sexy, but I shook my head firmly and said, “Nope!”
At that moment, Summer had chocolate all over her face as she climbed onto Ashton’s lap and said, “You can’t just hug Mommy, Mr. Fuller! You need to hug me too!”
As I moved a little bit to the side to make space for Summer who had just interrupted us, I cleared my throat before changing the topic. “Ahem… So, New Year’s Eve is just around the corner. When will you get off work?”
Ashton grabbed a piece of tissue and wiped the chocolate off Summer’s face. “After we conclude the end-of-year meeting, I guess.”
I nodded and kept quiet after that.
Summer seemed to have grown quite attached to Ashton after spending a lot of time with him.
“Dinner is ready, Mr. and Mrs. Fuller!” Flora called out to us while setting the table and serving up the food.
Summer ran over the moment she heard that. Seeing the scrumptious dishes on the table, her mouth watered as she called out to Flora in a sweet voice.
Flora picked her up and gave her a kiss on the cheek before assisting her with the dishes. “Mr. Fuller, I noticed that the snow in the yard out back has begun to melt, and the flowers have all wilted. Shall we grow some vegetables there? You’ll be able to enjoy the harvest come spring.”
Ashton nodded and replied, “I’ll leave that to you, so do as you see fit.”
The yard in the main house was filled with all sorts of flowers and plants, which would be replaced each season for the sake of aesthetics. On the other hand, the yard in the rear house was kept empty so they could plant anything they wanted whenever they pleased.
Ashton topped up my plate when he saw me staring into space. “Don’t space out while eating. You’re not a kid anymore, you know?”
“Mommy is a big kid, and I’m a little kid! Poor Mr. Fuller, you have to look after two kids!” Summer said with a giggle.
I felt my face burn up a little but could only shoot Ashton a glare with Summer around. Damn it, I know he said that on purpose!
“Yup! Your mommy will always be my kid!” Ashton told Summer with a smile.
Summer looked at us both and asked, “Is Mr. Fuller my daddy as well? My classmates say their parents live together, and you two are staying in the same room too! Does that mean you’re my parents?”
Oh, the innocence of children sure is beautiful…
I tensed up slightly and glanced at Ashton.
“Do you want me to be your daddy, Summer?” he asked while topping up her dish.
Summer was a little confused but nodded seriously anyway. “I do!”
After giving it some thought, she continued, “Are you my biological father too?”
“I’ve always been your daddy, Summer. It’s just that… I did something wrong which made your mommy really angry, so she brought you with her all the way to R Province. That’s why you’ve been living there with her for so many years and only returned home now.”
“Then why didn’t you come to look for us, Mr. Fuller?” Summer asked.
Children sure are capable of coming up with all sorts of weird questions… I quickly replied while adding more food to her plate, “There is no why, Summer. Didn’t I tell you not to talk when eating?”
“Oh, right!” Summer winked mischievously at Ashton and finished the rest of her meal in silence.
After tucking Summer in, I saw Ashton come out of the shower when I returned to our bedroom.
“We’re good to go today,” he said in a deep voice.
After staring blankly at him for a few seconds, I realized what he meant when I noticed the weird look in his eyes.
