Bonus Chapter: Part 10

**Bonus Chapter: Part 10**

**“I love you too, dada,”** Friso told his dad sweetly. To the boy, hearing that his father was proud of him was equivalent to an “I love you.”

Now that Allison and Hades had finally settled down and were now officially family, expressing themselves with words and actions was an important rule, though the latter was still struggling with opening himself since he had been dwelling with a cold exterior and stoic mindset for years longer than the two had been together.

Hades replied with his only response, patting Friso’s head while looking at the boy with a gaze so unfamiliar, like a fine piece of rare tanzanite gemstone. A tender-loving gaze. “I love you too, son,” he replied with a small smile.

The family’s peaceful breakfast continued with another cup of coffee served for him. The hearty morning session didn’t last long. As soon as he had his final sip from the mug, Hades stood up, fixed his coat, and offered his hand to his son, who was washing his hands. “Aight. Pack up, buddy,” he said.

“Where we going, dada?” Friso couldn’t help but ask excitedly, his eyes flashing visible excitement. He didn’t expect that he was getting to play a lot more today.

“We’re going off for a joyride.”

The boy gasped audibly as soon as he heard the words come out of his father’s mouth, his excitement no longer contained. “Jowwy ride?!” he repeated his father’s words, “Jowwy ride, daddy?!” he asked, hoping for reassurance that what he just heard was true.

“That’s right, we’re going on a joyride.” Hades couldn’t help but chuckle, patting his son’s head. “That’s why you should hurry up and change your clothes.”

Immediately, the boy was sent off to his room again to change his clothes. It didn’t take a long time for him to get dressed. The recording of the second scene was cut short, and a break was announced so the staff could have time to prepare for the next scenes, which were crucial and needed an awful lot of work. Haroun took the break as an opportunity to brief Hades about what they should do during the said joyride.

Not sooner, Friso came downstairs looking all bright and enthusiastic, garbed in a denim jumper with a yellow cartoon duck printed shirt tucked beneath, his small figure hopped his way on the floor that rendered his little duck-designed knapsack to bounce in the air. He had been too eager about what was about to happen to the point that it was all he could talk about with his mother while he was dressing up. Just in time, the crew came back to the estate after finishing setting up the car that Hades and Friso were going to use for the taping outdoors.

The tape started rolling.

“I’m ready, dada!” he exclaimed, hopping in front of Hades. The dark, brooding shade cast by his father’s tall figure couldn’t conceal the sunniness surrounding him, and instead, emphasized his dazzling aura. Even though Friso was biologically his son, they were polar. The man recalled having a short conversation with Richard in which the latter mentioned that he used to be as bright as Friso before, but he couldn’t recall such a thing.

Unlike his usual look in tabloids and magazines, Hades wasn’t dressed in a high-end button-down shirt, slacks, and loafers. He looked pretty much casual and refreshing in his white buttoned short sleeve, dark pedal shorts, and slip-on. By the grey prints ADV on his shirt that were shown when struck by the sun, everyone found it obvious that he was flexing his wife’s design. But despite the casual look, he also looked expensive with his metallic gold sunglasses and Patek Philippe watch “That’s good. Dada is ready too,” he said and offered his large hand, “Let’s go?”

The young man looked at him for a brief moment, then smiled widely that his pearly-white teeth showed, and gladly held his extensive appendage. “Yes, dada!” he exclaimed and they began walking down the garden, heading to the estate’s parking lot.

“A rain wily!” Friso suddenly said, pointing at the flowers resting on the path nearest to them. They were a lovely bunch with their stigmatic lobes, and tuft of grass-like leaves. The most eye-catching about them were the petals arranged in a scapose inflorescence, some having pink petals, while others had white. The yellow anther and white stigma that were spread apart added quite the accent to their beauty. Nevertheless, they were absolutely beautiful.

“I’m sorry?” Haroun, who was, along with the crew, observing them while taping.

“Zephyranthes rosea is the pf… pink ones… a… and the white whites are Zephyranthes candida. Rain wi… wilies!” the child repeated what he said earlier, but this time, with a little extra information.

“Oh, he meant the flowers are rain lilies,” Allison suddenly came behind them, she was holding a fat, heavy, and overfilled satchel that looked like it was about to explode at any moment. “Friso liked the flowers I had manicured for the garden so we taught him the names of those plants. He got to learn their scientific names from Richard, who was a graduate in biology and masters in botany.”

“Oh wow, that’s impressive!” praised behind them which caused all the attention to go to her. She immediately covered her mouth, knowing what she had done was wrong.

Encouraged by the compliment, Friso ran to a bush of hydrangeas, kneeling in front of them. “Bigleaf hydrangeas, Hydrangea macrophylla!”

The director’s eyes lit brightly like a lightbulb when an idea crossed his mind. “What about that flower, champ?” he asked, pointing at the flower bush beside it.

“Camellias, Camellia japonica!” the boy instantly answered. It was clear that he knew all the flowers in the garden at the back of his hand.

The simple walk to the parking lot ended up becoming a floral introduction. “Rosa Carolina!”

“Lobelia cardinalis!”

“Cercis canadensis!”

Friso named most of the plants and their scientific names in the garden, and everybody praised him, amazed how such a young child could memorize the names of the plants in this vast garden. Each praise made him happier and boosted his ego. He was getting prouder and prouder at every flower he passed by and named.

“What about this flower?” Hades took his chance to ask his son, pointing at the flower with luminous blue-green appearance and claw-shaped petals. Richard took care of that flower painstakingly as soon as it arrived from the Philippines, so he thought that Friso would know it so well.

“That is…” the boy tried to name the plant, but his mind went blank. He couldn’t name the flower. He knew its name, but he couldn’t recall it. “A…” he began to sweat, and his voice began to shake. Deep in his mind he badly wanted to recall that flower’s name. How could he ever forget that flower’s name? How he badly wanted to shake his head to force himself to remember. But the human brain was flawed, it could always forget. It was the time to show off to his father, but now, he thought he failed.

“Dada…” he looked up to his father who was walking behind him, shivering and biting his lower lip. “Uwaaah…” he couldn’t help but let the waterworks flow and began to cry.

Everyone was about to go over to the crying boy and comfort him but Hades acted quickly and took his son in his arms, giving him the best comfort that he could. “It’s okay, son. It’s okay.” He calmly waited for the boy to calm down, letting him cry with all his heart while patting his back softly. “I’m still proud of you,” he said in the middle of the latter’s cries.

“Wea… weally?” he struggled to mumble the words out of his mouth. His nose was covered in snot, and his face was red, especially his eyes. He wanted to make his father proud of him, but he failed this time. To hear that his father was still proud of him was reassuring to hear that he would never lose the man’s favor.

“Of course. I love you remember?” the father said, and kissed his forehead fervently. Friso liked that. “I will always be proud of you.” Friso finally stopped crying, much to everyone’s relief.

“Now let’s go,” Hades said and they continued what they were supposed to do, head towards the parking lot. “Here we are,” he announced when they arrived.

“Cut!” the director announced, everyone hastily prepared the finishing touches for the next scene.

Allison didn’t let a single second pass and handed Hades the bag she had been holding for too long. “Here,” she stated. When the man accepted the bag, she began speaking fast like she was rapping: “You need to make sure he gets his biscuits and chocolate milk when it’s 10. I already had it packed by Richard in the bag. Also, check his back from time to time and see if it’s sweating, rub it off with the cotton handkerchief immediately. I had placed in the bag as well, and you…” being the dutiful mother and wife she was, strictly reminded her husband what he needed to do when taking care of Friso by himself. Allison knew that he already knew these things since he had been alone with the child for some moments, but still, she wanted to refresh his memory.

The team quietly just watched the woman pecking her husband, awestruck from the scene before them. Today marked the day they had seen the unthinkable. Looks like the boss had his own boss. They silently noted to themselves to never fuck with Allison de Vries in any possible way as well.

"Now have fun," she said after finally finishing after giving the shortest run down she could do, patting on some parts of his clothes that got wrinkled from the scene earlier. A small smile spread across her face when her finger came across the slightly wet part of his shirt, it must be from Friso’s tears earlier. Good thing she made that prototype with the latest fabric that was currently tested if it couldn’t get wet.

"I love you,” he said to her while she flattened the creases on his shirt, his eye staring at her intently like

"I love you too,” she replied, stretching her neck to look up at him with a smile on her face before tapping his chest. “There looks like you’re good to go.” Hades grinned and was about to ask her for a goodbye kiss but she suddenly raised a hand and motioned and waved it like she was shooing him away. "Now scram," she added, turning on her heels to walk over to Friso.

Behind him, Jamaal couldn’t help but ask him: "Tough love, sir?"

A disappointed Hades could only shrug, shaking his head arbitrarily. "Tough love, man. Tough love.”